Aggregator

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) addresses a number of important issues regarding updating rules and requirements for technologies used to locate and rescue distressed ships and individuals in distress at sea or on land to provide better and more accurate data to rescue personnel. The Commission also addresses issues regarding radar equipment, the use of portable marine Very High Frequency (VHF) transmitters by persons on shore; permitting VHF digital small message service (VDSMS); and allowing assignment or transfer of control of ship station licenses. The Commission is amending its rules to permit the maritime community to make use of the most advanced and reliable communications technologies available for the alerting of search and rescue authorities when a vessel or individual is in distress, and to further the Commission's goal of ensuring that the spectrum allocated for emergency communications is used effectively and efficiently.

The Audio Division dismisses the petition for rulemaking filed by 1TV.Com, Inc., (Petitioner), licensee of KIKO(FM), Claypool, Arizona, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by substituting noncommercial educational Channel *278A for Channel *296A at Pima, Arizona, to accommodate a hybrid application, requesting modification of the license for Station KIKO(FM) to specify operation on Channel 243C2 rather than Channel 247C2 at Claypool, Arizona. No comments or counterproposals were received by any parties. Petitioner did not file comments expressing a continuing interest in the proposed Pima allotment. It is the Commission's policy to refrain from making an allotment to a community absent an expression of interest. We will not allot Channel *278A at Pima, Arizona.

A Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by John R. Feore, on behalf of ION MEDIA NETWORKS, INC., and Colby M. May, on behalf of TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER OF SANTA ANA, INC.

In this Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) extends its streamlined foreign ownership rules and procedures that apply to common carrier and certain aeronautical licensees under Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the ``Act'') to broadcast licensees, with certain modifications to tailor them to the broadcast context. The Commission also reforms the methodology used by both common carrier and broadcast licensees that are, or are controlled by, U.S. public companies to assess compliance with the 20 percent foreign ownership limit in Section 310(b)(3), and the 25 percent foreign ownership benchmark in Section 310(b)(4) of the Act, in order to reduce regulatory burdens on applicants and licensees. Finally, the Commission makes certain technical corrections and clarifications to its foreign ownership rules.

This document proposes to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by substituting Channel 277A for vacant Channel 224A at Mullin, Texas, to accommodate the hybrid application requesting modification of the license for Station KNUZ(FM), San Saba, Texas to specify operation on Channel 224A rather than Channel 291A at San Saba, Texas. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 277A can be allotted to Mullin consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with site restriction 3.1 km (1.9 miles) north of the city. The reference coordinates are 31-35-00 NL and 98-40-31 WL.

This document retains the broadcast ownership rules with minor modifications in compliance with section 202(h) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which requires the Commission to review its broadcast ownership rules quadrennially to review these rules to determine whether they are necessary in the public interest as a result of competition. In addition, this document adopts an eligible entity definition pursuant to the remand of the Commission's 2008 Diversity Order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. This document also readopts the Television Joint Sales Agreement (JSA) Attribution Rule, which was vacated on procedural grounds by the Third Circuit. Lastly, this document adopts a definition of Shared Service Agreements (SSAs) and requires commercial television stations to disclose those SSAs by placing the agreements in each station's online public inspection file.

In this document the Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on updates to the catalog of eligible reimbursement expenses (Catalog) which contains costs for equipment and services that broadcasters and multichannel- video-programming-distributors (MVPDs) may incur as a result of the post-incentive auction repack and channel reassignment. In order to disburse money from the $1.75 billion TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund in accordance with the Spectrum Act and the Incentive Auction Report and Order, the Media Bureau seeks comment on changes to the Catalog, which include: Increases to the baseline costs previously proposed, the addition of new categories of reimbursement expenses, and the removal of other categories of expenses due to discontinuance or technological advancements. The Media Bureau also seeks comment on a proposed economic methodology for adjusting the baseline costs listed in the Catalog annually throughout the three-year reimbursement period.

This document seeks comment on the proposal set forth by the Media Bureau, in consultation with the Incentive Auction Task Force, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology, for developing a post-incentive auction transition scheduling plan. In preparing their submissions commenters should be mindful of the Commission's prohibited communications rule, which prohibits broadcasters and forward auction applicants from communicating any incentive auction applicant's bids or bidding strategies to other parties covered by the relevant rules.

This document eliminates the UHF discount from the calculation of the national television audience reach cap because it is no longer justified due to the transition to digital television. The discount attributes television stations broadcasting in the UHF spectrum with only 50 percent of the television households in their Designated Market Areas (DMAs). To avoid imposing undue harm on existing broadcast television station groups that exceed the national audience reach cap without the benefit of the UHF discount, this Report and Order grandfathers combinations: In existence on September 26, 2013 (Grandfather Date), the release date of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in this proceeding; created by a transaction that had received Commission approval on or before the Grandfather Date; and proposed in applications pending before the Commission on the Grandfather Date.

