[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 212 (Monday, November 2, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 69311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23309]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 20-331; RM-11863; DA 20-1192; FRS 17152]


Television Broadcasting Services Mesa, Arizona

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: 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.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before November 17, 2020 and reply 
comments on or before November 27, 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. 20-331; RM-11863; DA 20-
1192, 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 Arizona, by removing channel 12 and adding channel 18 at Mesa.
[FR Doc. 2020-23309 Filed 10-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P