[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 109 (Tuesday, June 7, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 34624-34625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12159]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 22-215; RM-11929; DA 22-578; FRS-89945]


Television Broadcasting Services Orono, Maine

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed 
by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of 
WMEB, channel *9, Orono, Maine. The Petitioner requests the 
substitution of channel *22 for channel *9 at Orono in the Table of 
Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before July 7, 2022 and reply 
comments on or before July 22, 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: Derek Teslik, Esq., Gray Miller Persh, 2233 
Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support, the Petitioner states that the 
proposed channel substitution would serve the public interest, since 
moving the Station to a UHF channel would improve indoor reception. 
According to the Petitioner, although the proposed channel *22 
facilities will result in a slight reduction in the Station's predicted 
population served, much of the predicted loss area is served by the 
Petitioner's other commonly owned stations WCBB-TV, Augusta, Maine4 and 
WMED-TV, Calais, Maine, which largely air the same programming as WMEB-
TV. The Petitioner further states that once terrain-limitations are 
factored into the analysis, the new loss area that would be created by 
the proposed channel substitution would contain only 523 persons, which 
it asserts is below the level the Commission considers de minimis in 
the context of determining whether there would be an impermissible loss 
of service. Moreover, the proposed channel change would result in first 
service to a substantial number of persons.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 22-215; RM-11929; DA 22-578, adopted May 25, 
2022, and released May 25, 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 Section 1.1204(a) of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.1204(a).
    See Sections 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 Service

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.


Sec.  73.622  [Amended]

0
2. In Sec.  73.622 in paragraph (j), amend the Table of Allotments 
under Maine by revising the entry for Orono to read as follows:


Sec.  73.622  Table of allotments.

* * * * *

[[Page 34625]]

    (j) * * *

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                        Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
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                                  MAINE
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                                * * * * *
Orono...................................................            * 22
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2022-12159 Filed 6-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P