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 discretion  to  set  the  date  by  which  analog  operations  of  these  stations  must  cease.  The  Order  states  that  the  Commission  will  seek  to  hasten  their  transition  to  digital  service  and 
 will  work  toward  the  goal  of  achieving  an  end-  date  at,  or  soon  after,  the  end  date  of  the  full-  power  transition.  Although  the  Commission  intends  to  hasten  their  transition  to 
 digital  service,  certain  issues  regarding  the  transition  of  full  service  stations  must  be  resolved  before  a  low-  power  transition  deadline  can  be  set.  The  final  transition  date  of 
 these  stations  will  be  considered  in  the  Commission’s  Third  DTV  periodic  review  proceeding. 


 Existing  LPTV  and  TV  translator  stations  may  convert  to  digital  operations  (“  flash  cut”)  on  their  current  channel.  Applications  for  this  purpose  will  be  accepted  on  a 
 first-  come,  first  serve  basis.  Mutually  exclusive  applicants  will  be  resolved  by  auction.  In  addition,  to  facilitate  their  digital  transition,  licensees  and  permittees  of  LPTV,  TV 
 translator,  and  Class  A  stations  will  be  allowed  to  seek  a  digital  companion  channel  for  their  analog  station  operations.  A  filing  window  for  this  purpose  will  be  announced  at  a 
 later  date.  The  Commission  will  determine  the  deadline  and  process  for  stations’  obtaining  a  digital  companion  channel  to  return  of  one  of  their  channels.  At  a  later  date, 
 the  Commission  will  institute  a  separate  first-  come-  first-  served  filing  procedure  not  limited  to  incumbent  low  power  stations. 


 Due  to  limited  spectrum  availability,  the  Order  makes  available  VHF  channels  2-  13,  inclusive,  and  UHF  channels  14-  51,  inclusive  (except  channel  37)  for  digital  LPTV 
 and  TV  translator  operations.  The  Order  also  permits  the  use  of  channels  52-  69  on  a  limited  basis.  Existing  LPTV  and  TV  translator  stations  on  channels  52-  69  may  flash-  cut 
 to  digital  operations.  The  use  of  channels  52-  59  for  digital  companion  channels  is  limited  to  those  stations  that  can  certify  the  unavailability  of  any  in-  core  channel  (channels  2-  51). 
 The  use  of  channels  60-  69  for  companion  channels  is  prohibited.  Applicants  for  operations  on  channels  52-  69  must  notify  potentially  affected  commercial  wireless  and 
 public  safety  licensees  before  filing  their  applications.  Additionally,  applicants  proposing  to  flash-  cut  to  digital  on  channels  allocated  for  public  safety  use  (channels  63,  64,  68  and 
 69)  are  required  to  coordinate  with  regional  and  state  entities  representing  potentially  affected  public  safety  licensees. 


 All  digital  LPTV  and  TV  translator  stations  will  operate  on  a  secondary,  non-interfering  basis  with  respect  to  primary  services,  including  the  commercial  wireless  and 
 public  safety  services.  The  Order  adopts  for  digital  stations  in  the  LPTV  service  the  protected  contour  values  for  digital  Class  A  stations.  For  digital  stations  in  the  LPTV  and 
 Class  A  services,  the  Order  replaces  the  current  contour  protection  methodology  with  the  DTV  interference  prediction  methodology. 


 The  Order  declines  to  establish  at  this  time  a  digital  TV  booster  station  class. 
 Action  by  the  Commission,  September  9,  2004,  by  Report  and  Order  (FCC-  04-  xxx  ). 
 Docket  04-  xx 
 --  FCC--  Media  Bureau  staff  contacts:  Keith  Larson  (202-  418-  2607) 


 Shaun  Maher  (202-  418-  1600) 
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 TTY:  (202)  418-  7172 
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