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2014 Quadrennial Regulatory Review

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 05/16/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Second Report and Order, 2014 Quadrennial Regulatory Review, FCC 16-107. This document is consistent with the Second Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of changes to the forms.

Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Wed, 05/10/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Commission expands the option to use Special Use FRNs on ownership reports for noncommercial educational broadcast stations (FCC Form 323-E). This action addresses several petitions for reconsideration of a prior Commission decision and properly balances the Commission's need to improve the integrity and usability of its broadcast ownership data with the concerns raised in the petitions for reconsideration.

Noncommercial Educational Station Fundraising for Third-Party Non-Profit Organizations

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 05/05/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Commission revises its rules to allow noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations to conduct limited on-air fundraising activities that interrupt regular programming for the benefit of third-party non-profit organizations. Permitting NCE stations to conduct third-party fundraising on a limited basis will serve the public interest by enabling NCE stations to support charities and other non-profit organizations in their fundraising efforts for worthy causes without undermining the noncommercial nature of NCE stations or their primary function of serving their communities of license through educational programming.

National Television Multiple Ownership Rule

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 05/05/2017 - 00:00
An Order on Reconsideration reinstates the UHF discount, which allows commercial broadcast television station owners to discount the audience reach of their UHF stations when calculating compliance with the national television ownership rule. With the reinstatement of the discount, the Commission will commence a proceeding later this year to consider whether the national television audience reach cap, including the UHF discount, remains in the public interest. The Order on Reconsideration finds that the UHF discount is inextricably linked to the national cap, and when the Commission voted previously to eliminate the discount, it failed to consider whether this de facto tightening of the national cap was in the public interest and justified by current marketplace conditions. The Order on Reconsideration grants in part the Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) filed by ION Media Networks and Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana, Inc. (Petitioners), and dismisses as moot requests to reconsider the grandfathering provisions applicable to broadcast station combinations affected by elimination of the discount and the decision to forego a VHF discount.

Petition for Reconsideration of Action in Rulemaking Proceeding

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 05/04/2017 - 00:00
A Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by Andrew Jay Schwartzman, on behalf of Prometheus Radio Project.

Review of Foreign Ownership Policies for Broadcast, Common Carrier and Aeronautical Radio Licensees

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 04/20/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, information collection requirements adopted in the Commission's Report and Order, FCC 16-128. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules.

Channel Sharing Rules

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 04/18/2017 - 00:00
In this Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted rules to allow full power and Class A stations with auction-related channel sharing agreements (CSAs) to become sharees outside of the incentive auction context so that they can continue to operate if their auction-related CSAs expire or otherwise terminate. The Commission also adopted rules to allow all low power television and TV translator stations (secondary stations) to share a channel with another secondary station or with a full power or Class A station. This action will assist secondary stations that are displaced by the incentive auction and the repacking process to continue to operate in the post-auction television bands. The rules adopted in this R&O will enhance the benefits of channel sharing for broadcasters without imposing significant burdens on multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs).

Petition for Reconsideration of Action in Rulemaking Proceeding

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 04/11/2017 - 00:00
A Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by Rick Kaplan, on behalf of NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS.

Radio Broadcasting Services; Mullin, Texas

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 03/24/2017 - 00:00
At the request of Roy E. Henderson (Petitioner), licensee of FM Station KNUZ (FM), San Saba, Texas, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments by substituting Channel 277A for Channel 224A at Mullin, Texas. The purpose of this change is to facilitate and grant Petitioner's hybrid application that KNUZ (FM) be modified to operate on Channel 277A rather than Channel 224A at San Saba, Texas. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 277A can be substituted for Channel 224A at Mullin, Texas, as proposed, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction 3.1 km (1.9 miles) north of the community. The reference coordinates are 31-35-00 NL and 98-40-31 WL.

Revitalization of the AM Radio Service

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 03/16/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Second Report and Order, Revitalization of the AM Radio Service, FCC 17-14. This document is consistent with the Second Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules.

Authorizing Permissive Use of the “Next Generation” Broadcast Television Standard

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 03/10/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Commission proposes to authorize television broadcasters to use the ``Next Generation'' broadcast television transmission standard associated with recent work of the Advanced Television Systems Committee on a voluntary, market-driven basis, while they continue to deliver current-generation digital television broadcast service, using the ATSC 1.0 standard, to their viewers. This new standard has the potential to greatly improve broadcast signal reception and will enable broadcasters to offer enhanced and innovative new features to consumers.

