APPLICANT IS THE LICENSEE OF KPDF-CA, (ANALOG CH. 41), PHOENIX, ARIZONA. IT HAS FILED AN APPLICATION TO FLASH-CUT THE STATION ON CHANNEL 41 FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL. (SEE BDFCDTA-20090903AAB, ATTACHED HERETO AS ATTACHMENT 20.) THE APPLICATION REMAINS PENDING, AWAITING COORDINATION WITH MEXICO. KPDF-CA OPERATES AS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF SPANISH LANGUAGE STATIONS SERVING THE LARGE HISPANIC POPULATION IN THE PHOENIX MARKET. AS AN ANALOG-ONLY STATION, IT IS AT A DISTINCT COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE IN COMPARISON TO THE OTHER STATIONS IN THE MARKET THAT OPERATE IN DIGITAL MODE. IN THE COMPETITION FOR ADVERTISERS, KPDF HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING INCREASING DEFECTIONS BY ITS CLIENTS BASED ON THE FACT THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE A DIGITAL SIGNAL, THAT OVER-THE-AIR VIEWERS MUST HAVE CONVERTER BOXES TO RECEIVE IT, AND THAT THEREFORE IT IS NOT RECEIVABLE BY AS MANY VIEWERS AS COMPETING STATIONS. IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS ALONE, AT LEAST THREE OF ITS ADVERTISING ACCOUNTS HAVE GIVEN NOTICE OF THEIR INTENT TO CANCEL THEIR CONTRACTS WITH THE STATION. THIS PLACES THE LICENSEE IN SEVERE ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, RESULTING IN THIS REQUEST FOR SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO OPERATE DIGITAL CHANNEL 41 UNTIL ITS PENDING APPLICATION FOR PERMANENT AUTHORITY CAN BE GRANTED. GRANT OF THE STA WOULD SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST BY PRESERVING DIVERSITY OF SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING IN A MARKET WHERE APPROXIMATELY 34 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION (1.3 MILLION PEOPLE) ARE HISPANIC. EXPEDITED GRANT OF THE STA IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED.