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Graham Brock, Inc. |
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Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XIII, No. 10 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| October 2006 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
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Last month we reported that the FCC had initiated FM
Auction #68 in which nine FM allotments are to be
auctioned in January 2007. These were channels left over
from previous auctions. In late September, the
Commission issued a list of 124 more channels to be
auctioned in FM Auction #70 in March 2007. The channels
in Auction #70 are first timers and are scattered in
many states around the country. A list of channels in
each auction is posted at www.grahambrock.com. When you
reach the respective auction page, you can select a
channel and view a coverage map based on the allocation
site and a maximum facility for the class. Please note
that no analysis was undertaken on the allotments, nor
were specific sites reviewed. These maps are for
information purposes only. Should you be interested in
one or more of these channels, a thorough due diligence
of the channel should be conducted prior to bidding in
the auction. In association with Auction #68, the FCC
has announced a freeze in the submissions of minor
change applications during the Form 175 filing period,
which is scheduled to be November 6 - 13, 2006. There is
also an immediate freeze on the filing of any
counterproposals in active rule making proceedings that
will impact any of the nine channels to be auctioned. A
similar freeze is expected to be announced prior to the
175 filing deadline for Auction #70. |
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Ownership Comments Pushed Back |
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Last month the Commission issued a Public Notice
extending the comment and reply comment deadlines
for the ownership rules review. The FCC initially
set the end of September as the comment deadline. As
that deadline approached, several groups requested
additional time. In response to these requests, the
Commission extended the comment deadline until
October 23, 2006, with the reply comment deadline
moved to December 21, 2006. |
Devices to Operate in TV Band
in Locations Where Channels
Are Not Being Used |
| Many months ago, we reported the FCC
initiated a proceeding to consider the use of a
personal communications device that would
operate in the TV band and search the spectrum
to find an unused channel in each location where
the device was to operate. Comments were
submitted both for and against the proposal. The
Commission stated in a Public Notice that there
was insufficient information submitted for it to
render a decision. Therefore, the FCC requested
testing of the technology conducted with the
results submitted to the FCC. In the meantime,
the Commission’s labs will conduct testing on
DTV receivers to determine their ability to
reject interference from these proposed
unlicensed devices. |
No STL License?
Well, Then a Fine! |
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The FCC issued two Notices of Apparent Liability
to the owner of two AM stations in Arizona for
operating a studio to transmitter link without a
license. One of the stations had an auxiliary
license associated with the station, but it was
on a different frequency and licensed to operate
from a different location. Each station admitted
that the operation of the unlicensed systems had
exceeded the 720 hours a year rule. The base
fine for each violation is $10,000. The assessed
fine was then reduced to $4,000 for each
station. Both stations are now undergoing the
coordination process for their actual systems
and will submit applications shortly. Are your
systems at the right location and on the right
frequency? |
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