Revision of Procedures Governing Amendments to FM Table of Allotments and Changes of Community of License in the Radio Broadcast Services, 76208-76220 [E6-21633]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 244 / Wednesday, December 20, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
Flooding source(s)
*Elevation in
feet (NGVD)
+Elevation in
feet (NAVD)
# Depth in feet
above ground.
Modified
Location of referenced elevation
At Irving Avenue .......................................................................
Communities affected
+280
# Depth in feet above ground.
*National Geodetic Vertical Datum.
+North American Vertical Datum.
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Dated: December 13, 2006.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 1 and 73
David I. Maurstad,
Director, Mitigation Division, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, Department
of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. E6–21680 Filed 12–19–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110–12–P
[MB Docket No. 05–210; FCC 06–163]
Revision of Procedures Governing
Amendments to FM Table of
Allotments and Changes of
Community of License in the Radio
Broadcast Services
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
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ACTION:
Final rule.
SUMMARY: In this document, the
Commission adopted a number of
procedures and procedural changes
designed to streamline the process of
allocating new FM channels and
modifying the communities of license of
existing radio stations, and to reduce
current backlogs in proceedings to
amend the FM Table of Allotments. In
the R&O, the Commission also
announced that it would lift a freeze on
all new petitions to amend the FM Table
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of Allotments, as of the effective date of
the R&O.
DATES: Effective January 19, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Doyle, Chief, Media Bureau,
Audio Division, (202) 418–2700 or
Peter.Doyle@fcc.gov; Thomas Nessinger,
Attorney-Advisor, Media Bureau, Audio
Division, (202) 418–2700 or
Thomas.Nessinger@fcc.gov.
For additional information concerning
the Paperwork Reduction Act
information collection requirements
contained in this document, contact
Cathy Williams at 202–418–2918, or via
the Internet at Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
Analysis
The Report and Order (‘‘R&O’’)
contains new and modified information
collection requirements, which were
proposed in the NPRM and are subject
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(‘‘PRA’’).1 These information collection
requirements were submitted on July 19,
2005, to the Office of Management and
Budget (‘‘OMB’’) for review under
Section 3507(d) of the PRA. In addition,
the general public and other Federal
agencies were invited to comment on
these information collection
requirements in the NPRM. The
Commission further notes that pursuant
to the Small Business Paperwork Relief
Act of 2002, it previously sought
specific comment on how the
Commission might ‘‘further reduce the
information collection burden for small
business concerns with fewer than 25
employees.’’ The Commission received
no comments concerning these
information collection requirements. On
September 15, 2005, the Commission
obtained OMB approval for these
information collection requirements,
encompassed by OMB Control No.
3060–0027. This R&O adopts the
information collection requirements, as
proposed.
Because, as detailed in the R&O, the
Commission extends its new
community of license minor
modification procedures to FM NCE
licensees and permittees, FCC Form 340
must be modified to accommodate the
new information collection
requirements of those procedures. The
procedural requirements for FM NCE
applicants for change of community of
license will become effective after
approval by OMB. The Commission
published a separate Federal Register
Notice seeking public comment on this
1 The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (‘‘PRA’’),
Pub. L. 104–13, 109 Stat 163 (1995) (codified in
Chapter 35 of title 44 U.S.C.).
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new information collection requirement
on November 22, 2006 (see 71 FR 67581
(November 22, 2006)). Upon OMB
approval, the Commission will issue a
public notice announcing the effective
date of this rule.
This is a synopsis of the
Commission’s Report and Order (R&O),
FCC 06–163, adopted November 3,
2006, and released November 29, 2006.
The full text of the R&O is available for
inspection and copying during regular
business hours in the FCC Reference
Center, 445 Twelfth Street, SW., Room
CY–A257, Portals II, Washington, DC
20554, and may also be purchased from
the Commission’s copy contractor,
BCPI, Inc., Portals II, 445 Twelfth Street,
SW., Room CY–B402, Washington, DC
20554. Customers may contact BCPI,
Inc. via their Web site, https://
www.bcpi.com, or call 1–800–378–3160.
