[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 17, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2550-2551]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00617]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 22-376; RM-11934; DA 23-20; FR ID 122718]


Television Broadcasting Services Norwell, Massachusetts

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: On October 27, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) 
issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition 
for rulemaking filed by RNN Boston License Co., LLC (Petitioner), the 
licensee of WWMD (Station), channel 10, Norwell, Massachusetts, 
requesting the substitution of channel 36 for channel 10 at Norwell in 
the Table of TV Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and 
Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute 
channel 36 for channel 10 at Norwell.

DATES: Effective January 17, 2023.

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 
68432 on November 15, 2022. The Petitioner filed comments in support of 
the petition reaffirming its commitment to apply for channel 36. No 
other comments were filed.
    The Bureau believes the public interest would be served by 
substituting channel 36 for channel 10 at Norwell, Massachusetts. The 
Station has received many complaints from viewers unable to receive a 
reliable signal on VHF channel 10, and the Petitioner further states 
that the Commission has recognized the deleterious effects manmade 
noise has on the reception of digital VHF signals, and that the 
propagation characteristics of these channels allow undesired signals 
and noise to be receivable at relatively farther distances compared to 
UHF channels, and nearby electrical devices can cause interference. An 
analysis conducted using the Commission's TVStudy software tool 
indicates that WWDP's proposed channel substitution is predicted to 
create areas where viewers may lose service. However, the Bureau 
believes any possible harm resulting from the loss of service to some 
viewers is outweighed by the overall benefit of improving reception to 
the Station's viewers, including in the Station's community of license. 
Moreover, the viewers in the loss area are already well-served by five 
or more stations and no viewers will lose service from one of the four 
major networks or any noncommercial educational station. As the 
Petitioner points out, the Commission is generally most concerned where 
there is a loss of an area's only network or noncommercial educational 
TV service, or where the loss results in an area becoming less that 
well-served, i.e., served by fewer than five full-power stations.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Report and Order, MB Docket 
No. 22-376; RM-11934; DA 23-20, adopted January 9, 2023, and released 
January 9, 2023. 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 this 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 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.


0
2. In Sec.  73.622(j), amend the Table of TV Allotments, under 
Massachusetts, by revising the entry for Norwell to read as follows:


Sec.  73.622   Table of TV Allotments.

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    (j) * * *

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                        Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
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                              MASSACHUSETTS
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                                * * * * *
Norwell.................................................              36
 
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[[Page 2551]]

[FR Doc. 2023-00617 Filed 1-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P