> **Released: May 1, 2000**
>
> SCHEDULING OF LIMITED LOW POWER TELEVISION/TELEVISION TRANSLATOR/CLASS
> A TELEVISION AUCTION FILING WINDOW FROM JULY 31 THROUGH AUGUST 4, 2000

The Mass Media Bureau and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
announce the scheduling of an auction filing window for certain low
power television, television translator, and Class A television
broadcast stations. Commencing July 31, 2000, and continuing to and
including August 4, 2000, the Commission intends to permit the filing of
applications for new construction permits and for major changes in
existing facilities for low power television and television translator
stations (LPTV). The Commission also will permit in this auction window
the filing of applications for major changes in the facilities of
authorized Class A television stations; that is, stations for which a
Class A TV construction permit or license has been issued.[^1]

# Major Facilities Changes

A major change for LPTV and Class A TV stations is a change in frequency
(output channel), except a change in offset carrier frequency. For this
filing window, a major change is also any facilities change(s) that
would increase the distance in any directional to a station's protected
signal contour.[^2] A channel change application filed by a Class A TV
licensee, which is necessitated by channel displacement, is also
considered a major change application. Such Class A TV displacement
applications, which can be filed on a first-come, first-served basis and
are not subject to mutually exclusive Class A TV, LPTV, and TV
translator non-displacement applications,[^3] can also be submitted
during this auction filing window.

**[Geographic Restrictions]{.underline}**

This auction filing window is subject to geographic restrictions on the
filing of applications for new station construction permits
[and]{.underline} for major changes in existing facilities. The
Commission will permit applications that specify transmitting antenna
site coordinates (geographic latitude and

longitude) located more than 121 kilometers (75 miles) from the
reference coordinates of the

cities listed in the Attachment to this Notice. These restrictions are
necessitated by the Commission's implementation of the digital
television (DTV) service and by the large number of

LPTV stations already authorized in and around these cities. By this
window, the Commission seeks to provide additional opportunities for low
power TV and TV translator service in those rural areas of the country
where there is relatively less free over-the-air television service.
However, geographic restrictions are necessary to minimize the extent to
which LPTV or TV translator service is disrupted by existing or future
DTV station operations.[^4]

Notwithstanding the above, the Commission will consider requests for
waiver of the geographic restrictions based on terrain shielding. Such
waivers will be granted where applicants demonstrate that their proposed
facilities are completely shielded by terrain barriers from the
applicable television market cities listed in the Attachment. Through
this extension of the Commission's policy on terrain shielding (*See
Policy Statement*, 3 FCC Rcd 2664, *reconsideration granted in part*, 3
FCC Rcd 7105 (1988)), opportunities will not be foreclosed for
additional low power TV and TV translator service in locales that are
completely insulated from TV signals emanating from the applicable TV
market cities due to substantial terrain obstructions; for example,
large mountain ranges in the western states. Requests for
terrain-related waivers, which will be filed subsequently at the
direction of the Commission, must be supported by an appropriate number
of profiles showing the terrain between the proposed community of
service and the applicable TV market cities, indicating that the signals
of full-service stations in these cities cannot be directly received in
the proposed community. Guidance for preparing terrain profiles is given
in the Commission's terrain *Policy Statement*. Alternatively,
applicants may demonstrate terrain shielding using the Longley-Rice
terrain dependent signal propagation prediction methods.

By subsequent Public Notice, the Commission will announce the specific
application forms and other materials to be submitted by participants in
this auction filing window and detail the competitive bidding
regulations and procedures governing the conduct of this auction filing
window. See [Implementation of Section 309(j) of the Communications Act
-- Competitive Bidding for Commercial and Instructional Fixed Service
Licensees, First Report and Order]{.underline}, MM Docket No. 97-234, 13
FCC Rcd 15920 (1998).

For further information concerning the filing window, contact Hossein
Hashemzadeh, Low Power Television Branch, Mass Media Bureau at telephone
number (202) 418-1600.

### Attachment

Except as provided in this Public Notice, applications filed in this
window may not propose new or modified facilities located within 121
kilometers (75 miles) of the reference coordinates listed below for the
following cities.