This document is available in
alternative formats (computer diskette,
large print, audio record, and Braille).
Persons with disabilities who need
documents in these formats may contact
Brian Millin at (202) 418–7426 (voice),
(202) 418–7365 (TTY), or via e-mail at
Brian.Millin@fcc.gov.
Synopsis of Order
1. With this Report and Order
(‘‘R&O’’), the Commission makes certain
changes to its procedures for allotting
and assigning channels, classes, and
communities of license for AM and FM
broadcast stations, as proposed in the
original Notice of Proposed Rule Making
(‘‘NPRM’’) in this proceeding. Revision
of Procedures Governing Amendments
to FM Table of Allotments and Changes
of Community of License in the Radio
Broadcast Services, Notice of Proposed
Rule Making, 20 FCC Rcd 11169 (2005).
Specifically, the Commission makes
changes of community of license for
commercial full-power AM standard
band and commercial and
noncommercial educational (‘‘NCE’’)
full-power FM broadcast stations a
minor modification, to be accomplished
by first come-first served minor
modification application, subject to
certain procedural requirements
described below. To accommodate this
change, the FM Table of Allotments, 47
CFR 73.202, shall henceforth contain
only vacant allotments, and authorized
full-power non-reserved band FM
facilities already occupying allotments
shall be listed only in the Media
Bureau’s Consolidated Data Base System
(‘‘CDBS’’). As it does now, CDBS shall
reflect the authorizations granted to
those broadcasters operating on the
listed channels and communities, and
which are entitled to protection under
our current rules. The Commission
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further adopts the proposal that it
require allocations proponents
simultaneously to file Form 301
applications with their allocations
proposals, to submit the designated
Form 301 filing fee, and to certify on
Form 301 that they intend to apply to
participate in auction bidding for the
allotment should their proposal be
adopted. The Commission also adopts
the proposal to modify its rules to allow
electronic filing of allocations
documents. The Commission also lifts
the current freeze on the filing of new
petitions to amend the FM Table of
Allotments, as of the effective date of
the R&O. At this time, however, the
Commission does not adopt the
proposal to limit the number of
proposals to add additional allotments
or modify vacant allotments within a
single rule making proposal, although it
delegates to staff the discretion to return
unreasonably large proposals or
counter-proposals, if warranted. The
Commission also declines to change its
policy disfavoring the removal of a
community’s sole local transmission
service to become another community’s
first local service, instead reiterating the
need for parties contemplating such
moves to seek waiver of the policy using
existing law, and to demonstrate clearly
the public interest benefits of such
moves that would outweigh application
of the policy in particular cases.
2. The Commission adopts the
proposal to allow AM and FM fullpower stations to change community of
license by first come-first served minor
modification application. Most
commenters favored this proposal, and
some opponents would mute their
objections if the Commission adopted
certain procedural safeguards. As the
Commission tentatively concluded in
the NPRM, and upon examination of the
record in this proceeding, the
Commission finds that the public
interest would be served by
streamlining current city of license
modification procedures and employing
certain safeguards to ensure that Section
307(b) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 307(b))
(‘‘Section 307(b)’’) and other concerns
are accommodated. The Commission
also concludes that, given the maturity
of the FM service, there is no need to
continue utilizing rule making
procedures to modify FM stations’
communities of license merely because
such procedures provide an opportunity
to counter-propose allotments. The use
of first come-first served procedures is
consistent with the doctrine enunciated
in Ashbacker v. U.S., 326 U.S. 327
(1945), and the Commission believes
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that there have been ample
opportunities for potential counterproponents to propose new FM station
allotments during the 43 years that the
Commission has relied on the current
Table of Allotments. Further, all parties
will continue to have reasonable
opportunities to make such proposals.
Moreover, to the extent that commenters
object to the lack of opportunity to file
competing applications, because the
Commission proposes to limit such
applications to those mutually exclusive
with the applicant’s existing facilities,
foreclosing competing applications does
not, as a practical matter, deprive
potential applicants of opportunities for
comparative consideration. Finally, the
Commission is convinced that adopting
the proposed new procedure will
preserve limited agency resources,
reduce the time needed to process
community of license changes and,
accordingly, expedite the provision of
enhanced broadcast service to the
public.
