Federal Communications Commission DA 10-2000 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 ) In the Matter of ) ) Amendment of Section 73.622(i), ) MB Docket No. 08-194 Post-Transition Table of DTV Allotments, ) RM-11488 Television Broadcast Stations. ) (Huntsville, Alabama) ) NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE MAKING Adopted: October 18, 2010 Released: October 19, 2010 Comment Date: [30 days after date of publication in the Federal Register] Reply Comment Date: [45 days after date of publication in the Federal Register] By the Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau: 1. The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Local TV Alabama License, LLC (“Local TV”), the licensee of station WHNT-TV, channel 46, Huntsville, Alabama. On June 19, 2008, Local TV filed a petition for rulemaking in which it requested permission the substitution of channel 46 for its originally assigned DTV channel 19 at Huntsville, as well as to make associated technical changes. The staff granted this request on December 17, 2008.1 By this petition Local TV seeks a return to its previously allotted DTV channel 19. 2. Local TV states that it originally requested the substitution of DTV channel 46 because station WHNT-TV “could serve substantially more existing viewers and avoid service losses.”2 Local TV notes, however, that the Commission cancelled the license for station WYLE(TV), Huntsville, Alabama, which operated on channel 20, and thus also cancelled the station’s digital construction permit for DTV channel 203. Local TV maintains that, because DTV channel 20 no longer needs to be protected from interference by station WHNT-TV, station WHNT-TV can be operated on DTV channel 19 at a much higher power level. Local TV states that station WHNT-TV will be able to reach a larger population and better replicate its current DTV service area on DTV channel 19 than on DTV channel 46. 3. We believe that Local TV’s proposal warrants consideration. DTV channel 19 can be substituted for DTV channel 46 at Huntsville, Alabama as proposed, in compliance with the principal community coverage requirements of Section 73.625(a) of the Commission’s rules,4 at coordinates 34-44-19 N. and 86-31-56 W. In addition, we find that this channel change meets the technical requirements set forth 1 Huntsville, Alabama, Report and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 18006 (2008). 2 Local TV Petition for Rulemaking, at 2 (filed April 23, 2009). 3 ETC Communications Inc., Letter, DA 10-1457 (Vid. Div. rel. August 9, 2010). 4 47 C.F.R. § 73.625(a). Federal Communications Commission DA 10-2000 2 in Sections 73.616 and 73.623 of the Commission’s rules.5 We propose to substitute DTV Channel 19 for DTV Channel 46 for station WHNT-TV at Huntsville with the following specifications: State and City DTV Channel DTV Power (kW) Antenna HAAT (m) Huntsville, Alabama 19 250 531 4. Accordingly, we seek comments on the proposed amendment of the DTV Table of Allotments, Section 73.622(i) of the Commission’s rules,6 for the community listed below, to read as follows: Channel No. City and State Present Proposed Huntsville, Alabama *24, 32, 41, 46, 48 19, *24, 32, 41, 48 5. The Commission’s authority to institute rule making proceedings, showings required, cut- off procedures, and filing requirements are contained in the attached Appendix and are incorporated by reference herein. Pursuant to Section 73.623(h) of the rules, mutually-exclusive applicants will be provided a 90-day period of time, from the date of a public notice identifying mutually-exclusive proposals, to resolve their mutual-exclusivity via engineering amendment or settlement.7 If we receive an application on or before the date for filing initial comments in this proceeding, which proposes a facility which is mutually- exclusive with the proposal set forth herein, we will issue a public notice and the parties will have 90 days within which to resolve their mutual-exclusivity. If the parties resolve their mutual-exclusivity, we will complete the rulemaking process by issuing the appropriate order. If the parties are unable to resolve their mutual-exclusivity, we will terminate this proceeding and dismiss the application. 6. Pursuant to Sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, interested parties may file comments on or before [30 days after publication in the Federal Register] and reply comments on or before [45 days after publication in the Federal Register], and are advised to read the Appendix for the proper procedures. Comments should be filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Additionally, a copy of such comments should be served on the petitioner, or its counsel or consultant, as follows: Scott S. Patrick, Esq. Dow Lohnes PLLC 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Suite 800 5 47 C.F.R. §§ 73.616 and 73.623. On September 18, 2009, Local TV entered into an interference agreement with WDBB-TV, Inc., licensee of station WDBB(TV), Bessemer, Alabama. Pursuant to the agreement, station WDBB(TV) agrees to accept 1.75% interference to its licensed facility from station WHNT-TV’s proposed facility, on the condition that Local TV will obtain written consent from WDBB-TV, Inc. to any future modification of station WHNT-TV’s facilities that would further increase the amount of predicted interference to station WDBB(TV). 6 47 C.F.R. § 73.622(i). 7 47 C.F.R. § 73.623(h)(3). Federal Communications Commission DA 10-2000 3 Washington, D.C. 20036-6802 7. Parties must file an original and four copies of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). The Commission’s contractor will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary at the FCC Headquarters Building located at 445 12th Street, S.W., Room TW-A325, Washington, D.C. 20554. The filing hours at this location are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743. U.S. Postal Service first-class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be addressed to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. All filings must be addressed to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary. Any filing that is not addressed to the Office of the Secretary will be treated as filed on the day it is received in the Office of the Secretary.8 Accordingly, failure to follow the specified requirements may result in the treatment of a filing as untimely. 