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Graham Brock, Inc. |
|
Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XI, No. 8 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| August 2004 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
TV Freeze and Preparation
for Channel Selection |
On August 4, 2004, the FCC issued a Public Notice
that it has placed a freeze on filing any Petitions for
Rule Making to change DTV or analog channels, including
petitions to change communities of license, and requests
to increase analog or digital facilities beyond the
licensed permitted or allotted values. The freeze will
allow the Commission’s databases to stabilize in
anticipation of the November 4th DTV election process.
Minor modifications which do not extend beyond either
the licensed or permitted facilities may be submitted.
In a separate notice, TV stations have also been asked
to review the technical facilities listed in the
database before October 1, 2004. This will insure that
their DTV facilities are accurately listed before the
post transition channel election process begins.
Stations will have an opportunity to replicate their
digital to analog channel, or maximize. The specifics of
these filings will be addressed in the actual Report and
Order, which has yet to be released.
Stations will be required to certify their intent to
replicate or maximize their post transition channel in
November. Then, in December, round one of the channel
election process begins. Those licensees, with both
analog and digital channels in the TV core (Channels
2-51), or with one in the core and one out of the core,
may elect the channel they propose to use following the
transition. Following the election process, the
Commission will issue notices of protected channels,
those which are mutually exclusive or in conflict with
other selected channels, and which channels are
available for use. Following these notices, a second
round of elections will be held in July 2005, for those
stations with both channels outside of the core. Another
series of public notices will be issued, identifying the
protected channels, etc. The final round will be held in
January 2006, for those stations which have not been
assigned a channel, or have selected Channels 2 to 6 and
wish to change their channel. Once all of the
assignments have been selected and coordinated, a Notice
of Rule Making to change the DTV Table of Allotments
will be issued in August 2006. |
| Regulatory Fees Due in August |
| This year the Commission is collecting their
Annual Regulatory Fees between August 10th and
August 19th. This is a month earlier than in
previous years. Station owners should determine what
fees are due for their main facilities, as well as
auxiliary authorizations, and submit the necessary
payments before the August 19th deadline. |
More Time for Comments
and More Proposals |
As we previously reported, the Commission is
soliciting comments on a proposal which would
have broadcast stations record all programming
and retain the recordings in order to address
any questions concerning indecent or obscene
programming. The FCC has extended the comment
and reply comment period to August 27th and
September 27th, respectively. This extension was
at the request of two state broadcaster
associations. Comments should be submitted in MB
Docket No. 4-232.
The Commission has also extended the comment
period in MB Docket No. 04-233, which solicits
comments on localism in broadcasting. This
extension was requested by several national
broadcaster organizations. Comments on localism
in broadcasting are due on November 1st rather
than September 1st and reply comments are due on
December 1st as opposed to October 1st.
The Commission has also issued a new Notice of
Rule Making, seeking comments on how the
Emergency Alert System (EAS) can be improved to
a more effective system for warning the public.
Comments are expected to be due in late
September in EB Docket No.04-296. |
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