Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting)

In this document the Media Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopts changes to its public inspection file rules to reinstate the text of an explanatory note that was inadvertently deleted from the Code of Federal Regulations. The note clarified that Class D FM stations, or stations whose programming is wholly "Instructional," are exempt from the requirement to maintain issues and programs lists in their public inspection file. Reinstatement of this explanatory text will provide clarity to regulatees as to their public inspection file obligations.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on the state of the Next Generation Television ("Next Gen TV" or "ATSC 3.0") transition and on the scheduled sunsets of two rules adopted in the First Next Gen TV Report and Order. First, the Commission reviews and seeks comment on the progress of Next Gen TV broadcasters' voluntary, market-driven deployment of ATSC 3.0 service and the current state of the ATSC 3.0 marketplace, including whether holders of essential patents for the ATSC 3.0 standards are licensing such patents on reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms. Second, the Commission seeks comment on the scheduled 2023 sunset of the rule requiring that a Next Gen TV station's ATSC 1.0 simulcast primary video programming stream be "substantially similar" to its 3.0 primary programming stream. Third, the Commission seeks comment on the scheduled 2023 sunset of the requirement that a Next Gen TV station comply with the ATSC A/322 standard.

On April 16, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by KTVL Licensee, LLC (the Petitioner), the licensee of KTVL(TV), channel 10, Medford, Oregon, requesting the substitution of channel 16 for channel 10 at Medford in the Table of Allotments. The Bureau is now amending FCC regulations to make this change.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopts an Order on Reconsideration (Order), that denies the Petitions for Reconsideration filed by Sennheiser Electronic Corporation and Shure Incorporated and affirms its conclusions and reasoning to close the vacant channel proceeding. The Commission's Order denies petitioners' requests for reconsideration and reversal of the Commission's 2020 Report and Order, that declined to adopt proposals of a 2015 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and affirms closure of the vacant channel proceeding.

In this Fifth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FCC 22-40, released June 7, 2022, the Commission seeks comment on the operation of analog FM radio services by channel 6 digital low power television stations. The Commission also seeks comment on a proposal by National Public Radio to license additional noncommercial educational FM radio stations on 82-88 MHz in areas where channel 6 low power television and full-power stations are currently not operating. Finally, the Commission seeks comment on whether to eliminate or revise the television channel 6 distance separation rules for FM radio stations operating on reserved band FM channels 201-220.

In this document the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopts changes to its rules and procedures for FM and Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcast license applicants to allow for verification of FM directional antenna patterns through computer models prepared by the directional antenna's manufacturer. The changes are designed to reduce the cost of designing and building an FM or LPFM directional antenna and, thus, of station construction. The changes are further designed to bring the Commission's rules for the FM and LPFM services into regulatory conformity with its rules governing AM and DTV directional antennas.

This document amends the FM Table of Allotments, of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission or FCC) rules, by adding Channel 263A at Hamilton, Texas. Channel 263A would provide a second local service at Hamilton, Texas. A staff engineering analysis reveals that Channel 263A can be allotted to Hamilton in conformity with the FCC's rules at reference coordinates 31-39-48.1 NL and 98-21- 29.4 WL. To accommodate the Hamilton allotment, we modify the FM station KNUZ license to specify operation on Channel 291A in lieu of Channel 224A at San Saba, Texas, and the FM station KRNR license to specify Channel 224A in lieu of 263A at Goldthwaite, Texas.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of WMEB, channel *9, Orono, Maine. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel *22 for channel *9 at Orono in the Table of Allotments.

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 No. 21-293, FCC 22-5, Revisions to Political Programming and Record-Keeping Rule. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the revised rules.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by Spottswood Partners II, Ltd, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 265C3 to Big Coppitt Key, Florida, as the first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 265C3 can be allotted to Big Coppitt Key, Florida, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules (Rules), with a site restriction of 14.5 km (9.0 miles) northeast of the community. The reference coordinates are 24-39-34 NL and 81-32- 17 WL.

This document amends the FM Table of Allotments, of the Commission's rules, by removing Channel 265C2 at Millerton, Oklahoma; Channel 293C2 at Powers, Oregon; Channel 279A at Mount Enterprise, Texas; Channel 296C3 at Paint Rock, Texas; Channel 290A at Hardwick, Vermont; and Channel 259C at Meeteetse, Wyoming. All of these allotments were offered in previous FM auctions and received no bids. We will not delete Channel 259C2 at Snowflake, Arizona, because Estrella Broadcasting LLC filed a bona fide expression of interest.

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 KBZK (Station), channel 13, Bozeman, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 27 for channel 13 at Bozeman 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 27 for channel 13 at Bozeman.

On February 23, 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), the licensee of KSCW-DT (Station), channel 12, Wichita, Kansas, requesting the substitution of channel 28 for channel 12 at Wichita 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 28 for channel 12 at Wichita.

On March 9, 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), the licensee of WDTV (Station), channel 5, Weston, West Virginia, requesting the substitution of channel 33 for channel 5 at Weston 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 33 for channel 5 at Weston.

This document invites comments from all stakeholders in connection with the development of an up-to-date record on the role of receivers in spectrum management and how the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) might best promote improvements in receiver interference immunity performance that would serve the public interest. The Commission seeks to build upon the progress, including technological advances, in recent years that has enabled better receiver interference immunity performance, and the Commission seeks comment on where those efforts and advances have been most successful. The Commission also seeks to learn lessons from recent Commission proceedings in which receiver performance concerns have been prominent, to better inform the Commission as it considers how to ensure valuable and innovative services are able to thrive across the frequency range.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of WCBB, channel *10, Augusta, Maine. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel *20 for channel *10 at Augusta in the Table of Allotments.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by WVEC Television, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WVEC, channel 11, Hampton, Virginia. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 35 for channel 11 at Hampton in the Table of Allotments.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WMC-TV, channel 5, Memphis, Tennessee. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 30 for channel 5 at Memphis in the Table of Allotments.

On January 20, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Alabama Educational Television Commission (Petitioner or AETC), requesting the allotment of reserved noncommercial educational channel *4 to Vernon, Alabama, in the Table of Allotments as the community's first local service. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) regulations to allot channel *4 at Vernon. The newly allotted channel will be authorized pursuant to the Commission's application and selection procedures for reserved noncommercial educational television stations.

On January 11, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by WNYT-TV, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WNYT-TV (Station), channel 12, Albany, New York, requesting the substitution of channel 24 for channel 12 at Albany in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) regulations to substitute channel 24 for channel 12 at Albany.