8. The Commission has determined that the relevant provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 do not apply to a rule making proceeding to amend the DTV Table of Allotments, Section 73.622(i). This document does not contain proposed 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, § 3506(c)(4). 9. For further information concerning the proceeding listed above, contact David J. Brown, Media Bureau, (202) 418-1600. For purposes of this restricted notice and comment rule making proceeding, members of the public are advised that no ex parte presentations are permitted from the time the Commission adopts a Notice of Proposed Rule Making until the proceeding has been decided and such decision in the applicable docket is no longer subject to reconsideration by the Commission or review by any court. An ex parte presentation is not prohibited if specifically requested by the Commission or staff for the clarification or adduction of evidence or resolution of issues in the proceeding. However, any new written information elicited from such a request or any summary of any new information shall be served by the person making the presentation upon the other parties to the proceeding in a particular docket unless the Commission specifically waives this service requirement. Any comment which has not been served on the petitioner constitutes an ex parte presentation and shall not be considered in the proceeding. Any reply comment which has not been served on the person(s) who filed the comment, to which the reply is directed, constitutes an ex parte presentation and shall not be considered in the proceeding. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Barbara A. Kreisman Chief, Video Division Media Bureau 8 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.7. Federal Communications Commission DA 10-2000 4 APPENDIX 1. Pursuant to authority found in 47 U.S.C. Sections 4(i), 5(c)(1), 303(g) and (r), and 307(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and 47 C.F.R. Sections 0.61, 0.204(b) and 0.283, IT IS PROPOSED TO AMEND the DTV Table of Allotments, 47 C.F.R. Section 73.622(i), as set forth in the Notice of Proposed Rule Making to which this Appendix is attached. 2. Showings Required. Comments are invited on the proposal(s) discussed in the Notice of Proposed Rule Making to which this Appendix is attached. Proponent(s) will be expected to answer whatever questions are presented in initial comments. The proponent of a proposed allotment is also expected to file comments even if it only resubmits or incorporates by reference its former pleadings. It should also restate its present intention to apply for the channel if it is allotted and, if authorized, to build a station promptly. Failure to file may lead to denial of the request. 3. Cut-off protection. The following procedures will govern the consideration of the filings in this proceeding; (a) Counterproposals advanced in this proceeding itself will be considered, if advanced in initial comments, so that parties may comment on them in reply comments. They will not be considered if advanced in reply comments. (See Section 1.420(d) of the Commission’s Rules.) Because the Commission has not yet lifted its freeze on the filing of petitions for rulemaking to establish new DTV channel allotments and for changes in community of license,9 we will not consider counterproposals which propose new allotments or changes in community of license. (b) With respect to petitions for rule making which conflict with the proposal in this Notice, they will be considered as comments in the proceeding, and Public Notice to this effect will be given as long as they are filed before the date for filing initial comments herein. If they are filed later than that, they will not be considered in connection with the decision in this docket. (c) The filing of a counterproposal may lead the Commission to allot a different channel than was requested for any of the communities involved. 4. Comments and Reply Comments; service. Pursuant to applicable procedures set out in 47 C.F.R. Sections 1.415 and 1.420, interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates set forth in the Notice of Proposed Rule Making to which this Appendix is attached. All submissions by parties to this proceeding or by persons acting on behalf of such parties must be made in written comments, reply comments, or other appropriate pleadings. The person filing the comments shall serve comments on the petitioners. Reply comments shall be served on the person(s) who filed comments to which the reply is directed. A certificate of service shall accompany such comments and reply comments (see 47 C.F.R. Section 1.420(a), (b) and (c)). Comments should be filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. 5. Number of Copies. In accordance with the provisions of 47 C.F.R. Section 1.420, an original and four copies of all comments, reply comments, pleadings, briefs, or other documents shall be 9 See “Freeze on the Filing of Certain TV and DTV Requests for Allotment or Service Area Changes,” Public Notice, 19 FCC Rcd 14810 (MB 2004). Federal Communications Commission DA 10-2000 5 furnished the Commission. An electronic copy should also be sent to david.brown@fcc.gov. 6. Public Inspection of Filings. All filings made in this proceeding will be available for examination by interested parties during regular business hours in the Commission’s Reference Information Center, at its headquarters, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554.