[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 13 (Friday, January 19, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3624-3625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00988]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 24-4; RM-11974; DA 24-30; FR ID 196932]


Television Broadcasting Services Waynesboro, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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[[Page 3625]]

SUMMARY: The Video Division, Media Bureau (Bureau), has before it a 
petition for rulemaking filed January 9, 2024, by VPM Media Corporation 
(Petitioner). The Petitioner requests the allotment of reserved 
noncommercial educational (NCE) television channel *12 to Waynesboro, 
Virginia (Waynesboro), as the community's first local television 
service and its first NCE television service.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before February 20, 2024 and reply 
comments on or before March 4, 2024.

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: Ari Meltzer, Wiley Rein LLP, 2050 M Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20036.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Petitioner states that Waynesboro 
qualifies as a community for allotment purposes. In support, it states 
that Waynesboro is an independent and principal city of the Staunton-
Waynesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 Census, 
Waynesboro had a population of 22,196 and the Staunton-Waynesboro 
Statistical Area had a population of 125,654. In addition, Waynesboro 
has its own ZIP Code, two post offices, city council, public school 
system, police department, and library. The Petitioner states its 
intention to file an application for channel *12 if allotted, and take 
all necessary steps to obtain a construction permit.
    We find the proposed amendment to the Table of TV Allotments 
warrants consideration. The Petitioner's proposal would result in a 
first local service to Waynesboro under the second priority of the 
Commission's television allotment priority standard. The Petitioner 
demonstrates, and a Bureau staff engineering analysis confirms, that 
channel *12 can be allotted to Waynesboro, consistent with the minimum 
geographic spacing requirements for new allotments in section 73.623(d) 
of the Commission's rules (Rules), at 37[deg]38'24'' N and 
78[deg]27'11'' W (allotment point). In addition, the allotment point 
complies with section 73.625(a)(1) of the Rules as the entire community 
of Waynesboro is encompassed by the proposed 43 dB[mu] contour.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 24-4; RM-11974; DA 24-30, adopted January 11, 
2024, and released January 11, 2024. 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.
    Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act: The Providing 
Accountability Through Transparency Act, Public Law 118-9, requires 
each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to post online a 
brief plain-language summary of the proposed rule. The required summary 
of this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking/Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking is available at https://www.fcc.gov/proposed-rulemakings.

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.

0
2. In Sec.  73.622, in the table in paragraph (j), under Virginia, add 
an entry for Waynesboro to read as follows:


Sec.  73.622  Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (j) * * *

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                         Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
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                                Virginia
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                                * * * * *
Waynesboro................................................         * 12
 
                                * * * * *
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[FR Doc. 2024-00988 Filed 1-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P