DA 95-1583 Federal Communications Commission Record 10 FCC Red No. 16 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 MM Docket No. 94-122 In the Matter of Amendment of Section 73.202(b), Table of Allotments, FM Broadcast Stations. (Atlantic and Glenwood, Iowa) REPORT AND ORDER (Proceeding Terminated) RM-8513 Released: July 25,1995Adopted: July 14, 1995; By the Chief, Allocations Branch: 1. At the request of Valley Broadcasting, Inc. ("peti tioner"), the Commission has before it the Notice of Pro posed Rule Making, 9 FCC Red 6138 (1994), proposing the reallotment of Channel 279C from Atlantic to Glenwood, Iowa, and the modification of Station KXKTs license to specify Glenwood as its community of license, pursuant to Section 1.420(i) of the Commission's Rules. Comments were filed by the petitioner stating its intention to apply for the channel, if allotted, and by Wireless Communications Corp. ("Wireless"). 1 Reply comments were filed by the petitioner.2 2. As stated in the Notice, the allotment of Channel 279C to Gienwood could provide the community with its first local aural transmission service without depriving Atlantic of its sole local aural transmission service. However, peti tioner was requested to provide a study showing what areas and populations would gain and lose reception service. Further, because the transmitter site proposed by the peti tioner is but 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the Omaha Urbanized Area, petitioner was also requested to specify what portion of the population gain is the result of cov erage of the Omaha Urbanized Area. 3. In response, petitioner states that the reallotment of Channel 279C would permit Station KXKT to serve an additional 63,248 persons, none of whom are encompassed within the Omaha Urbanized Area, since the station al ready provides all of the Omaha Urbanized Area with a 1 mV/m signal. While the reallotment would also result in a loss of service to 39,851 persons, petitioner states that the entire loss area will continue to receive service from at least five allocated or authorized aural services. 4. Petitioner argues that the reallotment of Channel 279C to Glenwood, a community of 4,571 persons, would result in a preferential arrangement of allotments. It again states that Glenwood, which is located 20 miles from Oma ha, is the seat of Mills County, with its own municipal government, police and fire departments, post office and zip code, schools and businesses. Further, it states that Glenwood is not included in the Omaha telephone direc tory, pointing out that Glenwood residents and businesses can reach Omaha telephone numbers only by placing a long distance telephone call. Therefore, it contends that Glenwood is a separate community deserving of its first local aural transmission service. Atlantic, with a 1990 U.S. Census population of 7,432 persons, would continue to receive local aural transmission service from AM Station KJAN.3 DISCUSSION 5. We believe the public interest would be served by reallotting Channel 279C from Atlantic to Glenwood as it would result in a preferential arrangement of allotments pursuant to the Commission's change of community proce dures. See Modification of FM and TV Authorizations to Specify a New Community of License, 4 FCC Red 4870 (1989), recon. granted in part, 5 FCC Red 7094 (1990). Under those procedures, we compare the existing arrange ment of allotments with the proposed arrangement of allot ments using our FM allotment priorities." 6. The allotment of Channel 279C would provide Glenwood with its first local aural transmission service, thus triggering priority three while Atlantic already has a local aural transmission service, thus falling under priority four. Further, a staff engineering review of the proposal shows that the allotment of Channel 279C to Glenwpod would enable Station KXKT to provide service to an addi tional 56,169 people. While the reallotment would also cause a loss of service to 40,836 people, we note that, with the exception of 1,636 people, all of the loss area will continue to receive service from at least five full-time aural stations. Further, the 1,636 persons who will not receive five full-time services will receive four such services. We have also confirmed that Station KXKT presently serves all of the Omaha Urbanized Area with a 60 dBu signal and 90% of the Urbanized Area receives a 70 dBu signal. We recognize that reallotting Channel 279C to Glenwood 1 Wireless' comments also included a "counterproposal" re questing the allotment of Channel 239C3 to Atlantic. Because there is no technical conflict between the allotment of Channel 239C3 to Atlantic and the allotment of Channel 279C to Glenwood, this is not an acceptable counterproposal. However, we have confirmed that Channel 239C3 can be allotted to Atlan tic in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements. Therefore, the proposed allotment of Channel 239C3 will be the subject of a separate Notice of Proposed Rule Making. 2 After the record closed, Stephen O. Meredith ("Meredith"), permittee of Station KSOM(FM), Audubon, Iowa, filed a Motion to Strike and Return as Unacceptable Comments and Counter proposal filed by Wireless to which Wireless responded. We will not accept Meredith's pleading. The Commission's Rules do not contemplate the filing of pleadings beyond the comment and reply comment periods specified in the Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Meredith has provided no justification for his late filing. (We note that Meredith has also provided no information of decisional significance.) 3 The Notice erroneously described Station KJAN as a full- time station. Rather, it is considered to be a daytime-only station since its nighttime power is less than 250 watts. 4 The allotment priorities are: (1) first full-time aural service: (2) second full-time aural 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). 8074 10 FCC Red No. 16 Federal Communications Commission Record DA 95-1583 would result in the removal of Atlantic's sole local night- time service. However, while we are concerned about the loss of the community's nighttime aural service, this con cern is eased by the fact that Atlantic will continue to receive nighttime service from at least five stations, AM Station KJAN does provide some nighttime service and Station KJAN has petitioned to have Channel 239C3 allot ted to Atlantic (RM-8573). As proposed, we will also modi fy Station KXKT's license to specify Glenwood as its community of license. rule making fee in addition to the fee required for the applications to effect the change in community of license and/or upgrade. 11. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, That this proceeding IS TERMINATED. 12. For further information concerning this proceeding, contact Leslie K. Shapiro, Mass Media Bureau, (202) 418-2180. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TECHNICAL SUMMARY 7. Channel 279C can be allotted to Glenwood in compli ance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 24.6 kilometers (15.3 miles) north to accommodate petitioner's desired transmit ter site.5 8. Accordingly, pursuant to the authority contained in Sections 4(i), 5(c)(l), 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 September 8, 1995, the FM Table of Allotments, Section 73.202(b) of the Commission's Rules, IS AMENDED, with respect to the communities listed below, to read as follows: John A Karousos Chief, Allocations Branch Policy and Rules Division Mass Media Bureau City Atlantic, Iowa Glenwood, Iowa Channel No. 279C 9. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 316(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, that the license of Valley Broadcasting. Inc.. for Station KXKT, Channel 279C, IS MODIFIED to specify Glenwood, Iowa, in lieu of Atlantic. Iowa, as its commu nity of license, subject to the following conditions: (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). (b) Upon grant of the construction permit, program tests may be conducted in accordance with Section 73.1620. (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. 10. Pursuant to Commission Rule Section 1.1104(l)(k) and (2)(k), any party seeking a change of 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 application to implement the change in community of license and/or upgrade. As a result of this proceeding, Valley Broadcast ing, Inc., licensee of Station KXKT, is required to submit a 5 The coordinates for Channel 279C at Glenwood are 41-15-49 North Latitude and 95-46-21 West Longitude. 8075