Federal Communications Commission DA 22-218 DA 22-218 Released: March 3, 2022 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU UPDATE LIST OF TV STATIONS TO BE PROTECTED IN THE T-BAND The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (collectively the Bureaus) by this Public Notice update the TV protection list for the 470-512 MHz Band (T-Band) to remove stations which no longer require protection from private land mobile radio (PLMR) operations in the T-Band based on mileage separation. In Attachment A, we list by market the stations removed from the TV protection list. Background In eleven cities, the Commission has allocated spectrum in the T-Band for sharing between broadcast television and “public safety, industrial, and land transportation” PLMR services. Amendment of Parts 2, 89, 91, and 93; Geographic Reallocation of UHF TV Channels 14 Through 20 to the Land Mobile Radio Services for Use Within the 25 Largest Urbanized Areas of the United States; Petition Filed by the Telecommunications Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers to Permit Use of TV Channels 14 and 15 by Land Mobile Stations in the Los Angeles Area, Docket No. 18261, RM-566, First Report and Order, 23 F.C.C.2d 325, 339, para. 31 (1970) (T-Band Allocation First Report and Order). PLMR use in those cities is permitted where these channels are not assigned to a TV station, though land mobile stations operating in this band must maintain fixed mileage separation from the transmitter sites of affected television stations operating in neighboring markets. See 47 CFR § 90.307(d). Section 90.307(e) of the Commission’s rules refers to a publication listing TV stations in the T-Band which must be protected by PLMR operators. See 47 CFR § 90.307(e) (“The television stations to be protected (co-channel, adjacent channel, IM, and IF) in any given urbanized area, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this section, are identified in the Commission's publication ‘TV stations to be considered in the preparation of Applications for Land Mobile Facilities in the Band 470-512 MHz.’”) The TV protection list was originally published by the Commission in 1970 and was updated by the Bureaus in 2021. Amendment of Parts 2, 89, 91, and 93; Geographic Reallocation of UHF-TV Channels 14 Through 20 to the Land Mobile Radio Services for Use Within the 25 Largest Urbanized Areas of the United States, Docket No. 18261, First Report and Order, F.C.C.2d at Appendix F (1970); Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Update List of TV Stations to Be Protected in the T-Band, Public Notice, 36 FCC Rcd 4224 (PSHSB/WTB 2021) (updating the TV protection list to include stations which began operation in the T-Band after the list was originally published). During the COVID-19 pandemic the Commission is making the TV protection list available on its website. Although the Commission’s rule section 90.307(e) includes a reference to the TV protection list being viewable at the Commission’s headquarters or on request, because the Commission’s offices are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Bureaus have made the most recent version available at https://www.fcc.gov/general/oet-technical-documents. Removing Stations No Longer Requiring Protection Based on our review of the Commission’s records, since the TV protection list was originally published a number of TV stations included on the list have either changed channels or discontinued operation altogether. It is important for the TV protection list to remain accurate so PLMR applicants seeking to license facilities in the T-Band know which TV stations they need to protect. Furthermore, it is particularly important to update the TV protection list now since incumbent PLMR licensees in the TBand have an exclusive filing window until April 1, 2022 to modify their operations. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Extend the Date for the Acceptance and Processing of Certain Part 22 and Part 90 Applications for 470-512 MHz (T-Band) Spectrum, Public Notice, DA 21-1596 (PSHSB/WTB Dec. 17, 2021). Consequently, by this Public Notice, the Bureaus modify the TV protection list to remove stations which no longer require protection from PLMR operations based on mileage separation because they discontinued operation or no longer operate on the TV channel specified in the TV Protection list. We also remove two stations associated with TV Channel 20 in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania market which no longer require intermodulation (IM) interference protection because IM protection is no longer needed after these stations converted from analog to digital technology. See supra n. 3. TV stations no longer need IM or IF Beat protection from PLMR operations after they convert from analog to digital technology. Once TV stations which discontinued operation or changed channels