[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 24 (Friday, February 4, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6473-6474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02337]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 22-39; RM-11917; DA 22-87; FR ID 69837]


Television Broadcasting Services Billings, Montana

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communication Commission (Commission) has before 
it a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LCC 
(Petitioner), the licensee of WTVQ-TV, channel 10, Billings, Montana. 
The

[[Page 6474]]

Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 20 for channel 10 at in 
the Table of Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before March 7, 2022 and reply 
comments on or before March 21, 2022.

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: Christina A. Burrow, Esq., Cooley LLP, 1299 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006.

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 
very high frequency (VHF) channels have certain characteristics that 
pose challenges for their use in providing digital television service 
and the station has received many complaints from viewers unable to 
receive a reliable signal on channel 10. An analysis using the 
Commission's TVStudy software tool indicates that KTVQ's move from 
channel 10 to channel 20 is predicted to create a small area where 
approximately 3,624 persons are predicted to lose service, but that the 
loss area, is partially overlapped by the noise limited contours of 
Scripps' owned TV translator stations K15LB-D, Red Lodge, Montana, and 
K28ON-D, Castle Rock, Montana, both of which carry the CBS network 
programming aired by KTVQ. Accordingly, only 483 persons would lose CBS 
service if KTVQ moves to channel 20, which Petitioner argues is de 
minimis. In addition, the Engineering Statement shows that the loss 
area is also partially overlapped by the noise limited contours of KSVI 
(ABC) and KULR (NBC), Billings, Montana; KHMT (FOX), Hardin, Montana; 
and KSGW (ABC/FOX), Sheridan, Wyoming. Thus, viewers in the loss area 
will continue to have access to major network programming.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 22-39; RM-11917; DA 22--87, adopted January 
26, 2022, and released January 26, 2022. 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(j), amend the Table of Allotments under Montana by 
revising the entry for Billings to read as follows:


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (j) * * *

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                      Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
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                                 MONTANA
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                                * * * * *
Billings............................................    11, * 16, 18, 20
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2022-02337 Filed 2-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P