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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 72 (Thursday, April 14, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22166-22167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07959]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 22-146; RM-11925; DA 22-367; FRS 81585]

Television Broadcasting Services Memphis, Tennessee

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) has before 
it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC 
(Petitioner), the licensee of WMC-TV, channel 5, Memphis, Tennessee. 
The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 30 for channel 5 at 
Memphis in the Table of Allotments.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before May 16, 2022 and reply 
comments on or before May 31, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary, 
45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. In addition to filing comments 
with the FCC, interested parties should serve counsel for the 
Petitioner as follows: Joan Stewart, Esq., Wiley Rein LLP, 2050 M 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 
(202) 418-1647; or at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support, the Petitioner states the 
proposed channel substitution serves the public interest because it 
will resolve significant over-the-air reception problems in WMC-TV's 
existing service area. The Petitioner further states that the 
Commission has recognized the deleterious effects manmade noise has on 
the reception of digital VHF signals, and that the propagation 
characteristics of these channels allow undesired signals and noise to 
be receivable at relatively farther distances compared to UHF channels, 
and nearby electrical devices can cause interference. According to the 
Petitioner, an analysis using the Commission's TVStudy software tool 
indicates that WMC-TV's move from channel 5 to channel 30 is predicted 
to create an area where 4,072 persons are predicted to lose service. 
The loss area, however, is partially overlapped by the noise limited 
contours of other NBC affiliated stations and most viewers will 
continue to receive service from five or more stations. As a result, 
Petitioner asserts that only 64 persons would no longer receive NBC 
network programming, or service from five or more full power television 
services. In practice, Gray expects that few if any persons who are 
currently able to receive WMC-TV's over-the-air signal on channel 5 
would no longer be able to receive WMC-TV's over-the-air signal as a 
result of the transition to channel 30.
    This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 22-146; RM-11925; DA 22-367, adopted April 5, 
2022, and released April 5, 2022. The full text of this document is 
available for download at https://www.fcc.gov/edocs. To request 
materials in accessible formats (braille, large print, computer 
diskettes, or audio recordings), please send an email to [email protected] 
or call the Consumer & Government Affairs

[[Page 22167]]

Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (VOICE), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
    This document does not contain information collection requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. In 
addition, therefore, it does not contain any proposed information 
collection burden ``for small business concerns with fewer than 25 
employees,'' pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 
2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4). Provisions of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, do not apply to 
this proceeding.
    Members of the public should note that all ex parte contacts are 
prohibited from the time a notice of proposed rulemaking is issued to 
the time the matter is no longer subject to Commission consideration or 
court review, see 47 CFR 1.1208. There are, however, exceptions to this 
prohibition, which can be found in Sec.  1.1204(a) of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 1.1204(a). See Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.420 of the 
Commission's rules for information regarding the proper filing 
procedures for comments, 47 CFR 1.415 and 1.420.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

    Television.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan,
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.

Proposed Rule

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR part 73 as follows:

PART 73--RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES

0
1. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 301, 303, 307, 309, 310, 334, 
336, 339.
0
2. In Sec.  73.622(j), amend the Table of Allotments under Tennessee by 
revising the entry for Memphis to read as follows:

Sec.  73.622   Digital television table of allotments.

* * * * *
    (j) * * *

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                 Community                           Channel No.
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                                * * * * *
Tennessee
 
                                * * * * *
Memphis...................................  13, 23, 25, 28, *29, 30, 31,
                                             33
 
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[FR Doc. 2022-07959 Filed 4-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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