Source of cities: January 1, 2000 Nielsen Media Research Estimates

Source of coordinates: Section 76.53 of FCC Rules or, as indicated by
\*\*, the U.S. Geological Survey

New York, NY 40-45-06 073-59-39

Los Angeles, CA 34-03-15 118-14-28

Chicago, IL 41-52-28 087-38-22

Philadelphia, PA 39-56-58 075-09-21

San Francisco, CA 37-46-39 122-24-40 \*

Oakland, CA 37-48-03 122-15-54 \*

San Jose, CA 37-20-16 121-53-24 \*

Boston, MA 42-21-24 071-03-25

Dallas, TX 32-47-09 096-47-37 \*

Fort Worth, TX 32-44-55 097-19-44 \*

Washington, DC 38-53-51 077-00-33

Detroit, MI 42-19-48 083-02-57

Atlanta, GA 33-45-10 084-23-37

Houston, TX 29-45-26 095-21-37

Seattle, WA 47-36-32 122-20-12 \*

Tacoma, WA 47-14-59 122-26-15 \*

Tampa, FL 27-56-58 082-27-26 \*

St. Petersburg, FL 27-46-18 082-38-16 \*

Minneapolis, MN 44-58-57 093-15-43 \*

St. Paul, MN 44-56-50 093-05-11 \*

Cleveland, OH 41-29-51 081-41-50

Miami, FL 25-46-37 080-11-32 \*

Fort Lauderdale, FL 26-07-11 080-08-34 \*

Phoenix, AZ 33-27-12 112-04-28

Denver, CO 39-44-58 104-59-22

Sacramento, CA 38-34-57 121-29-41 \*

Stockton, CA 37-57-30 121-17-16 \*

Modesto, CA 37-38-26 120-59-44 \*

Pittsburgh, PA 40-26-19 080-00-00

St. Louis, MO 38-37-45 090-12-22

Orlando, FL 28-32-42 081-22-38 \*

Daytona Beach, FL 29-12-44 081-01-10 \*

Melbourne, FL 28-04-41 080-36-29 \*

Portland, OR 45-31-06 122-40-35

Baltimore, MD 39-17-26 076-36-45

San Diego, CA 32-42-53 117-09-21

Indianapolis, IN 39-46-07 086-09-46

Hartford, CT 41-46-12 072-40-49 \*

New Haven, CT 41-18-25 072-55-30 \*

Charlotte, NC 35-13-44 080-50-45

Raleigh, NC 35-46-38 078-38-21 \*

Durham, NC 35-59-48 078-54-00 \*

Nashville, TN 36-09-33 086-46-55

Kansas City, MO 39-04-56 094-35-20

Cincinnati, OH 39-06-07 084-30-35

Milwaukee, WI 43-02-19 087-54-15

Columbus, OH 39-57-47 083-00-17

Greenville, SC 34-50-50 082-24-01 \*

Spartanburg, SC 34-57-03 081-56-06 \*

Asheville, NC 35-35-42 082-33-26 \*

Anderson, SC 34-30-06 082-38-54 \*

Salt Lake City, UT 40-45-23 111-53-26

San Antonio, TX 29-25-37 098-29-06

Grand Rapids, MI 42-58-03 085-40-13 \*

Kalamazoo, MI 42-17-29 085-35-14 \*

Battle Creek, MI 42-18-58 085-10-48 \*

Birmingham, AL 33-31-01 086-48-36

Memphis, TN 35-08-46 090-03-13

New Orleans, LA 29-56-53 090-04-10

Norfolk, VA 36-51-10 076-17-21 \*

Portsmouth, VA 36-50-12 076-17-54 \*

Newport News, VA 36-58-43 076-25-42 \* \*\*

West Palm Beach, FL 26-42-36 080-03-05 \*

Ft. Pierce, FL 27-26-48 080-19-38 \*

Buffalo, NY 42-52-52 078-52-21

Oklahoma City, OK 35-28-26 097-31-04

Harrisburg, PA 40-15-43 076-52-59 \*

Lancaster, PA 40-02-25 076-18-29 \*

Lebanon, PA 40-20-27 076-24-42 \* \*\*

York, PA 39-57-35 076-43-36 \*

Greensboro, NC 36-04-17 079-47-25 \*

High Point, NC 35-57-14 080-00-15 \*

Winston-Salem, NC 36-05-52 080-14-42 \*

Louisville, KY 38-14-47 085-45-49

Albuquerque, NM 35-05-01 106-39-05 \*

Santa Fe, NM 35-41-13 105-56-41 \* \*\*

Providence, RI 41-49-32 071-24-41 \*

New Bedford, MA 41-38-13 070-55-41 \*

Wilkes Barre, PA 41-14-32 075-53-17 \*

Scranton, PA 41-24-32 075-39-46 \*

Jacksonville, FL 30-19-44 081-39-42 \*

Brunswick, GA 31-08-59 081-29-30 \* \*\*

Las Vegas, NV 36-10-20 115-08-37

Fresno, CA 36-44-12 119-47-11 \*

Visalia, CA 36-19-46 119-17-30 \*

Albany, NY 42-39-01 073-45-01 \*

Schenectady, NY 42-48-52 073-56-24 \*