3. Community of license changes for
commercial and NCE full-power AM
standard band and FM broadcast
licensees may be filed as minor
modification applications. These minor
modification applications processed on
a first come-first served basis will be
limited to those applications where the
proposed daytime facilities are mutually
exclusive with the applicant’s existing
daytime facilities. Related minor change
applications must be submitted
concurrently, and will be subject to the
requirements and restrictions that apply
to contingent minor modification
application filings. See 47 CFR
73.3517(e). Required reference
coordinate changes (which are not set
out in the Table of Allotments) will not
count against the current limit of four
contingent minor modification
applications that may be filed
simultaneously. Parties seeking to
employ this procedure must file, with
their applications, a detailed exhibit
demonstrating that the proposed change
constitutes a preferential arrangement of
allotments under Section 307(b) of the
Act as compared to the existing
allotment(s). The Commission will
require a narrative showing that the
proposed community of license change
represents a net service benefit, under
the Section 307(b) priorities and
policies used since 1982. See Revision
of FM Assignment Polices and
Procedures, 90 FCC 2d 88 (1982).
Applicants also will be required to
confirm the community status of the
proposed new community of license,
demonstrating that it constitutes a
community suitable for allotment
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purposes. Between our body of Section
307(b) precedent and the procedural
safeguards discussed herein, these
procedures will ensure that grant of
such applications comports with the
Commission’s statutory mission under
Section 307(b) to distribute radio service
fairly, efficiently, and equitably.
Additionally, as noted in the NPRM, our
minimum distance separation standards
and spectrum congestion will limit
substantial urban migration. The new
procedure will also address the
concerns that led the Commission in
1999 to decline to treat such
applications as minor changes as well as
most commenters’ Section 307(b)
concerns. See 1998 Biennial Regulatory
Review—Streamlining of Radio
Technical Rules in Parts 73 and 74 of
the Commission’s Rules, First Report
and Order, 14 FCC Rcd 5272, 5278
(1999).
4. The Commission adopts certain
additional safeguards to ensure that the
public interest is served by the new
procedures introduced herein. In
performing Section 307(b) analyses
under the new procedures adopted
herein, the Commission will carefully
consider whether an application would
promote the fair, efficient, and equitable
distribution of radio service. Under this
analysis, a new permittee that obtained
its permit after being awarded a
dispositive Section 307(b) preference in
an AM auction filing window should
not be allowed to change communities
prior to the commencement of broadcast
operations in the originally authorized
community unless the new community
would compare equally or more
favorably to the communities specified
by the other mutually exclusive
applicants in the auction Section 307(b)
analysis. For example, an AM auction
applicant that received a Priority (3)
preference by proposing first local
service to a larger community than that
specified in a competing applicant’s
first local service proposal could not
seek to modify the initial construction
permit by later specifying a community
with a smaller population than the
competitor’s proposed community.
Otherwise, AM auction applicants could
initially select their communities solely
on the basis of providing the greatest
Section 307(b) advantage and avoiding
an auction, without actually serving
those communities. Likewise, the
Commission will not award rapid,
successive community changes that
sidestep the mutual exclusivity
requirement of the new procedure.
Accordingly, any application proposing
a community of license change filed by
a permittee that has not built its current
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permitted facilities and that is not
mutually exclusive with either the
applicant’s built and operating facilities
or its original allotment shall be
returned as unacceptable for filing. The
analysis set forth in Faye and Richard
Tuck, Inc., Memorandum Opinion and
Order, 3 FCC Rcd 5374 (1988), will be
carefully applied in considering Section
307(b) showings submitted in support of
first come-first served applications to
change communities of license, and that
a first local service preference will not
be awarded to a community that is
largely interdependent with the
Urbanized Area or surrounding
communities. The Commission declines
to adopt a service floor requirement
such as that suggested in the NPRM,
believing that existing Section 307(b)
priorities and policies are sufficient to
safeguard existing service. The
Commission finds that existing
procedural requirements, along with
local public notice requirements (see 47
CFR 73.3580(c)(3), (d)(3), and (f)), will
provide reasonable notice and
opportunity for interested parties to
comment under the new procedures
introduced in the R&O. Broadcasters
and members of the public may
participate in the process of evaluating
the grantability of a minor modification
application to change community of
license by filing informal objections.
