[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 22, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16156-16157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-05931]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 22-117; RM-11923; DA-22-251; FRS 77504]


Television Broadcasting Services Great Falls, Montana

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed 
by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of 
KRTV, channel 7, Great Falls, Montana. The Petitioner requests the 
substitution of channel 22 for channel 7 at Great Falls in the Table of 
Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before April 21, 2022 and reply 
comments on or before May 6, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary, 
45

[[Page 16157]]

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 20004-2400.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support, the Petitioner states that the 
Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain 
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. According to the Petitioner, it has received many complaints 
from viewers unable to receive a reliable signal on channel 7. The 
Engineering Statement provided with the Petition confirms that the 
proposed channel 22 contour would continue to reach virtually all of 
the population within the Station's current service area and fully 
cover the city of Great Falls. An analysis using the Commission's 
TVStudy software tool indicates that KRTV's move from channel 7 to 
channel 22 is predicted to create a small area where 554 persons are 
predicted to lose service. The loss area, however, is partially 
overlapped by the noise limited contour of other CBS affiliated 
stations and reduces the number who are predicted to lose CBS network 
service to 255 persons. Taking these other stations into account, less 
than 500 persons would lose CBS service if KRTV moves to channel 22, 
which Petitioner argues is de minimis. We note that in its calculation 
of viewer loss, Scripps relies on the CBS network service provided by 
full power television station KXLF-TV, Butte, Montana, as well as three 
Scripps-owned translator stations that retransmit CBS network 
programming. While the translator stations are secondary and can be 
displaced, we believe given the rural nature of Montana and neighboring 
states it is unlikely that these stations would be displaced, and if 
they were, Scripps would easily be able to find displacement channels 
for them. In addition, the loss area is also partially overlapped by 
the noise limited contours of television stations KFBB-TV (ABC/FOX), 
Great Falls, Montana; KTVM (NBC), Butte, Montana; and KTVH (NBC) and 
KUHM-TV (PBS), Helena, Montana.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 22-117; RM-11923; DA 22-251, adopted March 
10, 2022, and released March 10, 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 Great Falls 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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                                * * * * *
Great Falls...............................  8, 17, *21, 22, 26
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2022-05931 Filed 3-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P