Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting)

This document amends the FM Table of Allotments, of the Commission's rules, by reinstating certain channels as a vacant FM allotment in various communities. The FM allotments were previously removed from the FM Table because a construction permit and/or license was granted. These FM allotments are now considered vacant because of the cancellation of the associated FM authorizations or the dismissal of long-form auction FM applications. A staff engineering analysis confirms that all of the vacant FM allotments complies with the Commission's minimum distance separation and city-grade coverage requirements. The window period for filing applications for these vacant FM allotments will not be opened at this time. Instead, the issue of opening these allotments for filing will be addressed by the Commission in subsequent order.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) seeks comment on comprehensively deleting, updating, or otherwise revising Commission rules for full power television and Class A television stations that no longer have any practical effect given the completion of the transition from analog to digital-only operations and the post incentive auction transition to a smaller television band with fewer channels. This NPRM also seeks comment on a restructuring of the Commission's full power television rules, which largely consist of the technical licensing, operating, and interference rules for full power television.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Blue Ridge Public Television (Petitioner), the licensee of WBRA-TV, channel 3, Roanoke, Virginia. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 13 in place of channel 3 at Roanoke in the Table of Allotments.

On October 27, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by RNN Boston License Co., LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WWMD (Station), channel 10, Norwell, Massachusetts, requesting the substitution of channel 36 for channel 10 at Norwell in the Table of TV Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 36 for channel 10 at Norwell.

On April 5, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner or Gray), the licensee of WMC-TV (Station or WMC-TV), channel 5, Memphis, Tennessee, requesting the substitution of channel 30 for channel 5 at Memphis in the Table of TV Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 30 for channel 5 at Memphis.

In this document, the Media Bureau commences the 2022 Quadrennial Review of the Commission's media ownership rules and seeks comment on whether the rules remain necessary in the public interest as the result of competition.

The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KTRE, channel 9, Lufkin, Texas. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 24 for channel 9 at Lufkin in the Table of TV Allotments.

In an Order adopted on December 16, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division amended its regulations to reflect the termination of the incentive auction channel sharing arrangement between noncommercial educational television stations WYCC, Chicago, Illinois and WTTW, Chicago, Illinois.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KOSE-TV, channel 7, Odessa, Texas. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 31 for channel 7 at Odessa in the Table of Allotments.

On March 10, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KRTV(TV) (Station), channel 7, Great Falls, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 22 for channel 7 at Great Falls in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 22 for channel 7 at Great Falls.

On March 10, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KRTV(TV) (Station), channel 7, Great Falls, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 22 for channel 7 at Great Falls in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 22 for channel 7 at Great Falls.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by Skye Media, LLC, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 233C at Ralston, Wyoming, as the community's first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 233C can be allotted to Ralston, Wyoming, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules (Rules), with a site restriction of 32.1 km (19.9 miles) southwest of the community. The reference coordinates are 44-29-42 NL and 109-09-12 WL.

On March 10, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KTVH-DT (Station), channel 12, Helena, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 31 for channel 12 at Helena in the Table of TV Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 31 for channel 12 at Helena.

On March 10, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KPAX-TV (Station), channel 7, Missoula, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 25 for channel 7 at Missoula in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) regulations to substitute channel 25 for channel 7 at Missoula.

On March 10, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KXLF-TV (Station), channel 5, Butte, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 15 for channel 5 at Butte in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 15 for channel 5 at Butte.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the holder of a construction permit for channel 11 at Yuma, Arizona. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 27 for channel 11 at Yuma in the Table of Allotments.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by Eduardo Gallegos, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by substituting Channel 288A for vacant Channel 237A at South Padre Island, Texas to accommodate the hybrid modification application of Station KRIX(FM) that proposes the substitution of Channel 237A for Channel 288A at Port Isabel, Texas and modification of Station KRIX(FM)'s license to specify operation on Channel 237A at Port Isabel, Texas. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 288A can be allotted to South Padre Island, Texas, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules (Rules), with a site restriction of 11 km (7 miles) south of the community. The reference coordinates are 26-01-30 NL and 97-09-15 WL.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on a certification requirement proposal for broadcasters, which would strengthen and fortify the foreign sponsorship identification rules in light of the D.C. Circuit's recent decision that vacated the verification component of the Commission's rules.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by RNN Boston License Co., LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WWDP, channel 10, Norwell, Massachusetts. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 36 for channel 10 at Norwell in the Table of Allotments.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget has approved revisions to the information collection requirements under OMB Control Numbers 3060-0506 and 3060- 0938, as associated with the amended rules adopted in the Federal Communications Commission's FM Broadcast Directional Antenna Performance Verification Order, FCC 22-38. This Order governs the Commission's revised FM broadcast rules to allow for FM antenna directional pattern verification by computer modeling, and the procedures for submitting the required modeling information on the appropriate FCC 2100, Schedule 302-FM (FM Station License Application) or FCC Form 2100, Schedule 319 (Low Power FM (LPFM) License Application). This document is consistent with the FM Broadcast Directional Antenna Performance Verification Order, which states that the Commission will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date for these amended rule sections and revise the rules accordingly.