[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3680-3681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01002]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 23-14; RM-11943; DA 23-23; FR ID 122971]


Television Broadcasting Services Roanoke, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed 
by Blue Ridge Public Television (Petitioner), the licensee of WBRA-TV, 
channel 3, Roanoke, Virginia. The Petitioner requests the substitution 
of channel 13 in place of channel 3 at Roanoke in the Table of 
Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before February 21, 2023 and reply 
comments on or before March 6, 2023.

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: Brad Deutsch, Esq., Foster Garvey PC, 1000 
Potomac Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
(202) 418-1647, [email protected]; or Emily Harrison, Media 
Bureau, at (202) 418-1665, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support, the Petitioner states that the 
proposed channel substitution serves the public interest because it 
will improve viewers' access to the Station's PBS and other public 
television programming by improving reception and resolving low-VHF 
reception issues. The Petitioner further states that the Commission has 
recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics 
which may cause reception issues for some viewers, as well as the 
existence of environmental noise blockages affecting VHF signal 
strength and reception, which may vary widely by service area. 
According to the Petitioner, WBRA-TV's proposed move from channel 3 to 
channel 13 is predicted to create an area where 64,309 persons are 
predicted to lose service

[[Page 3681]]

without considering the service from other PBS stations. However, when 
taking into account service from other PBS stations, only 94 persons 
are predicted to lose PBS service, a number which the Petitioner 
asserts the Commission has found to be de minimis.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 23-14; RM-11943; DA 23-23, adopted January 
10, 2023, and released January 11, 2023. 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 and 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.
    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 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 in paragraph (j), amend the Table of TV Allotments 
under Virginia by revising the entry for Roanoke to read as follows:


Sec.  73.622   Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (j) Table of TV Allotments.

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                 Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
Virginia
 
                                * * * * *
Roanoke...................................  * 13, 27, 30, 34, 36
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2023-01002 Filed 1-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P