Arguments, evidence, and precedent
may be presented in an informal
objection as readily as in a more formal
petition to deny, and are subject to the
same evidentiary and legal standards.
Moreover, the statutory right to file a
petition for reconsideration, enumerated
in Section 405 of the Communications
Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C.
405), provides a safety net for both
relevant public interest considerations
and participation by interested parties.
Further, with regard to notice of
applications, such minor modification
applications will be listed in the Media
Bureau’s CDBS-generated ‘‘Broadcast
Applications’’ public notices, much as
AM major change applications are listed
now. Due to the importance of local
broadcast service to communities,
however, the Commission believes it is
vital that residents are provided
adequate notice to enable them to file
informal objections to, or comments in
support of, a particular move. Thus, the
Commission adopts its proposal to
require the proponent to give local
public notice in connection with such
applications, notwithstanding that
minor modification applicants generally
need not provide local public notice.
See 47 CFR 73.3580(a). Specifically,
applicants under this new procedure
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shall provide local public notice as set
forth in Sections 73.3580(c)(3), (d)(3),
and (f) of the Commission’s rules (47
CFR 73.3580(c)(3), (d)(3), and (f)), and
shall certify such compliance in Form
301. The Media Bureau shall also
provide notice in the Federal Register
that an application to modify an AM or
FM station’s community of license has
been filed. Moreover, the Bureau will
not act upon such an application until
at least 60 days after publication in the
Federal Register. The combination of
local public notice under 47 CFR
73.3580, publication in the Federal
Register, and the 60-day prohibition on
Commission action will provide
interested parties with ample notice and
opportunity to comment on proposed
community of license changes under
our new procedures. Applicants
themselves need only comply with the
local public notice procedures, which
are well known to licensees and
permittees. The newspaper publication
requirements of 47 CFR 73.3580(c)(3)
will require the applicant to publish
both in the current community of
license and the proposed community, so
as to give maximum notice to all
residents potentially affected by grant of
the application.
5. This new procedure will apply both
to commercial full-service broadcast
stations and also to full-power NCE
stations. NCE FM allotments in the
reserved band are not included in the
Table of Allotments (see 47 CFR 73.201,
73.202(a), and 73.501(a)), and as nontabled facilities such licensees must
undergo a process similar to that
undergone by AM licensees if they wish
to change their communities of license,
in that they must wait for an NCE filing
window before applying to change
communities. However, while reserved
band NCE FM stations are non-tabled,
the reserved band resembles the nonreserved FM band in most other
respects, including maturity of the
service, application of spacing rules,
and spectrum congestion near larger
cities. Because of these similarities, the
Commission finds that the rationales for
adopting the new procedure, such as
streamlining of the current two-step
process and maturity of the FM service,
apply equally to NCE stations, and thus
the new procedure will apply to NCE
stations. However, the new procedures
will not apply to expanded band AM
stations, as allowing community of
license changes by minor modification
application for such stations could
jeopardize the Commission’s ability to
develop a comprehensive plan for
additional expanded band AM
licensing.
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6. There are currently fewer than 25
pending community change rule making
proceedings for which a Report and
Order has not been released. These
parties will not be required to dismiss
their rule making petitions and refile
their proposals in the form of an
application. However, a rule making
petitioner that has submitted a
community of license change proposal
that could, under the new procedures,
be filed as a minor modification
application will be permitted to
withdraw its rule making petition and to
resubmit its proposal as an application
on the effective date of the new
procedure. A party choosing to dismiss
a rule making petition and refile as an
application may adversely affect its
position with respect to earlier filed
petitions for rule making or earlier or
simultaneously filed applications.
