[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46086-46087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15329]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 23-79; RM-11947; DA 23-583; FR ID 155950]


Television Broadcasting Services Kalispell, Montana

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communication Commission's Media 
Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Sinclair Media 
Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KCFW-TV (Station or KCFW-
TV), channel 9, Kalispell, Montana, requesting the substitution of 
channel 17 for channel 9 at Kalispell 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 17 for channel 9 at 
Kalispell.

DATES: Effective July 19, 2023.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed rule was published at 88 FR 
15637 on March 14, 2023. The Petitioner filed comments in support of 
the petition reaffirming its commitment to apply for channel 17. No 
other comments were filed.
    The Bureau believes the public interest would be served by 
substituting channel 17 for channel 9 at Kalispell, Montana. The 
Station has a long history

[[Page 46087]]

of severe reception problems as a result of its operation on a VHF 
channel and the Commission has recognized that VHF poses challenges for 
stations providing digital television service on those channels due to 
propagation characteristics that allow undesired signals and noise to 
be receivable at relatively far distances and result in large 
variability in the performance of indoor antennas available to viewers, 
with most antennas performing very poorly on high VHF channels. Thus, 
the channel substitution proposal will serve the public by resolving 
the over-the-air reception problems and enhancing viewer reception in 
KCFW-TV's service area. Moreover, an analysis conducted using the 
Commission's TVStudy software tool indicates that all but approximately 
75 persons will continue to receive the Station's signal and the 
proposed change to channel 17 will result in a predicted increase in 
service to more than 38,000 persons.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Report and Order, MB Docket 
No. 23-79; RM-11947; DA 23-583, adopted July 5, 2023, and released July 
5, 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.


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


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

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    (j) * * *

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                       Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
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                                 MONTANA
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                                * * * * *
Kalispell..............................................        * 15, 17
 
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[FR Doc. 2023-15329 Filed 7-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P