Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting)

This document amends the FM Table of Allotments, of the Commission's rules, by reinstating certain vacant FM allotments. These FM allotments are considered vacant because of the cancellation of the associated authorizations and licenses, or the dismissal of long-form auction applications. Theses vacant FM allotments have previously undergone notice and comment rule making. Reinstatement of the vacant allotments is merely a ministerial action to effectuate licensing procedures. Therefore, we find for good cause that further notice and comment are unnecessary.

In this Report and Order (Order), the Federal Communications Commission declines to adopt rules proposed in the Commission's 2015 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 30 FCC Rcd 6711 (2015) (2015 NPRM) in this proceeding and, therefore, terminates the proceeding. While the Commission continues to support unlicensed white space devices and wireless microphone user operations and continues to believe they serve important interests, based on the record of this proceeding and in light of other actions it has taken during the years since the rules were proposed, coupled with the increased burden that its 2015 proposal would place on the use by broadcasters of spectrum in the more consolidated TV band that now exists following the Incentive Auction, the Commission finds that the rules proposed in the 2015 NPRM would not serve the public interest. In reaching this conclusion, the Commission finds other actions it has taken since the 2015 NPRM to support white space devices and wireless microphones are the preferred avenues for the continued support of these services. Accordingly, the Commission terminates this docket.

The Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) has before it a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Multimedia Holdings Corporation (Multimedia), licensee of KARE, channel 11, Minneapolis, Minnesota, requesting the substitution of channel 31 for channel 11 at Minneapolis in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Bureau had instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011 and waived the freeze to consider Multimedia's proposal to substitute channel 31 at Minneapolis. TEGNA, Inc., filed comments in support of the petition reaffirming its commitment to applying for channel 31. The Bureau believes the public interest would be served by the substitution and will permit the station to better serve its viewers, who have experienced reception problems with VHF channel 11.

The Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) has before it a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Multimedia Holdings Corporation (Multimedia), licensee of KPNX, channel 12 (NBC), Mesa, Arizona, requesting the substitution of channel 18 for channel 12 at Mesa in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Bureau had instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011 and waived the freeze to consider Multimedia's proposal to substitute channel 18 at Mesa. TEGNA, Inc., filed comments in support of the petition reaffirming its commitment to applying for channel 18. The Bureau believes the public interest would be served by the substitution and will permit the station to better serve its viewers, who have experienced reception problems with VHF channel 12.

In this document the Federal Communications Commission proposes to amend its rules to enable FM broadcasters to use FM booster stations to air geo-targeted content (e.g., news, weather, and advertisements) independent of the signals of its primary station within different portions of the primary station's protected service contour for a limited period of time during the broadcast hour.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by The Curators of the University of Missouri (the University), licensee of KOMU-TV, channel 8, Columbia, Missouri, requesting the substitution of channel 27 for channel 8 at Columbia in the DTV Table of Allotments. The University states that the Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause reception issues for some viewers. The University states that since the end of the DTV transition in 2009, the station regularly receives complaints from viewers who report being able to receive all other signals in the market, including a low power television station operating on a UHF channel, but not KOMU-TV. While KOMU-TV's proposed channel 27 facility would result in a slight reduction of service to existing viewers, the University demonstrates that only 401 people are predicted to live in portions of the loss area, and that all but seven of those persons will continue to be served by at least five full power television stations. The Commission has found that population loss of less than 500 persons is de minimus and the predicted population loss as presented by the University is only 401 persons and virtually all of them will continue to be well-served by five other full power television stations.

The Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) has before it a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Sander Operating Co. III LLC (Sander), licensee of KGW, channel 8, Portland, Oregon, requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 8 at Portland in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Bureau had instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011 and waived the freeze to consider Sander's proposal to substitute channel 26 at Portland. TEGNA, Inc., filed comments in support of the petition reaffirming its commitment to applying for channel 26. The Bureau believes the public interest would be served by the substitution and will permit the station to better serve its viewers, who have experienced reception problems with VHF channel 8.

Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's proceeding by Rachel Stilwell and Samantha Gutierrez, on behalf of REC Networks, musicFIRST Coalition and Future of Music Coalition.

The Federal Communications Commission provides an option for AM stations to broadcast using an all-digital signal.

In this document the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) addresses the Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) filed by Discount Legal, regarding the Commission's Report and Order in the Noncommercial Educational (NCE) comparative standards proceeding (2019 NCE R&O). The Commission dismisses the Petition as procedurally defective, and alternatively and independently, denies the Petition.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on rules proposing to require specific disclosure requirements for broadcast programming that is paid for, or provided by a foreign government or its representative.