Revitalization of the AM Radio Service

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 03/09/2017 - 00:00
This document amends the Commission's rule setting forth the allowable location of an FM translator station rebroadcasting the signal of an AM broadcast station. It changes the rule so that an AM broadcaster has a greater area in which an FM translator rebroadcasting the AM signal may be located, giving AM broadcasters greater flexibility in reaching their listeners. The change is necessary to accommodate AM radio stations located far from their communities of license, or those with highly directional signal patterns.

Radio Broadcasting Services; Red Lake, Minnesota

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Wed, 03/08/2017 - 00:00
At the request of Red Lake Nation, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments by allotting FM Channel 287C1 at Red Lake, Minnesota, as a Tribal Allotment and a first local Tribal-owned service to the community. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 287C1 can be allotted at Red Lake, Minnesota, as proposed, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction 42.4 km (25.34 miles) northwest of the community. The reference coordinates are 47-59-00 NL and 95-33-33 WL.

Marine Radio Equipment and Related Matters

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, information collection requirements adopted in the Commission's Report and Order, FCC 16-119. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules.

Expansion of Revisions to Public Inspection File Requirements-Broadcaster Correspondence File and Cable Principal Headend Location

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 02/23/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) eliminates two public inspection file requirements: The requirement that commercial broadcast stations retain in their public inspection file copies of letters and emails from the public; and the requirement that cable operators maintain for public inspection the designation and location of the cable system's principal headend. Our actions will reduce regulatory burdens on commercial broadcasters and cable operators, advance regulatory parity with respect to our public file requirements among various program distributors, and improve security at local stations and principal headend locations.

Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau Finalize Catalog of Reimbursement Expenses

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 02/21/2017 - 00:00
In this document the Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts: Updates to the categories of eligible equipment and services, as well as updated baseline costs, in the catalog of eligible reimbursement expenses (Catalog); an economic methodology for adjusting the Catalog's baseline costs annually such that they remain accurate, by using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Producer Price Index, WPUFD4 series; and revisions to the online Reimbursement Form to incorporate the updates to the Catalog, which will be embedded in the Reimbursement Form, as well as other features, including checkboxes for entities to indicate if they are seeking upgrades or partial payment requests, which are designed to make it more user-friendly.

Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau Adopt a Post-Incentive Auction Transition Scheduling Plan

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 02/17/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Media Bureau, in consultation with the Incentive Auction Task Force, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology, adopts a methodology to establish construction deadlines and transitions schedule for full power and Class A television stations that are transitioning to new channels following the incentive auction.

Radio Broadcasting Services; Roma and San Isidro, Texas

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 02/16/2017 - 00:00
At the request of La Voz Latina (LVL) and Charles Crawford (Crawford), respectively, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 278A at San Isidro, Texas, and deleting Channel 278A at Roma, Texas. Channel 278A at San Isidro, Texas, will be the community's second local service. The Audio Division, therefore, grants both LVL's counterproposal and Crawford's ``Withdrawal of Expression of Interest.'' A staff engineering analysis indicates Channel 278A can be allotted to San Isidro consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction 6 kilometers west of the community. The reference coordinates are 26-42-15 NL and 98-29-48 WL.

Radio Broadcasting Services; Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Wed, 02/15/2017 - 00:00
This document requests comments on a Petition for Rulemaking filed by Northwest Florida Media, LLC, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, of the Commission's rules, by allotting Channel 295A at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, as a sixth local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 295A can be allotted to Fort Walton Beach, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules without a site restriction. The reference coordinates are 30-24-40 NL and 86-37-28 WL.

Media Bureau Seeks Comment on Requiring the Filing of Transition Progress Reports by Stations That Are Not Eligible for Reimbursement From the TV Broadcast Relocation Fund

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 02/14/2017 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission seeks comment on a proposed Transition Progress Report (FCC Form 2100-- Schedule 387 (Transition Progress Report)) and proposed filing requirements for periodic progress reports by full power and Class A television stations that are not eligible to receive payment of relocation expenses from the TV Broadcast Relocation Fund in connection with their being assigned to a new channel through the Incentive Auction. The Commission tentatively concludes that this mechanism is needed to help the Commission, broadcasters, those involved in construction of broadcast facilities, other interested parties, and the public to monitor the construction of the stations that are not eligible for reimbursement.

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