[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 101 (Thursday, May 27, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28523-28524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10859]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 21-219; RM-11907; DA 21-583; FR ID 28088]


Television Broadcasting Services, Quincy, Illinois

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed 
by WGEM License, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WGEM-TV (NBC), 
channel 10, Quincy, Illinois. The Petitioner requests the substitution 
of channel 19 for channel 10 at Quincy in the DTV Table of Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before June 28, 2021 and reply 
comments on or before July 12, 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: Patrick Cross, Esq., Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, 
Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, 1700 Wells Fargo Capitol Center, Raleigh, 
North Carolina 27601.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
(202) 418-1647 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 that pose 
challenges for their use in providing digital television service, 
including propagation characteristics that allow undesired signals and 
noise to be receivable at relatively far distances and nearby 
electrical devices to cause interference. Petitioner states that it has 
attempted to address the station's reception issues through multiple 
technical avenues, including requesting a waiver of the permissible 
power limits set forth in the Commission's rules, but continues to 
receive numerous complaints of poor or no reception from viewers. In 
addition, while the proposed channel 19 facility will result in a 
slight reduction (approximately 9.4 kilometers) in WGEM-TV's noise 
limited contour, the Petitioner states that use of the Longley-Rice 
propagation model indicates that the proposed channel 19 facility will 
have an extended terrain-limited service throughout the gap area, and 
thus, there will be no loss of service.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 21-219; RM-11907; DA 21-583, adopted May 17, 
2021, and released May 17, 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

[[Page 28524]]

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 SERVICES

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 Illinois by revising the entry for Quincy to read as 
follows:


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (i) * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Community                           Channel No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                * * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                ILLINOIS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                * * * * *
Quincy..................................................     19, 32, *34
 
                                * * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 2021-10859 Filed 5-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P