The Commission recently adopted changes to its rules and procedures for considering competing applications for new noncommercial educational (NCE) FM radio stations in Reexamination of the Comparative Standards and Procedures for Licensing Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Stations and Low Power FM Stations, MB Docket No. 19-3, Report and Order. In this document, the Commission announces that it is directing the Media Bureau (Bureau) to open a filing window for NCE FM new station applications for the FM reserved band (channels 201-220). The Bureau will issue a future Public Notice to announce the specific dates of the 2021 window. The Commission also seeks comment on a proposal establishing a ten-application limit in the upcoming 2021 filing window.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Multimedia Holdings Corporation (Multimedia), licensee of KNPX, channel 12, Mesa, Arizona, requesting the substitution of channel 18 for channel 12 at Mesa in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, and Multimedia asks that the Commission waive the freeze to permit KPNX to change from a VHF to a UHF channel to better serve its over-the-air viewers. Multimedia states that the Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause reception issues for some viewers. While Multimedia acknowledges that VHF reception issues are not universal, it states that since the 2009 digital transition, when it began operating exclusively on digital channel 12, KPNX has received a steady stream of complaints from viewers unable to receive the station's over-the-air signal, despite being able to receive signals from other local stations. Multimedia believes that waiver of the channel substitution freeze would serve the public interest.

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, the information collection requirements associated with the Second Report and Order of the Commission's Rules Regarding Public Notice of the Filing of Applications; the Report and Order in Low Power FM Radio Service Technical Rules; the Report and Order in Reexamination of the Comparative Standards and Procedures for Licensing of Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Stations and Low Power FM Stations. This document is consistent with the Report and Orders, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the information collection requirements.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Sander Operating Co. III LLC (Sander), licensee of KGW, requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 8 at Portland in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, and Sander asks that the Commission waive the freeze to permit KGW to change from a VHF to a UHF channel to better serve its over-the-air viewers. Sander states that the Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause reception issues for some viewers. While Sander acknowledges that VHF reception issues are not universal, it states that since the 2009 digital transition, when it began operating exclusively on digital channel 8, KGW has received a steady stream of complaints from viewers unable to receive the station's over-the-air signal, despite being able to receive signals from other local stations. Sander believes that waiver of the channel substitution freeze would serve the public interest.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Multimedia Holdings Corporation (Multimedia), licensee of KARE, channel 11, Minneapolis, Minnesota, requesting the substitution of channel 31 for channel 11 at Minneapolis in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, and Multimedia asks that the Commission waive the freeze to permit KARE to change from a VHF to a UHF channel to better serve its over-the-air viewers. Multimedia states that the Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause reception issues for some viewers. While Multimedia acknowledges that VHF reception issues are not universal, it states that since the 2009 digital transition, when it began operating exclusively on digital channel 11, KARE has received a steady stream of complaints from viewers unable to receive the station's over-the-air signal, despite being able to receive signals from other local stations. Multimedia believes that waiver of the channel substitution freeze would serve the public interest.

In this document, the Commission eliminates the radio duplication rule, which restricts the duplication of programming on commonly owned stations operating in the same geographic area, for both AM and FM stations to reflect technological and marketplace changes since the current version of the rule was adopted in 1992. This approach will strike an appropriate balance between fostering our public interest goals of promoting competition and diversity and affording broadcast radio licensees greater flexibility to address issues of local concern in a timely fashion, facilitate digital broadcasting by AM stations, and ultimately allow stations to improve service to their communities.

In this document, the Office of Managing Director of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts an Order that amends the Commission's rules to reflect the upcoming new address of the Commission's headquarters, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. It also makes changes to clarify that certain documents are now available for inspection through the Commission's website, removes references to a Commission copy contractor, and performs minor formatting corrections.

This document denies an Application for Review filed by PMCM TV, LLC (PMCM) of the Media Bureau's grant of a rulemaking petition filed by Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc. (CPBI), licensee of noncommercial educational television station WEDW, Bridgeport, Connecticut, to change WEDW's community of license from Bridgeport to Stamford, Connecticut. The document finds that the Bureau's reallotment was proper.

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, the information collection requirements associated with the Uniform License Renewal, Discontinuance of Operation, and Geographic Partitioning and Spectrum Disaggregation Rules and Policies for Certain Wireless Radio Services Second Report and Order and the Report and Order on the Commission's Rules to Facilitate the Use of Vehicular Repeater Units. This document is consistent with the Second Report and Order, Report and Order, all of which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the information collection requirements.