|
Graham Brock, Inc. |
|
Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XIV, No. 8 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| August 2007 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
|
Non-Commercial Freeze for Minor Changes / Application Cap
for Filing Window |
|
The FCC’s window for the filing of new non-commercial
stations (October 12 through 19) is less than two months
away. As expected, the FCC has issued a Public Notice
indicating that it will freeze the filing of minor
change applications for stations operating in the
reserved band (88.1 MHz to 91.9 MHz) at 11:59 PM on
September 7. This freeze will also impact commercial
stations proposing the use of Channels 221 through 223,
as these are immediately adjacent to the non-commercial
band. Commercial stations who anticipate the need to
file a minor change specifying one of these channels
should file before the freeze begins. The Public Notice
also indicated that the Commission is proposing to limit
the number of applications a single entity can file
during the window to no more than ten. This is in
response to the volume of translator filings that
occurred in March 2003, when the staff expected around
two to three thousand requests, and got over fourteen
thousand. In conjunction with this cap, the FCC also
issued a Notice soliciting comments regarding the cap.
The comment date is limited to fifteen days, with reply
comments due within ten days following the comment
deadline to allow the comment period to close before the
window opens. |
|
More AM Stations and AM News |
|
Up to forty-six new AM stations may soon be
constructed. These new AM station requests were
originally submitted in January 2004 but were
mutually exclusive with other applications. The
conflicts have been resolved, some by engineering
solutions or perhaps the failure of the applicants
to submit needed amendments. The new singleton
applicants must now submit a full technically sound
application for processing with the Commission no
later than September 26, 2007. The FCC has also
extended the deadline for filing comments on the
proposed computer modeling of directional AM systems
to show compliance with the FCC’s rules. The date
for filing comments on the use of computer modeling,
rather than field measurements, has been extended to
September 7, 2007 (MM Docket #93-177). |
|
Final DTV Assignments Release and More TV News |
|
On August 6, 2007 the FCC released the final DTV
Table of Assignments for channels on which
existing analog stations will operate after
February 17, 2009. The list indicates channels,
locations, power, and height for each station.
The full list can be obtained from the FCC’s
website. The Commission is also seeking comments
on two reports regarding the possible
implementation of devices that would operate on
unused TV channels. The devices are meant to
sample the spectrum in the area and
automatically select a clean channel. The
reports outline the findings of some field
testing of prototype units. Information
regarding these reports is associated with ET
Docket #04-186 and can be located at the FCC
website. |
|
What Would You Like to See? |
|
If you have a suggestion of a topic for an
upcoming newsletter, just send us a note or
email. Also, if you would like to receive the
newsletter via email, rather than postal service
delivery, please send an email to cathy@grahambrock.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