Parties opting to dismiss and refile
should carefully consider whether doing
so would be advantageous to their cutoff rights.
7. In order to accommodate the new
procedure, the Commission will remove
the allotments of currently authorized
and awarded FM facilities from the
Table of Allotments (47 CFR 73.202).
Currently, all vacant FM allotments as
well as FM assignments (that is,
channels and communities occupied by
authorized facilities) are listed in the
Table of Allotments. All of these
represent allotments and assignments
added to the Table of Allotments
through notice-and-comment rule
making procedures over more than 40
years of the Table of Allotments’
existence. Vacant allotments, which
must be protected by all subsequent
filings, serve as placeholders for future
facilities. The same cut-off principles
will apply to implementing applications
filed under our comparative commercial
and NCE procedures. Once an
assignment is made, i.e., upon
‘‘reservation,’’ this record supersedes
the vacant allotment. Thus, it is
unnecessary for ‘‘occupied’’ allotments
(that is, those that are licensed,
permitted, or reserved) to be listed in
the Table of Allotments—the
authorizations and reserved
assignments, reflected in CDBS, protect
those facilities and govern their
technical facilities and communities of
license. Once a station is authorized,
application procedures provide
reasonable opportunities to interested
parties to comment on or object to
further modifications of authorized
facilities. For this reason, as well as the
maturity of the FM service discussed
above, it is no longer necessary to
change authorized non-reserved band
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FM stations’ attributes through noticeand-comment rule making. Thus, the
Commission shall amend the Table of
Allotments to reflect only vacant
allotments that do not correspond to an
authorized station or reserved
assignment. Assignments for licensed,
permitted, and reserved facilities (those
for which applications are pending) will
be reflected solely in CDBS. In CDBS,
channel/frequency and community
assignments for currently authorized
stations are represented as ‘‘FA USE.’’
‘‘FA RSV’’ is used to designate
assignments for winning auction
bidders, NCE tentative selectees, and
proposed assignments for stations that
have filed, or have been directed to file,
modification applications for authorized
stations. These designations will
continue to be used in CDBS to indicate
the status and cut-off rights of
assignments. Changes to the channel,
class, or community of existing facilities
will constitute changes to the individual
authorizations or applications, rather
than to 47 CFR 73.202, and therefore
may be made through minor
modification application procedures (as
adjacent channel and class
modifications have been made under
the Commission’s ‘‘one-step’’
procedures). However, the Commission
will permit an FM non-reserved band
permittee or licensee to use notice and
comment procedures to modify its
current assignment to specify a nonadjacent class upgrade or downgrade in
the same community of license. This
action is taken to preserve the facility
improvement options now set forth at
Section 1.420(g)(1) and (2). The
Commission will retain the Table for
vacant allotments and will continue to
use rule making procedures to establish
new channel allotments, as the
procedures for new allotments allow for
efficient consideration of all proposals
and counterproposals in keeping with
the Commission’s Section 307(b)
obligations. While Section 307(b)
considerations enter into community of
license changes to authorized facilities
as well, the same detailed rule making
procedures are not as essential when
dealing with changes to authorized
stations not subject to competing
applications. Thus, new allotments and
changes to vacant allotments will
continue to be made via notice-andcomment rule making procedures. To
the extent that a proposal or counterproposal is contingent upon one or more
such changes to vacant allotments, such
proposals will also continue to be made
via rule making proceedings. However,
as discussed below, the Media Bureau
will return any rule making proposals or
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counterproposals that do not propose
changes to vacant allotments, except for
notice and comment filings submitted
pursuant to Section 1.420(g)(1) or (2).
8. A common aspect of FM allotment
petitions and counterproposals,
including city of license modifications,
are proposed channel substitutions for
both vacant allotments and authorized
facilities. Rule making proponents are
limited to two ‘‘involuntary’’ channel
substitutions for authorized stations.
