Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
April 6, 2018
DA 18-343
Released: April 6, 2018
ION Media Sacramento License, Inc.
Michael S. Hubner
810 Seventh Avenue
31st Floor
New York, NY 10019
Re:  Modification of Phase Assignment
KSPX-TV, Sacramento, CA
Facility ID No. 52953
LMS File No. 0000030649
Dear Licensee,
This letter is to inform you that the transition phase assignment for full power television station 
KSPX-TV, Sacramento, California (KSPX-TV or Station), has been modified from Phase 8 to Phase 9.
1
  
On September 14, 2017, KSPX-TV filed a major modification application to have its post-auction 
channel changed from channel 22 to channel 21.  On March 12, 2018, the application was granted and the 
Station was issued a construction permit for channel 21.  As a condition of grant, the Commission 
“reserve[d] the right to change” the station’s phase assignment.
2
  We have previously stated that any such 
change would be to a later and not to an earlier phase.
3
The Transition Scheduling Adoption Public Notice prescribes that a temporary increase in 
pairwise (station-to-station) interference of up to two percent during the post-incentive auction transition 
period is permissible.
4
  Commission staff conducted a technical analysis and determined that considering 
the channel change application granted on March 12, 2018, if KSPX-TV were to complete its transition to 
its new post-auction channel during Phase 8, it would receive and cause interference in excess of the 
permissible threshold with full power television KMAX-TV, Sacramento, California, licensed to 
Sacramento Television Stations, Inc.  Specifically, Commission staff found that KSPX-TV would cause 
84.6 percent and receive 86.1 percent pairwise interference with KMAX-TV.  Commission staff also 
determined that modifying KSPX-TV’s phase assignment to Phase 9 will result in the Station satisfying 
the interference levels permitted under the Transition Scheduling Adoption Public Notice.  The 
modification will also result in KSPX-TV and KMAX-TV being linked stations for purposes of the 
transition.
1
 In the Closing and Channel Reassignment Public Notice, KSPX-TV was assigned to transition Phase 8, which has 
a testing period start date of January 18, 2020, and phase completion date of March 13, 2020.  Incentive Auction 
Closing and Channel Reassignment Public Notice: The Broadcast Television Incentive Auction Closes; Reverse 
Auction and Forward Auction Results Announced; Final Television Band Channel Assignments Announced; Post-
Auction Deadlines Announced, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 2786 (WTB & MB 2017).
2
 Television Broadcast Station Construction Permit available under LMS File No. 0000030649.
3
 Id.
4
 Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau Adopt a Post-Incentive Auction Transition Scheduling Plan, MB 
Docket No. 16-306 and GN Docket No. 12-268, 32 FCC Rcd 890, para. 16 (MB 2017).
2Accordingly, the transition phase assignment for KSPX-TV is MODIFIED from Phase 8 to 
Phase 9.  The Station may not commence testing on its post-auction channel until 12:01 a.m. on March 
14, 2020, and must discontinue operation on its pre-auction channel by 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2020.  
KSPX-TV is a linked station and must coordinate commencement of testing and operations on its post-
auction channel with KMAX-TV.  The Station’s construction permit expiration date will be modified to 
correspond to this change in phase assignment.  
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Kreisman
        Chief, Video Division
         Media Bureau