[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 30, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 34695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13564]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 21-248; RM-11910; DA 21-694; FR ID 34410]


Television Broadcasting Services Staunton, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed 
by VPM Media Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of noncommercial 
educational television station WVPT (PBS), channel *11, Staunton, 
Virginia. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel *15 for 
channel *11 at Staunton in the DTV Table of Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before July 30, 2021 and reply 
comments on or before August 16, 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: Ari Meltzer, Esq., Wiley Rein LLP, 1776 K Street 
NW, Washington, DC 20006.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support of its channel substitution 
request, the Petitioner states that the proposed channel substitution 
would resolve significant over the air reception problems in the WVPT 
service area. The Petitioner states that the challenges of digital 
reception are well-documented, and that the Commission has recognized 
the deleterious effects of manmade noise on the reception of digital 
VHF signals. The Petitioner also believes that the channel substitution 
will allow for more efficient construction of WVPT's post-incentive 
auction facilities. The Petitioner explains that it initially planned 
to retune WVPT's existing Distributed Transmission System (DTS) 
transmitters from channel *11 to channel *12, its repacked channel. The 
transmitter and antenna manufacturers, however, were unable to support 
the planned retuning effort. Meanwhile, a structural analysis of WVPT's 
existing tower revealed that it could not support a replacement antenna 
for VHF channel 12. According to the Petitioner, the tower can support 
a lighter weight UHF antenna, and thus, allowing WVPT to move to 
channel *15 will obviate the need to construct a new tower, saving both 
time and money. It further states that the proposed channel *15 
facility will result in a net gain of 56,814 people, and while there is 
a loss area of 27,033 people, only seven people would lose their only 
PBS noncommercial educational service, a number the Commission 
considers de minimis.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 21-248; RM-11910; DA 21-694, adopted June 15, 
2021, and released June 15, 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 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 Virginia by revising the entry for Staunton 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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                                Virginia
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                                * * * * *
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Staunton................................................            * 15
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2021-13564 Filed 6-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P