See Columbus, Central City, Crookston,
Kearney, Lexington, McCook, and
Valentine, Nebraska; and Hill City,
Kansas, Report and Order, FCC 86–59,
59 RR 2d 1184 (MMB 1984)
(‘‘Columbus, Nebraska’’). Current
procedures impose no limit on
voluntary, i.e., consensual, channel
substitutions. The bifurcated procedures
adopted in the R&O for allotments and
assignments require new procedures for
these city of license application and rule
making components. Channel
substitutions for authorized facilities
will be treated as ‘‘minor’’ changes.
Voluntary channel changes must be
proposed in the Form 301 applications
as set forth below. Involuntary channel
changes for authorized stations must be
specified in the Form 301 application,
but will continue to be limited to two
under the Columbus, Nebraska policy.
The staff will issue an order to show
cause with regard to an involuntary
channel change if it determines that the
entire city of license modification
proposal is acceptable for filing. These
procedures accord with our current
procedures, under which an order to
show cause is issued when a rule
making proponent seeks an involuntary
change to another facility. Proposals to
substitute channels for vacant
allotments will be filed in accordance
with established rule making
procedures.
9. Under these revised procedures,
certain FM city of license modification
proposals may consist of several
contingent applications. Some ‘‘hybrid’’
filings will consist of both applications
and rule making filings. Both the ‘‘pure’’
and ‘‘hybrid’’ proposals will be subject
to the requirements and restrictions that
apply to contingent coordinated FM
minor change filings. See 47 CFR
73.3517(c). It is not necessary to
prohibit contingent city of license
modification proposals. The staff
currently and regularly handles rule
making proposals involving several
different allotments and communities.
All contingent applications filed
pursuant to the procedures adopted here
will be subject to identical Section
307(b) analysis. The Commission is
satisfied that this analysis will function
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effectively in the application context,
just as it does in the rule making
context, to safeguard the goals and
principals of Section 307(b). All related
proposals must be simultaneously filed
and clearly cross-reference each of the
other component filings. The dismissal,
denial or return of any component filing
will result in the dismissal or return of
all the related filings. Both ‘‘pure’’
application and ‘‘hybrid’’ filings will be
subject to the four-application limit.
Both voluntary and involuntary channel
changes for authorized stations will
count toward the four-application limit.
Those components filed pursuant to
rule making procedures will not count
toward the four-application limit.
10. In the NPRM, the Commission
showed that a small percentage of
petitioners seeking new allotments in
the FM Table of Allotments (also known
as ‘‘drop-in’’ petitions) were responsible
for an inordinate percentage of the dropin petitions filed. To date, those dropin proponents have not actively
participated in the auctions process.
Thus, there appears to be a fundamental
disconnect between those adding new
allotments and those seeking to obtain
authorizations pursuant to the
Commission’s competitive bidding
procedures. Accordingly, in the NPRM
the Commission proposed a mechanism
to encourage only bona fide proponents
to seek to add channels to the Table.
