Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting)

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking (Petition) filed by KHGI Licensee, LLC, (Licensee), licensee of KHGI- TV, channel 13, Kearney, Nebraska (KHGI or Station), requesting the substitution of channel 18 for channel 13 at Kearney in the DTV Table of Allotments. Licensee states that the proposed channel substitution for KHGI from VHF channel 13 to UHF channel 18 would allow KHGI to significantly improve its over-the-air service to the Station's viewers in the Kearney, Nebraska, area. Licensee states that the proposed channel change from channel 13 to channel 18 would result a substantial increase in signal receivability for KHGI's core viewers and enable viewers to receive the Station's signal with a significantly smaller antenna. Licensee maintains that KHGI, as a VHF channel station, has had a long history of dealing with severe reception problems exacerbated by the analog to digital conversion. The proposed migration of KHGI from channel 13 to channel 18, Licensee contends, will be a favorable arrangement of allotments based on the enhanced signal levels that will be delivered to a large percentage of the Station's population without any predicted loss of coverage. Further, Licensee maintains that the change will result in an predicted increase of more than 37,000 persons in the Station's overall population and the staff has determined there is no loss of service. Licensee concludes by saying that the public interest would be best served by promptly granting its Petition with the specifications set forth therein so that Kearney-area viewers may benefit from substantially improved over-the- air broadcast television service as soon as possible.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking (Petition) filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings, LLC (Scripps or the Petitioner), licensee of KRIS-TV, channel 13, Corpus Christi, Texas, requesting the substitution of channel 26 for channel 13 at Corpus Christi in the DTV Table of Allotments. Scripps states that it has received numerous complaints from viewers saying that they are unable to receive the station on channel 13, and that it is apparent that the KRIS-TV VHF signal is not providing viewers with the quality of service provided by UHF stations in the market. Scripps further states that the station is now silent, after a wind storm in April 2020 caused the tower to collapse, and Scripps would prefer to construct a new UHF facility on channel 26 in order to significantly improve off-air service, rather than replace the VHF channel 13 facility.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking (Petition) filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Gray or the Petitioner), licensee of KCBD, channel 11, Lubbock, Texas, requesting the substitution of UHF channel 36 for VHF channel 11 at Lubbock in the DTV Table of Allotments. Gray states that many of its viewers experience significant difficulty receiving the station's VHF signal and that all but 350 of the 414,091 persons currently served by KCBD will continue to be well served by at least five other stations, a number which the Commission has recognized as de minimus.

At the request of Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting Company, LLC, the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments, by Channel 238A at Edgefield, South Carolina, as a first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 238A can be allotted to Edgefield, South Carolina, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules, using city reference coordinates. The reference coordinates are 33-48-53 NL 81-56-10 WL.

Through this final rule, the Commission fosters the efficient and robust use of broadcast spectrum capacity for the provision of Broadcast internet services consistent with statutory directives. In this document, the Commission concludes that ancillary and supplementary (A&S) fees should be calculated based on the gross revenue received by the broadcaster, without regard to the gross revenue of an unaffiliated third party, such as a spectrum lessee; should retain the existing standard of derogation of broadcast service, but amend the wording of the rules to eliminate the outdated reference to analog television; and should reaffirm that noncommercial educational television broadcast stations (NCEs) may offer Broadcast internet services. The Commission also reinterprets the application to permit noncommercial educational stations (NCEs) to devote the substantial majority of their spectrum not just to free over-the-air television but also ancillary and supplementary services; lowers the ancillary and supplementary service fee for certain NCE services; and clarifies that NCEs may offer limited Broadcast internet services to donors without transforming those donations into feeable ancillary and supplementary service revenue.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by KRCG Licensee, LLC, (Licensee), licensee of KRCG, channel 12, Jefferson City, Missouri, requesting the substitution of channel 29 for channel 12 at Jefferson City in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Licensee states that the Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause reception issues for some viewers, and also that reception of VHF signals require larger antennas that are generally not well suited to the mobile applications expected under flexible use, relative to UHF channels. KRCG has received numerous complaints from viewers unable to receive the Station's over-the-air signal, despite being able to receive signals from other stations and that its channel substitution proposal will result in more effective building penetration for indoor antenna reception and will also greatly improve the Station's ability to provide ATSC 3.0 service to homes, vehicles and portable devices, etc. Licensee further states that operation on channel 29 will not result in any predicted loss of service and would result in a substantial increase in signal receivability for KRCG viewers.

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.