Troy, NY 42-43-42 073-41-32 \* \*\*

Dayton, OH 39-45-32 084-11-43

Little Rock, AR 34-44-42 092-16-37 \*

Pine Bluff, AR 34-13-42 092-00-11 \* \*\*

Tulsa, OK 36-09-12 095-59-34

Charleston, WV 38-21-01 081-37-52 \*

Huntington, WV 38-25-12 082-26-33 \*

Richmond, VA 37-32-15 077-26-09 \*

Petersburg, VA 37-13-40 077-24-15 \*

Austin, TX 30-16-09 097-44-37

Mobile, AL 30-41-36 088-02-33 \*

Pensacola, FL 30-24-51 087-12-56 \*

Knoxville, TN 35-57-39 083-55-07

Flint, MI 43-00-50 083-41-33

Saginaw, MI 43-25-52 083-56-05 \*

Bay City, MI 43-36-04 083-53-15 \*

Wichita, KS 37-41-30 097-20-16 \*

Hutchinson, KS 38-03-11 097-55-20 \*

Lexington, KY 38-02-50 084-29-46

Toledo, OH 41-39-14 083-32-39

Roanoke, VA 37-16-13 079-56-44 \*

Lynchburg, VA 37-24-51 079-08-37 \*

Green Bay, WI 44-30-48 088-00-50 \*

Appleton, WI 44-15-43 088-24-55 \* \*\*

Des Moines, IA 41-35-14 093-37-00 \*

Ames, IA 42-01-36 093-36-44 \*

Honolulu, HI 21-18-36 157-51-48

Tucson, AZ 32-13-15 110-58-08

Omaha, NE 41-15-42 095-56-14

Paducah, KY 37-05-13 088-35-56 \*

Cape Giradeau, MO 37-18-29 089-31-29 \*

Harrisburg, IL 37-44-20 088-32-25 \*

Mount Vernon, IL 38-18-29 088-54-26 \*

Shreveport, LA 32-30-46 093-44-58

Syracuse, NY 43-03-04 076-09-14

Rochester, NY 43-09-41 077-36-21

Spokane, WA 47-39-32 117-25-33

Springfield, MO 37-13-03 093-17-32

Portland, ME 43-39-33 070-15-19 \*

Auburn, ME 44-05-52 070-13-54 \* \*\*

Fort Myers, FL 26-38-42 081-52-06 \*

Naples, FL 26-08-30 081-47-42 \* \*\*

Huntsville, AL 34-44-18 086-35-19 \*

Decatur, AL 34-36-35 086-58-45 \*

Champaign, IL 40-07-05 088-14-48 \*

Springfield, IL 39-47-58 089-38-51 \*

Decatur, IL 39-50-37 088-57-11 \*

Chattanooga, TN 35-02-41 085-18-32

Madison, WI 43-04-23 089-22-55

Columbia, SC 34-00-02 081-02-00

South Bend, IN 41-40-33 086-15-01 \*

Elkhart, IN 41-40-56 085-58-15 \*

Davenport, IA 41-31-24 090-34-21 \*

Rock Island, IL 41-30-40 090-34-24 \*

Moline, IL 41-30-31 090-30-49 \*

Jackson, MS 32-17-56 090-11-06

Cedar Rapids, IA 41-58-48 091-39-48 \*

Waterloo, IA 42-29-40 092-20-20 \*

Dubuque, IA 42-29-55 090-40-08 \*

Burlington, VT 44-28-34 073-12-46 \*

Plattsburgh, NY 44-42-03 073-27-07 \*

Bristol, VA 36-35-48 082-11-04 \*

Kingsport, TN 36-32-57 082-33-44 \*

Johnson City, TN 36-19-04 082-20-56 \*

Colorado Springs, CO 38-50-07 104-49-16 \*

Pueblo, CO 38-16-17 104-36-33 \*

Waco, TX 31-33-12 097-08-00 \*

Temple, TX 31-06-02 097-20-22 \*

Bryan, TX 30-38-48 096-21-31 \*

Johnstown, PA 40-19-35 078-55-03 \*

Altoona, PA 40-30-55 078-24-03 \*

El Paso, TX 31-45-36 106-29-11

Baton Rouge, LA 30-26-58 091-11-00

Evansville, IN 37-58-20 087-34-21

Youngstown, OH 41-05-57 080-39-02

Savannah, GA 32-04-42 081-05-37

Lincoln, NE 40-48-59 096-42-15 \*

Hastings, NE 40-35-21 098-23-20 \*

Kearney, NE 40-41-58 099-04-53 \*

Harlingen, TX 26-11-29 097-41-35 \*

Weslaco, TX 26-09-24 097-59-33 \*

Brownsville, TX 25-54-05 097-29-50 \* \*\*

McAllen, TX 26-11-29 097-41-35 \* \*\*

Fort Wayne, IN 41-04-21 085-08-26

Charleston, SC 32-46-35 079-55-53

Springfield, MA 42-06-21 072-35-32 \*

Holyoke, MA 42-12-15 072-37-00 \* \*\*

Greenville, NC 35-36-49 077-22-22 \*

New Bern, NC 35-06-33 077-02-23 \*

Washington, NC 35-32-35 077-03-16 \*

Lansing, MI 42-44-01 084-33-15

Tyler, TX 32-21-21 095-17-52 \*

Longview, TX 32-28-24 094-43-45 \*

Tallahassee, FL 30-26-30 084-16-50 \*