were removed from the protection list, the only remaining TV stations requiring either IM or IF Beat protection were WPHL-TV, Philadelphia, PA and WNJS, Camden, NJ both of which are associated with TV Channel 20 in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Urbanized Market. The updated version of the TV protection list can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/general/oet-technical-documents. Incumbent PLMR licensees may immediately file applications based on the updated version of the TV protection list. For further information, please contact Joshua Smith, Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (voice) (717) 338-2502 or Joshua.Smith@fcc.gov, or Brian Marenco, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (voice) (202) 418-0838 or Brian.Marenco@fcc.gov. Action by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. -- FCC -- Attachment A TV Stations Removed from T-Band Protection List Urbanized Area Frequencies Available for Land Mobile Use (MHz) Television Facilities Removed from TV Protection List Due to Discontinued Operation, a Change in Channel or No Longer Require IM Protection TV Station Site Coordinates (NAD83) TV Call Ch. No. Co. Ch., Adj. Ch. IM & IF Beat TV Station Location N. Latitude W. Longitude Boston, Massachusetts 42° 21' 24.4"/ 71° 03' 23.2" Channel 14 470-476 Channel 16 482-488 WHED-TV 15 Adj. Ch. Hanover, NH 43-42-30.2 72-09-14.3 Chicago, Illinois 41° 52' 28.1"/ 87° 38' 22.2" Channel 14 470-476 Channel 15 476-482 WJJY-TV 14 Co. Ch. Jacksonville, IL 39-45-52.1 90-30-29.5 WCMU-TV 14 Co. Ch. Mt. Pleasant, MI 43-34-24.1 84-46-21.0 WMTV 15 Co. Ch. Madison, WI 43-03-03 89-29-13 WICD 15 Co. Ch. Champaign, IL 40-04-10 87-54-46 WNDU-TV 16 Adj. Ch. South Bend, IN 41-36-20 86-12-46 Los Angeles, California 34° 03' 15.0"/ 118° 14' 31.3" Channel 14 470-476 Channel 16 482-488 Channel 20 506-512 KPBS-TV 15 Adj. Ch. San Diego, CA 32-41-52.7 116-56-06.3 KGET 17 Adj. Ch. Bakersfield, CA 35-26-17.1 118-44-26.3 KWHY-TV 22 IF Beat IM Los Angeles, CA 34-13-36.0 118-04-02.3 KCET 28 IF Beat Los Angeles, CA 34-13-26 118-03-47 Miami, Florida 25° 46' 38.4"/ 80° 11' 31.2" Channel 14 470-476 WSEC-TV 17 IM Miami, Florida 25-58-47 80-11-45 New York, Northeastern New Jersey 40° 45' 06.4"/ 73° 59' 37.5" Channel 14 470-476 Channel 15 476-482 Channel 16 482-488 WFAN-TV 14 Co. Ch. Washington, DC 38-57-17.4 77-00-15.9 WLYH-TV 15 Co. Ch. Adj. Ch. Lancaster, PA 40-15-45 76-27-50 WNEP-TV 16 Co. Ch. Adj. Ch. Scranton, PA 41-10-58.3 75-52-19.7 WLIW-TV 21 IF Beat Garden City, NY 40-43-55.4 73-36-10.5 Attachment A TV Stations Removed from T-Band Protection List (Continued) Urbanized Area Frequencies Available for Land Mobile Use (MHz) Television Facilities Removed from TV Protection List Due to Discontinued Operation, a Change in Channel or No Longer Require IM Protection TV Station Site Coordinates (NAD83) TV Call Ch. No. Co. Ch., Adj. Ch. IM & IF Beat TV Station Location N. Latitude W. Longitude Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 39° 56' 58.4"/ 75° 09' 19.6" Channel 19 500-506 Channel 20 506-512 WPHL-TV 17 IM Philadelphia, PA 40-02-30.9 75-14-21.9 WJNL-TV 19 Co. Ch. Johnstown, PA 40-19-47.3 78-53-44.1 WDCA-TV 20 Co. Ch. Adj. Ch. Washington, DC 38-57-49.9 77-06-17.2 WATR-TV 20 Co. Ch. Waterbury, CT 41-31-02.3 73-00-58.4 WHP-TV 21 Adj. Ch. Harrisburg, PA 40-20-43.1 76-52-08.3 WNJS 23 IM Camden, NJ 39-43-41 74-50-38 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 40° 26' 19.2"/ 79° 59' 59.2" Channel 14 470-476 Channel 18 494-500 WFAN-TV 14 Co. Ch. Washington, DC 38-57-17.4 77-00-15.9 WTAP-TV 15 Adj. Ch. Parkersburg, WV 39-20-59.8 81-33-55.4 WJAN 17 Adj. Ch. Canton, OH 40-51-04.2 81-16-36.4 WHIZ-TV 18 Co. Ch. Zanesville, OH 39-55-42 81-59-07 WSYE-TV 18 Co. Ch. Elmira, NY 42-06-22 76-52-16 WJNL-TV 19 Adj. Ch. Johnstown, PA 40-19-47.3 78-53-44.1 WCTF 19 Adj. Ch. Cleveland, OH 41-21-19.2 81-44-23.5 San Francisco, Oakland, California 37° 46' 38.7"/ 122° 24' 43.9" Channel 16 482-488 Channel 17 488-494 KCSM-TV 14 IM San Mateo, CA 37-32-11.8 122-20-05.9 KEMO-TV 20 IM San Francisco, CA 37-41-16.8 122-26-10.9 Attachment A TV Stations Removed from T-Band Protection List (Continued) Urbanized Area Frequencies Available for Land Mobile Use (MHz) Television Facilities Removed from TV Protection List Due to Discontinued Operation, a Change in Channel or No Longer Require IM Protection TV Station Site Coordinates (NAD83) TV Call Ch. No. Co. Ch., Adj. Ch. IM & IF Beat TV Station Location N. Latitude W. Longitude Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia 38° 53' 51.4"/ 77° 00' 31.9" Channel 17 488-494 Channel 18 494-500 WFAN-TV 14 IM Washington, DC 38-57-17.4 77-00-15.9 WBOC-TV 16 Adj. Ch. Salisbury, MD 38-24-15.4 75-34-43.7 WDCA-TV 20 IM. Washington, DC 38-57-49.9 77-06-17.2 WMET-TV 24 IF Beat Baltimore, MD 39-20-19.4 76-39-59.9 WETA-TV 26 IF Beat Washington, DC 38-57-49.9 77-06-17.2 2