[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 23, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15451]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04633]



[[Page 15451]]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 21-51; RM-11876; DA 21-160; FR ID 17523]


Television Broadcasting Services Cedar Rapids, Iowa

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Video Division has before it a petition for rulemaking 
filed November 27, 2020 (Petition) by Gray Television Licensee, LLC 
(Petitioner), the licensee of KCRG-TV (ABC), channel 9 (KCRG or 
Station), Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Petitioner requests the substitution 
of channel 32 for channel 9 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the digital 
television (DTV) Table of Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before April 22, 2021 and reply 
comments on or before May 7, 2021.

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: Joan Stewart, Esq., Wiley Rein LLP, 1776 K Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Manley, Media Bureau, at (202) 
418-0596 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support of its channel substitution 
request, the Petitioner states that the Commission has recognized that 
VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause 
reception issues for some viewers, and also that the ``reception of VHF 
signals require larger antennas . . . relative to UHF channels.'' 
According to the Petitioner, ``many of its viewers experience 
significant difficulty receiving KCRG-TV's signal.'' The Petitioner 
further states that its channel substitution proposal will result in no 
loss of service. We believe that the Petitioner's channel substitution 
proposal warrants consideration. Channel 32 can be substituted for 
channel 9 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as proposed, in compliance with the 
principal community coverage requirements of Sec.  73.625(a) of the 
Commission's rules at coordinates 42-18-59.0 N and 91-51-31.0 W. In 
addition, we find that this channel change meets the technical 
requirements set forth in Sec. Sec.  73.616 and 73.623 of the rules.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's notice of proposed 
rulemaking, MB Docket No. 21-51; RM-11876; DA 21-160, adopted February 
12, 2021, and released February 12, 2021. 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 Sec.  1.1204(a) of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 1.1204(a).
    See Sec. Sec.  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.

0
2. In Sec.  73.622(i), amend the Post-Transition Table of DTV 
Allotments under Iowa by revising the entry for Cedar Rapids to read as 
follows:


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (i) * * *

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                        Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
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                                  Iowa
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                                * * * * *
Cedar Rapids............................................     27, 29, 32,
                                                                     47.
 
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[FR Doc. 2021-04633 Filed 3-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P