[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 77 (Friday, April 23, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 21681-21682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08366]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 21-128; RM-11895; DA 21-397; FR ID 20569]


Television Broadcasting Services Bristol, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed 
by Sinclair Media Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WCYB-TV 
(NBC), channel 5, Bristol, Virginia. The Petitioner requests the 
substitution of channel 35 for channel 5 at Bristol, Virginia in the 
DTV Table of Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before May 24, 2021 and reply 
comments on or before June 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 the 
Petitioner as follows: Paul A. Cicelski, Esq., Lerman Senter, PLLC, 
2001 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

[[Page 21682]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
(202) 418-1647; or Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
[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, that are generally not well suited to 
the mobile applications expected under flexible use, relative to UHF 
channels. According to the Petitioner, WCYB-TV has received numerous 
complaints from viewers unable to receive over-the-air signal, despite 
being able to receive signals from other station. In addition, the 
Petitioner states that while the proposed channel 35 noise limited 
contour does not completely encompass the relevant channel 5 noise 
limited contour, WCYB-TV is an NBC affiliate and there are six other 
NBC affiliated stations that serve some portion of the loss area. In 
aggregate, these six stations serve the entire area of the channel 5 
noise limited contour not encompassed by the proposed channel 35 
contour. The Bureau used the technical parameters of WCYB-TV's original 
post-transition digital channel 5 facility (File No. BPCDT-20080327AFS) 
in determining any predicted loss which may occur from the proposed 
channel substitution.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 21-128; RM-11895; DA 21-397, adopted April 5, 
2021, 2021, and released April 5, 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.


Sec.  73.622  [Amended]

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


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (i) * * *

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                        Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
                                Virginia
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                                * * * * *
Bristol.................................................              35
 
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[FR Doc. 2021-08366 Filed 4-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P