Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting)

In this document, the Media Bureau adopted an Order, granting a Motion for Extension of Time filed by the Campaign Legal Center, Sunlight Foundation, Common Cause, the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society and Issue One in MB Docket No. 19-363 (DA 19-1292).

The Federal Communication Commission proposes to amend its rules to allow AM broadcasters to use all-digital transmissions. All- digital AM broadcasting has the potential to provide a more reliable and robust radio signal than analog, as well as auxiliary digital services.

In this document, the Media Bureau seeks to update the record in MB Docket No. 03-185 on the operation of analog radio services by digital low power television stations (LPTV) as ancillary or supplementary services.

This document seeks comment on whether the Commission should modify or eliminate its rule (the radio duplication rule) that bars same-service (AM or FM) commercial radio stations from duplicating more than 25% of their total hours of programming in an average broadcast week if the stations have 50% or more contour overlap and are commonly owned or subject to a time brokerage agreement.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collections associated with the rules adopted in the Report and Order in MB Docket Nos. 18-202 and 17-105, FCC 19-67, In the Matter of Children's Television Programming Rules; Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC/Commission) is correcting final rules that had typographical errors that were published in three separate reports in the Federal Register. In those documents, the Commission used table 8 MHz maximum authorized bandwidth channels that had an error in various rules. This document corrects the errors.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on whether it should eliminate or revise the requirements, in the Commission's rules, regarding access to FM and TV broadcast antenna sites. These rules prohibit the grant, or renewal, of a license for an FM or TV station if that applicant or licensee controls an antenna site that is peculiarly suitable for broadcasting in the area and does not make the site available for use by other similar licensees. The Commission seeks comment on whether these requirements, which are rarely invoked, are outdated and unnecessary in light of the significant changes in the broadcast marketplace, including significant growth in the availability of broadcast infrastructure that has occurred since these restrictions were first adopted nearly 75 years ago. With this proceeding, the Commission continues its efforts to modernize our rules and eliminate or modify outdated and unnecessary regulations.

The Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA), in conjunction with the Media Bureau (MB), announce an auction of certain FM broadcast construction permits. This public notice also seeks comment on competitive bidding procedures and proposed minimum opening bid amounts for Auction 106.

In this document, the Commission adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, in which it sought comment on proposals to change the rules governing local public notice given by broadcast station applicants. These specific rule changes were proposed based on responses to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making in this proceeding.

At the request of SSR Communications Inc., the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 264A at Caliente, Nevada, as the first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 264A can be allotted to Caliente consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules without a site restriction. The reference coordinates are 37-36-02 NL and 114-30-32 WL.

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 document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to improve technical rules that primarily affect Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations, based upon a petition for rulemaking filed by REC Networks.

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 document, the Federal Communications Commission modernizes the carriage election notice rules by permitting broadcasters to post their carriage elections online and send notices to covered multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) by email only when first electing carriage or changing their carriage election status from must carry to retransmission consent or vice versa. Additionally, all parties will be required to post their contact information online on Commission databases.

This document announces that the Federal Communications Commission granted a motion filed by the Multicultural Media, Telecom and internet Council (MMTC) in MB Docket No. 19-177 to extend the deadlines for filing comments and replies in response to the Commission's document on possible improvements to equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and enforcement.

At the request of Xana HD Solutions, LLC., the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 283A at Kahlotus, Washington, as the first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 283A can be allotted to Kahlotus, Washington, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction of 6.2 kilometers (3.88 miles) southeast of Kahlotus. The reference coordinates are 46-38-00 NL 118-38-10 WL. Channel 283A at Kahlotus, Washington is located within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the U.S.- Canadian border. Canadian concurrence has been received.

In this document, the Commission seeks further comment on the creation of a framework under which a broadcaster could satisfy its children's programming obligations by relying in part on special efforts to produce or support Core Programming aired on another station or stations in the market. The Children's Television Act (CTA) permits the Commission to consider special sponsorship efforts, in addition to consideration of a licensee's programming, in evaluating whether a licensee has served the educational and informational needs of children. The Commission invites commenters to submit proposals detailing a specific framework under which special sponsorship efforts may be considered as part of a broadcaster's license renewal.

In this document, the Commission updates the children's television programming rules to reflect the changes to the media landscape since these rules were first adopted in the 1990s following passage of the Children's Television Act of 1990 (CTA). The revised rules will give broadcasters greater flexibility in serving the educational and informational needs of children, allow broadcasters to offer more diverse and innovative educational programming, and relieve unnecessary burdens on broadcasters, while also ensuring that high quality educational programming remains available to all children.

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 FCC 19-21. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the compliance date.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) proposes to require that cable operators use email to deliver certain written notices to broadcast television stations. The proposal would require cable operators to email the notices to a designated inbox in the station's online public inspection file (OPIF). The FCC seeks comment on whether satellite TV providers should similarly be required to use email to deliver certain written notices to broadcast TV stations. In addition, the FCC also seeks comment on whether and how the proposal to require electronic delivery of notices can be applied to certain low power TV and noncommercial translator stations that are not required to maintain an OPIF.