[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18364-18365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05307]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 23-406; RM-11969; DA 24-199; FR ID 207515]


Television Broadcasting Services Greenville, South Carolina

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: On November 27, 2023, the Media Bureau, Video Division 
(Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a 
petition for rulemaking filed by Carolina Christian Broadcasting, Inc. 
(Petitioner), the licensee of WGGS-TV (Station or WGGS), channel 2, 
Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville), requesting the substitution of 
channel 29 for channel 2 at Greenville 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 29 for channel 2 at 
Greenville.

DATES: Effective April 12, 2024.

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 
84771 on December 6, 2023. The Petitioner filed comments in support of 
the petition reaffirming its commitment to apply for channel 29. No 
other comments were filed.
    The Bureau believes the public interest would be served by 
substituting channel 29 for channel 2 at Greenville. Petitioner states 
that its proposed channel substitution would serve the public interest 
by resolving reception challenges currently experienced by viewers in 
the WGGS service area, and substantially improving access to the 
Station's programming. The Petitioner notes that the Commission has 
recognized that VHF channels have certain characteristics that pose 
challenges for their use in providing digital television service, 
including a large variability in the performance of indoor antennas 
available to viewers, with most antennas performing very poorly on VHF 
channels. The Petitioner proposes to operate the Station on channel 29 
with a 3-node Distributed Transmission System (DTS) facility, and all 
viewers within the Station's community of license will continue to be 
served by the Station. An analysis using the Commission's TVStudy 
software indicates that the Station's move to channel 29 would result 
in a loss of service to 946,964 persons, mostly located around the edge 
of the channel 2 noise limited service contour (NLSC). All but 417 
persons of those persons, however, would remain well-served by 
continuing to receive at least five full power or Class A stations, and 
those 417 persons would continue to receive service from at least four 
such stations, a number of persons that the Commission has found to be 
de minimis.

[[Page 18365]]

    As proposed, channel 29 can be substituted for channel 2 at 
Greenville in compliance with the principal community coverage 
requirements of section 73.625(a) of the rules, at coordinates 
34[deg]56'26.4'' N and 82[deg]24'40.4'' W. Although the Petitioner's 
proposal would result in a loss of programming to a number of viewers 
on the fringes of the Station's NLSC, all but a de minimis number of 
viewers will remain well-served and we conclude that the overall 
benefits of the proposed channel change in resolving reception issues 
outweighs any possible harm to the public interest.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Report and Order, MB Docket 
No. 23-406; RM-11969; DA 24-199, adopted March 4, 2024, and released 
March 4, 2024. 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, in paragraph (j), amend the Table of TV Allotments, 
under South Carolina, by revising the entry for Greenville 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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                               * * * * *
                             South Carolina
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                                * * * * *
Greenville.............................................  *8, 17, 29, 30
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[FR Doc. 2024-05307 Filed 3-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P