[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 12, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 21580-21581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07644]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 22-30; RM-11916; DA 22-358; FR ID 81392]


Television Broadcasting Services Vernon, Alabama

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: On January 20, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) 
issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition 
for rulemaking filed by Alabama Educational Television Commission 
(Petitioner or AETC), requesting the allotment of reserved 
noncommercial educational channel *4 to Vernon, Alabama, in the Table 
of Allotments as the community's first local service. For the reasons 
set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends 
the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) regulations 
to allot channel *4 at Vernon. The newly allotted channel will be 
authorized pursuant to the Commission's application and selection 
procedures for reserved noncommercial educational television stations.

DATES: Effective May 12, 2022.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed rule was published at 87 FR 
6100 on February 3, 2022. The Petitioner filed comments in support of 
the petition, as required by the Commission's rules, reaffirming its 
commitment to apply for channel *4 and if authorized, to build a 
station promptly. A number of elected officials also filed comments in 
support of AETC's allotment request. We believe the public interest 
would be served by allotting channel *4 at Vernon, Alabama. Vernon 
(population 5,551) clearly qualifies for community of license status 
for allotment purposes. In addition, the proposal would result in a 
first local service to Vernon under the Commission's second allotment 
priority. Moreover, the allotment is consistent with the minimum 
geographic spacing requirements for new television allotments in the 
Commission's rules, and the allotment point complies with the rules as 
the entire community of Vernon is encompassed by the 35 dB[mu] contour.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Report and Order, MB Docket 
No. 22-30; RM-11916; DA 22-358, adopted April 4, 2022, and released 
April 4, 2022. The full text of this document is available for download 
at https://www.fcc.gov/edocs. To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental 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.
    The Commission will send a copy of the Report and Order in a report 
to be sent to Congress and the Government Accountability Office 
pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

    Television.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan,
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.

Final Rule

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission amends 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 Alabama, by 
adding an entry for Vernon in alphabetical order to read as follows:


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (j) * * *

[[Page 21581]]



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                        Community                           Channel No.
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                                 ALABAMA
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                                * * * * *
Vernon..................................................              *4
 
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[FR Doc. 2022-07644 Filed 4-11-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P