*Pages 1--5 from Microsoft Word - 14582.doc* Federal Communications Commission DA 02- 243 __- -Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Amendment of Section 73.202( b), ) MM Docket No. 00- 63 Table of Allotments, ) RM- 9837 FM Broadcast Stations. ) (Greenville and Cooper, Texas) ) REPORT AND ORDER (Proceeding Terminated) Adopted: January 23, 2002 Released: February 1, 2002 By the Chief, Allocations Branch: 1. In response to a Petition for Rule Making filed by First Greenville Corp. and KRBE LICO, Inc. (“ KRBE”), the Commission has before it for consideration the Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 15 FCC Rcd 6107 (2000), requesting the reallotment of Channel 228C3 from Greenville, Texas, to Cooper, Texas, and modification of its authorization for Station KIKT to specify Cooper as its communit y of license. 1 KRBE filed comments reaffirming its interest in an allotment at Cooper, Texas. 2 The Cit y of Greenville, Texas (“ Greenville Cit y”) filed comment s. Cooper Radiocast ing Company filed comment s. 3 Reply comment s were filed by KRBE. 2. As stated in the Notice, KRBE filed a petition for rule making pursuant to the provisions of Section 1.420( i) of the Commission’s Rules which permits the modificat ion of a st at ion’s aut horizat ion to specify a new community of license without affording other interested parties an opportunity to file competing expressions of interest. See Modification of FM and TV Authorizations to Specify a New Community of License, 4 FCC Rcd 4870 (1989), recon. granted in part (" Change of Community 1 KRBE LICO, Inc. became the licensee of Station KIKT pursuant to Commission approval of its assignment application on September 2, 1999, after the filing of the Petition for Rule Making (BALH- 990707GE). 2 KRBE filed an application to downgrade Channel 288C3 to Channel 228A at Greenville (BPH- 990820ID). KRBE stated that the filing was an interim measure pending the outcome of the instant rulemaking. KRBE reaffirmed its interest in applying for a new transmitter site and constructing Channel 228C3 at Cooper should its proposal be granted. 3 Comments filed by Cooper Radiocasting Company expressing interest in the allotment of Channel 228C3 at Cooper are late filed as they were received at the Commission on May 31, 2000, and will not be considered in this proceeding. Further, Section 1. 420( i) permits the modification of a station’s authorization without affording other parties an opportunity to file competing expressions of interest. 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 02- 243 __-- 2 MO& O"), 5 FCC Rcd 7094 (1990). As indicated in the Notice, Cooper is an independent community with a 1990 U. S. Census population of 2,153 people. Cooper has its own local government, including a mayor, police department, fire station, post office and zip code (75432), housing authority, water treatment plant, independent school district, which includes a high school. Cooper has its own churches, a variety of businesses and health facilities and is the County Seat for Delta County Government Offices. Cooper would receive its first local service thus fulfiling allot ment priorit y (3) of t he Commission’s allot ment priorit ies. 4 This act ion will not deprive Greenville of local service as St at ion KGVL( AM) is licensed to Greenville. Ret ent ion of Channel 228C3 at Greenville would be considered under priority (4), other public interest matters. Since KRBE intends to use a new transmitter site for Channel 228C3 at Cooper, it provided a gain and loss study showing that the reallot ment will not result in the creat ion of any whit e or gray area. Addit ionally, KRBE’s proposal is mut ually exclusive wit h its exist ing aut horizat ion at Greenville, Texas. 3. Greenville Cit y filed comment s opposing t he reallot ment of Channel 228C3 from Greenville to Cooper. According to Greenville Cit y, the communit y of Greenville will be left wit h “marginal” local t ransmission service from AM St at ion KGVL and that the communit y will be severely prejudiced since t he amount of crit ically import ant aural broadcast programming responsive to Greenville’s needs and int erest s will be deplet ed wit h t he loss of it s only FM broadcast st at ion. In addit ion, Greenville Cit y point s out that St at ion KIKT has become an import ant part of t he Greenville communit y wit h broadcasts, participation in and sponsorships of many local community events and activities. According to Greenville Cit y, reception services from other communities will not be responsive to Greenville’s needs and int erest s and that St at ion KGVL( AM) cannot provide the same weat her and safety information as Station KIKT and that the nighttime signal is seriously reduced with poor reception, even within the City of Greenville. Greenville Cit y argues that the Commission should compare the retention or reallotment of Channel 228C3 under priority (3), first local service, to either community because of the loss of nighttime coverage at Greenville result ing in an underserved reception service area at night. 4. In reply comment s, KRBE point s out that Greenville Cit y does not disput e that Cooper is a communit y deserving of it s first local service. Rat her, Greenville Cit y argues that Cooper should not receive its first local service at the expense of Greenville ret aining its second local service and t hat bot h communities should be evaluated under priority (3), first local service as Station KGVL( AM) does not provide t he same qualit y of service as St at ion KIKT. Furt her, Greenville Cit y st at es that the reallotment of Channel 228C3 to Cooper will create a loss area with only four services. In response to Greenville City’s arguments, KRBE cites several cases where leaving a daytime only AM station in the community justified reallotment of a station. See Fredericksburg and Helotes, Texas, 10 FCC Rcd 6580 (1995), recon. granted, 11 FCC Rcd 22317 (1996), Mullins and Briarcliff Acres, South Carolina, 3 . The FM allotment priorities are: (1) First full- time aural service; (2) Second full- time service; (3) First local service; and (4) Other public interest matters. [Co- equal weight is given to priorities (2) and (3).] See Revision of FM Assignment Policies and Procedures, 90 FCC 2d 88 (1982). 