In this document, the Media Bureau (Bureau) dismisses as moot the Application for Review filed jointly by KZLZ, LLC (KZLZ) and Lakeshore Media, LLC, the current and former licensee, respectively, of Station KWCX-FM. While the AFR was pending, KZLZ filed a minor modification application to change the community of license of Station KWCX-FM from Willcox to Tanque Verde, Arizona. Once the requested facility modification to Station KWCX-FM was granted, the assignment at Willcox was deleted, and this in turn rendered moot any Section 307(b) comparison between Davis-Monthan AFB and the deleted Willcox assignment.

At the request of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 228C1 at Eagle Butte, South Dakota, as the first local Tribal-owned service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 228C1 can be allotted to Eagle Butte consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with no site restriction. The reference coordinates are 45-01-32 NL and 101- 14-22 WL.

At the request of Michael Myers, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 285C3 at Maryville, Missouri, as the community's forth local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates Channel 285C3 can be allotted to Maryville consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules without a site restriction. The reference coordinates are 40-22-33 NL and 94-51-25 WL.

This document proposes to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by substituting noncommercial educational Channel *278A for Channel *296A at Pima, Arizona to accommodate the hybrid application, requesting modification of the license for Station KIKO(FM) to specify operation on Channel 243C2 rather than Channel 247C2 at Claypool, Arizona. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel *278A can be allotted to Pima consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of the community. The reference coordinates are 32-49- 46 NL and 109-45-16 WL.

In this Memorandum Opinion and Order, the Commission denies the application for review of the Media Bureau's dismissal of a petition for reconsideration of decisions that allotted VHF television channel 5 to Seaford, Delaware. The Media Bureau had dismissed the petition for reconsideration challenging the Seaford allotment because it was untimely filed and the Commission concludes that there is no basis to waive the statutory deadline for the filing of petitions for reconsideration.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on proposed amendments regarding technical standards applicable to data communications that may be transmitted in the Amateur Radio Service. Specifically, we propose to remove limitations on the symbol rate (also known as the baud rate) applicable to data emissions in certain amateur bands. We believe that this rule change will allow amateur service licensees to use modern digital emissions, thereby better fulfilling the purposes of the amateur service and enhancing its usefulness.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission addresses eight petitions for reconsideration on certain rules adopted in the Report and Order (Report and Order) in this proceeding governing the Citizens Broadband Radio Service in the 3.5 GHz band. The Commission also finalizes the regulatory scheme established in the Report and Order to make this spectrum available for wireless broadband through dynamic sharing among three tiers of users.

A petition for rulemaking was filed by Sunbelt-South Tele- Communications, Ltd. (Sunbelt), the licensee of WSST-TV, channel 51, Cordele, Georgia, requesting the substitution of channel 22 for channel 51 at Cordele. Sunbelt filed comments reaffirming its interest in the proposed channel substitution and stating that if the proposal is granted, it will promptly file an application for the facilities specified in the rulemaking petition and construct the station. Sunbelt asserts that adopting the proposal would serve the public interest because it would remove any potential interference with authorized wireless operations in the Lower 700 MHz A Block adjacent to channel 51 in Cordele. In addition, Sunbelt agrees that WSST-TV will be protected in the incentive auction at its channel 51 operating parameters even after its move to channel 22, and recognizes that as a result of repacking during the incentive auction, it may be required to move from channel 22.

A petition for rulemaking was filed by America 51, L.P. (America 51), the licensee of KPPX-TV, channel 51, Tolleson, Arizona, requesting the substitution of channel 31 for channel 51 at Tolleson. America 51 filed comments reaffirming its interest in the proposed channel substitution and stated that if the proposal is granted, it will promptly file an application for the facilities specified in the rulemaking petition and construct the station. America 51 asserts that adopting the proposed channel substitution would serve the public interest because it would remove any potential interference with authorized wireless operations in the Lower 700 MHz A Block adjacent to channel 51 in the Phoenix, Arizona market. In addition, America 51 agrees that KPPX-TV will be protected in the incentive auction at its channel 51 operating parameters even after its move to channel 31, and recognizes that as a result of repacking during the incentive auction, it may be required to move from channel 31.

At the request of Sunnylands Broadcasting, LLC, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 300A at Raymond, Washington, as the community's second local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates Channel 300A can be allotted to Raymond consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction located 4.7 kilometers (3.0 miles) southwest of the community. The reference coordinates are 46-38-49 NL and 123-45-11 WL.

At the request of Charles Crawford, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 247A at Bogata, Texas and Channel 295A at Wright City, Oklahoma. A staff engineering analysis indicates that FM Channel 247A can be allotted at Bogata, Texas at the following reference coordinates: 33-33-21 NL and 95-18-28 WL. FM Channel 295A can be allotted at Wright City, Oklahoma, at the following reference coordinates: 34-04-44 NL and 94-51-15 WL.