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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  05-  164 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  matter  of 
 Second  Periodic  Review  of  the  Commission’s  Rules  and  Policies 
 Affecting  the  Conversion  To  Digital  Television 


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 MB  Docket  No.  03-  15 


 ORDER  GRANTING  FURTHER  EXTENSION  OF  TIME  TO  FILE 
 FIRST  ROUND  DTV  CHANNEL  ELECTION  FORMS 


 Adopted:  January  24,  2005  Released:  January  24,  2005 
 By  the  Chief,  Media  Bureau: 


 1.  On  August  4,  2004,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Report  and  Order  1  in  the  above-  captioned  proceeding  that,  among  other  things,  established  a  channel  election  process  through  which  television 
 broadcast  licensees  and  permittees  will  select  their  ultimate  digital  channel  inside  the  core  television  spectrum  (i.  e.,  channels  2-  51).  The  channel  election  process  commenced  in  October  2004  with  the  filing 
 of  FCC  Form  381,  the  Pre-  Election  Certification  form.  The  channel  election  process  will  continue  with  three  rounds  of  channel  elections,  the  first  round  of  which  was  scheduled  to  take  place  in  December  2004 
 with  the  filing  of  FCC  Form  382.  2  The  Report  and  Order  did  not  specify  a  precise  date  in  December  for  the  filing  of  FCC  Form  382.  On  December  17,  2004,  the  Media  Bureau  extended  the  period  for  filing  the 
 first  round  channel  election  forms  to  January  27,  2005.  3 
 2.  On  January  14,  2005,  we  received  a  request  from  the  Association  of  Federal  Communications  Consulting  Engineers  (“  AFCCE”)  for  a  further  45  day  extension  of  the  January  27,  2005 


 deadline  for  filing  FCC  Form  382.  4  AFCCE  argues  that  a  further  extension  is  necessary  to  give  consulting  engineering  firms  more  time  to  respond  to  the  large  volume  of  data  and  requests  from  clients 
 in  connection  with  the  channel  election  process  and  to  understand  the  policies  and  procedures  the  FCC  will  use  in  performing  its  interference  conflict  analysis.  AFCCE  also  argues  that  a  further  extension  of 
 the  filing  deadline  will  give  stations  more  time  to  negotiate  and  finalize  negotiated  channel  arrangements  which,  if  approved,  will  streamline  the  channel  election  process  by  reducing  the  overall  number  of 
 interference  conflicts  requiring  resolution. 


 1  Report  and  Order,  19  FCC  Rcd  18,  279  (2004). 
 2  Id.  at  18,  297,  ¶  43. 
 3  See  Order  Granting  Extension  of  Time  to  File  First  Round  DTV  Channel  Election  Forms,  MB  Docket  No.  03-  15, 
 DA  04-  3923,  released  December  21,  2004.  The  Media  Bureau  granted  the  extension  in  response  to  a  request  filed  by  the  Association  for  Maximum  Service  Television,  Inc.  (“  MSTV”). 


 4  See  Request  for  Extension  of  the  January  27,  2005  Deadline  for  Filing  FCC  Form  382,  filed  January  14,  2005. 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  05-  164 
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 3.  In  view  of  our  interest  in  a  smooth  and  accurate  channel  election  process,  we  hereby  grant  AFCCE’s  request  in  part  and  will  extend  the  period  for  filing  the  first  round  channel  election  forms 
 (FCC  Form  382)  until  February  10,  2005.  Thus,  FCC  Form  382,  which  is  now  available  for  filing  on  the  FCC’s  website,  5  may  be  filed  any  time  through  February  10,  2005.  This  brief  further  delay  in  the  filing 
 deadline  will  assist  stations  that  require  additional  time  to  make  first  round  channel  election  decisions  and  could  result  in  better  informed  decisions  and  reduced  potential  for  interference  conflicts.  We  note  that 
 most  television  stations  will  be  filing  an  election  in  the  first  round  of  the  channel  election  process. 
 4.  Accordingly,  IT  IS  ORDERED  that  the  Request  for  Extension  of  the  January  27,  2005  Deadline  for  Filing  FCC  Form  382,  filed  in  MB  Docket  03-  15  by  AFCCE,  is  GRANTED  to  the  extent 


 described  herein. 
 5.  IT  IS  FURTHER  ORDERED  that  the  period  for  filing  FCC  Form  382  in  the  above-captioned  proceeding  IS  EXTENDED  through  February  10,  2005. 


 6.  This  action  is  taken  pursuant  to  authority  found  in  Sections  4(  i)  and  303(  r)  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  47  U.  S.  C.  §§  154(  i)  and  303(  r),  and  Sections  0.204(  b),  0.283, 
 and  1.45  of  the  Commission’s  rules,  47  C.  F.  R.  §§  0.  204(  b),  0.283,  and  1.45. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 W.  Kenneth  Ferree  Chief,  Media  Bureau 


 5  See  http://  www.  fcc.  gov. 
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