The mechanism proposed was to require
an allocations proponent
simultaneously to file a Form 301
application, and pay the appropriate fee,
with its petition for rule making. The
applicant would also certify in the
application that, if its allotment was
adopted, it intended to apply to
participate in the auction for the new
channel. That form would then become
the proponent’s application for
construction permit, should the channel
be allotted and the petitioner be the
winning bidder. Previously, rule making
proponents for new FM allotments
needed only to state that they were
interested in applying for the station if
allotted, and paid no filing fee until and
unless the allotment was made and an
application filed. The Commission
believes that requiring Form 301 and the
concurrent filing fee with a petition for
rule making, which is currently not
required, would discourage insincere
proponents, and further believes, as
stated in the NPRM, that the public
interest is best served by processing
only those proposals for new allotments
filed by bona fide potential applicants,
rather than devoting scarce staff
resources to processing allotment
proposals that may represent less-than-
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optimal choices to actual auction
participants. Accordingly, the
Commission adopts this proposal. A
party filing a petition for rule making to
add a new allotment to the Table,
whether as an original proposal or as a
counterproposal, must simultaneously
file a Form 301 application specifying
the proposed facilities. A separate Form
301 and fee must be filed for each
proposed new allotment. The
application shall include a certification
that, if the FM channel allotment
requested is adopted, petitioner/
counter-proponent intends to apply to
participate in the auction of the channel
allotment requested and specified in
this application. In the event the
petitioner or counter-proponent is the
high bidder for the allotment, it need
only file an amendment to its Form 301
application, if necessary, and will not
pay a further filing fee. However, while
the Commission need not refund
application filing fees paid by
applicants whose applications are not
granted (see Establishment of a Fee
Collection Program to Implement the
Provisions of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1989,
Memorandum Opinion and Order, 6
FCC Rcd 5919, 5925 n.40 (1991), citing
Conference Report, 1989 U.S. Code
Cong. & Ad. News at 3036), the
Commission recognizes the inequity in
retaining filing fees from parties whose
rule making proposals are not granted,
as the unfavorable disposition of their
proposals would render their Form 301
applications a nullity. See 47 CFR
1.1113(a)(4). Refunding the filing fee of
a successful rule making proponent that
loses at auction places the proponent in
the same position as competing bidders
who were not required to file Form 301
pre-auction. Accordingly, the
Commission will entertain waiver
requests, pursuant to 47 CFR 1.1117,
filed by a petitioner for a new allotment
that files a Form 301 for the allotment,
and that either has its allotment
proposal denied in favor of another
proposal or counterproposal, or that
applies for the allotment and qualifies to
bid for the allotment at auction, if the
allotment is awarded to another higherbidding applicant. A rule making
proponent whose proposal is rejected
may file its waiver request only after the
proceeding is terminated and has
become final. A successful rule making
proponent who is not the winning
bidder for the allotment may file its
waiver request only after release of a
public notice announcing the winning
bidders in the auction. Provided that the
waiver applicant has acted in good faith
and in accordance with our Rules and
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statutes, the Commission will normally
grant such waiver requests and issue
refunds under 47 CFR 1.1113(a)(4) or
1.1113(a)(5), as applicable. However,
such a waiver request will not be
viewed favorably if, for example, the
rule making petition for a new allotment
is returned due to patent legal or
engineering defects. Similarly, a
successful petitioner that fails to apply
to participate in the auction or qualify
to bid on the new allotment will not
receive a waiver, nor will a petitioner
that is the high bidder but either
withdraws its high bid or is found
unqualified to be the permittee.
11. In the NPRM, the Commission
proposed to supplement the policy
announced in Columbus, Nebraska,
which limited to two the number of
proposals for involuntary channel
substitution changes to the Table of
Allotments. The Commission
specifically proposed to limit the
number of changes to the Table that a
party might propose or counter-propose
to five, absent waiver based on a
showing of significant public interest
benefits. It was noted that parties
sometimes file proposals (frequently,
counterproposals) involving large
numbers of changes to facilities, which
frequently consumed large amounts of
staff resources, and the Commission
tentatively concluded that the staff
could more efficiently dispose of these
proceedings if proponents were required
to break them apart into several discrete
components. After reviewing comments
and upon further consideration, the
Commission has determined that it
should defer acting on this proposal
while it determines the effects on the
efficiency of our allocations procedures
of the other proposals adopted in the
R&O. However, due to concern about
the effects of complex proposals and
counterproposals on the staff’s ability
efficiently to process changes to the
Table of Allotments, the Commission
instructs the staff carefully to review all
proposals of five or more changes to the
Table of Allotments, including those
that may contain fewer than five
proposals per party but that are
interrelated, such that one party’s
proposal is dependent on others. The
staff may, in its discretion, break such
proceedings into smaller ones, return
those proposals or counterproposals that
do not require changes to vacant
allotments and may be filed as minor
modification applications, or in extreme
cases return proposals or
counterproposals in their entirety. The
Commission reserves the right to revisit
this proposal if deemed necessary in the
public interest and to preserve the
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integrity of the FM allotment and
assignment plan.