2 Federal Communications Commission DA 02- 243 __-- 3 14 FCC Rcd 10516 (1999) and Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, et al., 13 FCC Rcd 13458 (1998). KRBE st at es that alt hough Greenville Cit y argues that a port ion of the proposed loss area will have only four aural services, Greenville Cit y neglect ed to consider St at ion KLIF( AM), Dallas, Texas, in its analysis. Therefore, the entire loss area is covered by at least five aural services. KRBE further states that it can use a different transmitter site for Channel 228C3 at Cooper that will cover t he port ion of loss area alleged to have only four services and st ill provide a 70 dBu signal to all of Cooper. From t his new reference point, KRBE states that Station KIKT will also provide a 60 dBu signal over all of the community of Greenville. In response to Greenville City’s beliefs that it will suffer a lack of community coverage with the reallotment of Station KIKT, KRBE contends that Station KGVL( AM) will serve t he needs of the communit y. KRBE st at es that the Commission has consist ent ly applied the allotment priorities to favor a first local service despite population disparity or the degree of coverage by leaving an AM station in a community to provide local service. 5. Based on the above, as KRBE’s reallotment request is consistent with the provisions of Section 1.420( i) of the Commission’s Rules, we will reallot Channel 228C3 from Greenville, Texas, to Cooper, Texas, and modify the authorization for Station KIKT, as requested. The reallotment will result in a preferential arrangement of allotments consistent with the Revision of FM Assignment Policies and Procedures, 90 FCC 2d 88 (1982), as it will provide a first local aural transmission service to the communit y of Cooper. We acknowledge that this reallot ment will remove the only FM st at ion from Greenville but will not remove the sole local service as Greenville will cont inue t o receive local service from Station KGVL( AM). In response to concerns over adequate service from Station KGVL( AM), a staff engineering analysis has determined that Station KGVL( AM) operates in compliance with Sect ion 73. 24( i) of the Commission’s Rules which requires that the daytime 5 mV/ m cont our encompasses the entire principal community and that 80% of the principal community is encompassed by the nighttime 5 mV/ m contour or the nighttime interference- free contour, whichever value is higher. For purposes of Section 307( b) comparisons under the FM allotment priorities, an AM station as well as a day- time only AM station constitute an existing local transmission service. See Change of Community MO& O, 5 FCC Rcd 7097 (1990). Moreover, Greenville Cit y’s concern about removal of nighttime service from Station KIKT is ameliorated by the fact that Greenville has at least five full- time reception services. 6. Channel 228C3 can be allotted to Cooper, Texas, in compliance with the minimum distance separation requirements set forth in Section 73.207( b)( 1) of the Commission’s Rules at the alternate site provided by KRBE. 5 A Staff engineering analysis has determined that the entire Cooper and Greenville areas are well served wit h five or more services available to each community. Total population coverage for the proposed Cooper station will be 82, 669 people in a 4,803 square kilometer area. 5 The coordinates for Channel 228C3 at Cooper, Texas, are 33- 14- 16 and 95- 47- 50. This site is located 18.2 kilometers (11.3 miles) southwest of Cooper and 30.9 kilometers (19.2 miles) east of Greenville, Texas. 3 Federal Communications Commission DA 02- 243 __-- 4 7. Accordingly, pursuant to the authority contained in Sections 4( i), 5( c)( 1), 303( g) and (r) and 307( b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and Sections 0.61, 0.204( b) and 0.283 of the Commission's Rules, IT IS ORDERED, That effective March 18, 2002, the FM Table of Allotments, Section 73.202( b) of the Commission's Rules, IS AMENDED for the communities listed below, as follows: Communit y Channel Number Cooper, Texas 228C3 Greenville, Texas ------ - 8. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, That pursuant to Section 316( a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, that the authorization of KRBE LICO, Inc. for Station KIKT, Channel 228, Greenville, Texas, IS MODIFIED to specify operat ion on Channel 228C3 at Cooper, Texas. (a) Within 90 days of the effective date of this Order, the licensee shall submit to the Commission a minor change application for a construction permit (Form 301), specifying the new facilit y; (b) Upon grant of the construction permit, program tests may be conducted in accordance with Section 73.1620; and, (c) Nothing contained herein shall be construed to authorize a change in transmitter location or to avoid the necessity of filing an environmental assessment pursuant to Section 1. 1307 of the Commission’s Rules. 9. Pursuant to Commission Rule Section 1.1104( 1)( k) and (2)( k), any party seeking a change in community of license of an FM or television allotment or an upgrade of an existing FM allotment, IF THE REQUEST IS GRANTED, must submit a rule making fee when filing its applicat ion to implement the change in community of license and/ or upgrade. As a result of this proceeding, KRBE LICO, Inc., licensee of Station KIKT, is required to submit a rule making fee in addition to the fee required for the application to effect the change in community of license from Greenville, Texas, to Cooper, Texas. 10. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, That this proceeding IS TERMINATED. 4 Federal Communications Commission DA 02- 243 __-- 5 11. For further information concerning this proceeding, contact Kathleen Scheuerle, Mass Media Bureau, (202) 418- 2180. Questions relating to the application filing process should be addressed to the Audio Services, Division, Mass Media Bureau, (202) 418- 2700. John A. Karousos Chief, Allocations Branch Policy and Rules Division Mass Media Bureau 5