[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 248 (Thursday, December 30, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 74401-74402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28288]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[MB Docket No. 21-422; DA 21-1611; FR ID 64452]


Media Bureau Extends Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines for FM 
Directional Antenna NPRM

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission grants a motion for extension 
of time in the Updating FM Broadcast Radio Service Directional Antenna 
Performance Verification proceeding, to extend the comment and reply 
comment deadlines.

DATES: Comments may be filed on or before January 20, 2022, and reply 
comments may be filed on or before February 4, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by MB Docket No. 21-422, 
by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Filers: Federal Communications Commission's 
website: https://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs//. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing.
    Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by first-
class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although the Commission 
continues to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). 
All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of 
the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, 
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
     Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the 
Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings. 
This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety 
of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19.
     During the time the Commission's building is closed to the 
general public and until further notice, if more than one docket or 
rulemaking number appears in the caption of a proceeding, paper filers 
need not submit two additional copies for each additional docket or 
rulemaking number; an original and one copy are sufficient.
    People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request reasonable 
accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: [email protected] or phone: 202-418-
0530 or 202-418-0432 (TTY).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Shuldiner, Chief, Media Bureau, 
Audio Division, (202) 418-2700; Thomas Nessinger, Senior Counsel, Media 
Bureau, Audio Division, (202) 418-2700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Media Bureau's 
Public Notice in MB Docket No. 21-422; DA 21-1611, released on December 
20, 2021. The full text of this document is available electronically 
for public inspection via ECFS at https://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs and the 
FCC's website at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-1611A1.pdf. Documents will be available electronically in ASCII, 
Microsoft Word, and/or Adobe Acrobat. Alternative formats are available 
for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, 
audio format), by sending an email to [email protected] or calling the 
Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 
(voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    1. By this Public Notice, the Media Bureau extends the deadlines 
for filing comments and reply comments in the above-captioned 
proceeding to update the Commission's rules by allowing an FM or LPFM 
applicant proposing a directional antenna system to verify the system's 
performance through computer modeling.
    2. On November 15, 2021, the Commission released a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking setting out its proposed rule changes allowing 
verification of FM and LPFM directional antennas by computer modeling. 
Updating FM Broadcast Radio Service Directional Antenna Performance 
Verification, MB Docket No. 21-422, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 
21-117 (Nov. 15, 2021). On November 30, 2021, the Media Bureau 
announced a comment filing deadline of December 30, 2021, and a reply 
comment filing deadline of January 14, 2022, in the above-captioned 
proceeding. Comment and Reply Comment Dates Set for FM Directional 
Antenna NPRM, MB Docket No. 21-422, Public Notice, DA 21-1485 (MB Nov. 
30, 2021).
    3. On December 17, 2021, the National Association of Broadcasters 
(NAB) requested an extension of the comment and reply comment filing 
deadlines until January 20 and February 4, 2022, respectively. Motion 
for Extension of Time of the National Association of Broadcasters 
(NAB), MB Docket No. 21-422 (filed Dec. 17, 2021) (Extension Motion). 
NAB states that, in the Joint Petition for Rulemaking on which the NPRM 
was based (Joint Petition for Rulemaking, filed by Dielectric, LLC; 
Educational Media Foundation; Jampro Antennas, Inc.; Radio Frequency 
Systems; and Shively Labs (filed June 15, 2021)), the Joint Petitioners 
included a technical exhibit comparing the results of computer modeling 
using one commercial software product with the physical measurements 
taken from an FM directional antenna mounted on one particular type of 
tower. Extension Motion at 2. NAB believes that the record would 
``significantly benefit from additional technical information involving 
common tower structures and other commercial software products.'' Id. 
However, while NAB states it has reached out to broadcasters, 
consulting engineers, and antenna manufacturers to provide such 
technical data for the record, it points out that the end-of-year 
holiday season and upcoming federal holidays means that many potential 
commenters will be on vacation, or their offices will be closed or 
dealing with

[[Page 74402]]

year-end business matters. Id. NAB thus requests a three-week extension 
of both the comment and reply comment deadlines.
    4. As set forth in section 1.46(a) of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.46(a), the Commission's policy is that extensions of time shall 
not be routinely granted. We find, however, that NAB has set forth a 
sufficient justification to warrant grant of their requested extension. 
As an extension should enable interested parties to present more 
complete and technically constructive comments to the Commission, we 
agree with NAB that both the parties commenting in the proceeding and 
the Commission should benefit and that the extension should not 
disadvantage any party. Extension Motion at 2-3. Accordingly, we grant 
the NAB's request and extend the comment and reply comment deadlines by 
three weeks, until January 20, 2022, and February 4, 2022, 
respectively.
    5. For additional information on this proceeding, contact Tom 
Nessinger, [email protected], of the Media Bureau, Audio 
Division. Press inquiries should be directed to Janice Wise, 
[email protected], (202) 418-8165.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan,
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2021-28288 Filed 12-29-21; 8:45 am]
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