[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 76 (Thursday, April 18, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 16878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-9488]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[FCC 96-113]


Mass Media: AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; comments in response to reconsideration.

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SUMMARY: In Comments in Response to Reconsideration of Implementation 
of the AM Expanded Band and Allotment Plan, FCC 96-113, the Federal 
Communications Commission denied requests raised in response to 
Reconsideration of Implementation of the AM Expanded Band Allotment 
Plan (Reconsideration Order) and closed to further changes the official 
AM database (the June 30, 1993-A AM Engineering Database) which is used 
for expanded band allotments. The Reconsideration Order had rescinded 
the initial AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and provided a period for 
comments to correct the AM database and comments on the procedures 
which would be used to generate a new plan based on recalculated 
ranking factors.

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 18, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Burtle, Audio Services Division, 
Mass Media Bureau, (202) 418-2670.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The full text of this Commission decision 
Comments in Response to Reconsideration of Implementation of the AM 
Expanded Band and Allotment Plan, FCC 96-113, adopted March 15, 1996, 
and released March 22, 1996 (Comments Order), is available for 
inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Dockets 
Branch (Room 230), 1919 M St., N.W. Washington D.C. (See MM Docket 87-
267). The complete text of this decision may also be purchased from the 
Commission's copy contractor, Downtown Copy Center, 1990 M St., N.W., 
Suite 640, Washington, D.C. 30036.
    By the Reconsideration Order, 60 FR 48426 (September 19, 1995), the 
Commission rescinded the interference improvement factor rankings and 
the resulting Allotment Plan for AM stations seeking to migrate to the 
AM expanded band. The Allotment Plan identified those AM stations that 
were eligible to apply for authorizations for specific allotments for 
AM expanded band frequencies (1605 kHz-1705 kHz). The Commission 
provided the public a thirty-day period to submit comments on the 
procedures and technical standards which were set forth in the 
Reconsideration Order and which would be used to generate corrected 
improvement factors and a new allotment plan. Comments were received 
from four licensees. The FCC rejected the requests raised in the 
comments.
    Concurrent with the release of the Comments Order, the Commission's 
Mass Media Bureau announced revised expanded AM broadcast band 
improvement factors and a revised Allotment Plan. See Public Notice DA 
96-408, released March 22, 1996. After the Allotment Plan becomes a 
final Commission action, the FCC will issue a further public notice 
announcing that each licensee that was allotted a frequency, and thus 
selected for migration to the expanded band, will be afforded a sixty 
(60) day period in which to file an application for construction permit 
authority on the allotted channel. Such licensees will also be notified 
individually by letter. Applications will be subject to petitions to 
deny but not to competing applications. Applications are also subject 
to the provisions of three international agreements (Region 2, 
Canadian, and Mexican). See Section 73.28 (a) of the Commission's 
Rules. Application procedures will be set forth in the further public 
notice.

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    This action is authorized under Sections 4 (i) and 303 (r) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and 303 (r), and Section 553 
(b) (3) (A) of the Administrative Procedures Act.

Ordering Clause

    Accordingly, it is ordered that the requests raised in the comments 
filed in this proceeding are denied, as set forth above. It is further 
ordered that the June 30, 1993-A database is now closed to further 
changes and the June 30, 1993-A AM Engineering Database which was 
placed in the public record and associated with MM Docket 87-267, the 
Expanded Band rulemaking proceeding, will be used as the official 
database for further use in the expanded band proceeding.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

    Radio broadcasting.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-9488 Filed 4-17-96; 8:45 am]
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