[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 210 (Thursday, October 29, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 68541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23310]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 20-334; RM-11864; DA 20-1193; FRS 17155]


Television Broadcasting Services Portland, Oregon

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: 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.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before November 13, 2020 and reply 
comments on or before November 23, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary, 
45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. In addition to filing comments 
with the FCC, interested parties should serve counsel for petitioner as 
follows: Michael Beder, Esq., Associate General Counsel, TEGNA, Inc., 
8350 Broad Street, Suite 2000, Tysons, Virginia 22102.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
(202) 418-1647; or Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Commission's 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 20-334; RM-11864; DA 20-
1193, adopted October 13, 2020, and released October 13, 2020. The full 
text of this document is available for download at https://www.fcc.gov/edocs. To request materials in accessible formats (braille, large 
print, computer diskettes, or audio recordings), please send an email 
to [email protected] or call the Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau at 
(202) 418-0530 (VOICE), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
    This document does not contain information collection requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. In 
addition, therefore, it does not contain any proposed information 
collection burden ``for small business concerns with fewer than 25 
employees,'' pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 
2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4). Provisions of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, do not apply to 
this proceeding.
    Members of the public should note that all ex parte contacts are 
prohibited from the time a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is issued to 
the time the matter is no longer subject to Commission consideration or 
court review, see 47 CFR 1.1208. There are, however, exceptions to this 
prohibition, which can be found in Section 1.1204(a) of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.1204(a).
    See Sections 1.415 and 1.420 of the Commission's rules for 
information regarding the proper filing procedures for comments, 47 CFR 
1.415 and 1.420.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

    Television.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.

Proposed Rule

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR part 73 as follows:

PART 73--RADIO BROADCAST SERVICE

0
1. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 301, 303, 307, 309, 310, 334, 
336, 339.


Sec.  73.622  [Amended]

0
2. Amend Sec.  73.622(i), the Post-Transition Table of DTV Allotments 
under Oregon, by removing channel 8 and adding channel 26 at Portland.

[FR Doc. 2020-23310 Filed 10-28-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P