Thomasville, GA 30-50-25 083-58-59 \*

Peoria, IL 40-41-42 089-35-33 \*

Bloomington, IL 40-28-58 088-59-32 \*

Reno, NV 39-31-27 119-48-40

Monterey, CA 36-35-44 121-53-39 \*

Salinas, CA 36-40-24 121-39-25 \*

Santa Barbara, CA 34-25-18 119-41-55 \*

Santa Maria, CA 34-57-02 120-26-10 \*

San Luis Obispo, CA 35-16-49 120-39-34 \*

Sioux Falls, SD 43-32-35 096-43-35

Augusta, GA 33-28-20 081-58-00

Florence, SC 34-11-49 079-46-06 \*

Myrtle Beach, SC 33-41-20 078-53-13 \* \*\*

Montgomery, AL 32-22-33 086-18-31

Fort Smith, AR 35-23-10 094-25-36 \*

Fayetteville, AR 36-03-41 094-09-38 \* \*\*

Springdale, AR 36-11-12 094-07-43 \* \*\*

Rogers, AR 36-19-55 094-07-06 \* \*\*

Fargo, ND 46-52-30 096-47-18 \*

Valley City, ND 46-55-31 098-00-04 \*

Traverse City. MI 44-45-47 085-37-25 \*

Cadillac, MI 44-15-10 085-23-52 \*

Macon, GA 32-50-12 083-37-36

Eugene, OR 44-03-16 123-05-30

Lafayette, LA 30-13-24 092-01-06

Yakima, WA 46-36-09 120-30-39 \*

Pasco, WA 46-13-50 119-05-27 \*

Richland, WA 46-16-36 119-16-21 \*

Kennewick, WA 46-12-28 119-08-32 \*

Boise, ID 43-37-07 116-11-58

\* City is part of a hyphenated market

[^1]: On March 28, 2000, the Commission established a Class A Television
    Service to implement the Community Broadcasters Protection Act of
    1999 (CPBA). *See* *Report and Order* in MM Docket No. 00-10, FCC
    00-115, released April 4, 2000. Pursuant to the CPBA, the Class A TV
    service provides a measure of "primary" regulatory status to
    qualifying low power television stations, including some of the
    interference protections afforded to full-service television
    stations. Applications for initial Class A TV authority may not
    request facilities changes and, therefore, are not subject to this
    window. These applications may be filed at any time within the six-
    month period beginning on the date the Class A *Report and Order*
    becomes effective.

[^2]: The Class A TV *Report and Order* provides a more inclusive
    definition of minor facilities changes for Class A TV, low power TV
    and TV translator stations; for example, increases in station power
    will be considered minor changes. However, the more inclusive minor
    change provision will not take effect until October 1, 2000.

[^3]: See the Class A *Report and Order* at paragraph 114.

[^4]: Low power TV and TV translator stations and, to a lesser extent,
    Class A TV stations have a secondary status with regard to the
    introduction of DTV service. Since June 1, 1998, the Commission has
    received more than 1800 "displacement relief" applications seeking
    replacement channels and/or other facilities changes to avoid DTV
    conflicts or to vacate the use of channels 60-69, which have been
    reallocated for other uses and must be surrendered by the end of the
    DTV transition period. More than 300 DTV facilities have been
    authorized and approximately 130 stations are now operating. The
    Commission's DTV buildout schedule requires that all commercial
    stations be operational by May 1, 2002; noncommercial DTV stations
    must be operational by May 1, 2003. Additionally, hundreds of LPTV
    and TV translator stations will be required to seek replacement
    channels below channel 52 when channels 52-69, are no longer
    available for their use.