12. In the NPRM, the Commission
proposed to eliminate the existing
prohibition against electronic filing of
petitions filed in broadcast allotment
proceedings, set forth in 47 CFR
1.401(b). Electronic filing has brought
substantial benefits in other application
contexts, specifically by streamlining
processes and enhancing the accuracy
and reliability of Commission databases,
and those benefits should be extended
to the allocations process. Therefore, the
Commission adopts the proposal to
eliminate from 47 CFR 1.401(b) the
prohibition against electronic
submission of petitions for rule making
in broadcast allocations proceedings.
The Media Bureau and Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau will
announce, by public notice, such
procedures as they will devise for
submission of broadcast allocations
petitions and other documents. It
should be noted that, as these are
restricted proceedings, such procedures
must provide for service on all
interested parties, as defined in the
Commission’s Rules (see 47 CFR
1.1202(d)), by electronic or other
appropriate means.
13. In the NPRM, the Commission
sought comment on First Broadcasting
Investment Partners, LLC’s (‘‘First
Broadcasting’’) proposal to abandon the
Commission’s existing policy against
removing the sole local transmission
service at a community in order to allow
it to become the first local transmission
service at another community. First
Broadcasting contended that this policy
undermines the goal of spectrum
efficiency which, in its opinion, should
favor provision of first local
transmission service to the greatest
population. First Broadcasting proposed
a presumption that it is in the public
interest to permit a station providing a
community’s sole local service to move
to another community provided that (a)
at least two other stations provide
principal community service to the
entirety of the current community, (b)
the station would be the first local
transmission service in the proposed
community, (c) the station moving
would provide 70 dBµ service to a larger
population in the proposed community
of license, and (d) the move would not
cause any short spacing and/or would
fully or partially resolve existing short
spacing. First Broadcasting stated that
its proposal would enable the staff to
consider multiple public interest
benefits of such proposed community of
license changes, rather than ending its
analysis at preservation of local service,
and would ensure that the staff’s
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Section 307(b) analysis will be
conducted in an objective manner. After
careful consideration and review of
comments, the Commission declines to
adopt this proposal. The Commission
rejects the suggestion that objectivity in
decision making can only be achieved
by application of a defined multi-part
test. Moreover, the Commission’s
experience shows that the reasons given
by applicants for wanting to move the
sole local service at a community are
varied, and are better suited to a caseby-case waiver analysis than to a ‘‘one
size fits all’’ test. Thus, the Commission
retains its policy disfavoring removal of
the sole local transmission service at a
community, subject to waiver upon a
detailed showing that retention of local
service at a station’s current community
is contrary to the public interest,
convenience, and necessity. For
example, a showing that circumstances
have changed to the extent that the
current community of license is no
longer a licensable community (due,
perhaps, to a precipitous decline in
population or significant loss of
industry), or is no longer independent of
a larger urban area, in the appropriate
case might support a waiver to allow
move of the station to serve a larger or
more independent community. An AM
licensee that has lost its transmitter site,
and due to terrain or lack of available
land cannot find a substitute site that
would provide adequate community
coverage, might also be able to present
a compelling case for waiver. The
foregoing examples are offered by way
of illustration only, and are neither
meant to be exhaustive nor are they
meant to imply that a bare allegation of
any of these circumstances will result in
automatic waiver. All waiver requests
are reviewed with an eye toward the
particular facts as well as the context in
which those facts are presented.
Applicants are reminded that the waiver
standard requires a detailed recitation of
facts and circumstances, including
documentary or testimonial (affidavit)
evidence where appropriate,
demonstrating special circumstances
that warrant deviation from the policy,
and showing that such deviation serves
the public interest. See Northeast
Cellular Telephone Co. v. F.C.C., 897
F.2d 1164, 1166 (D.C. Cir. 1990), citing
WAIT Radio v. F.C.C., 418 F.2d 1153,
1157–59 (D.C. Cir. 1969). For example,
the bare assertion that a station has lost
its site, absent evidence showing an
exhaustive but fruitless search for sites
from which a sole local transmission
service could comply with our technical
rules, would not suffice to justify grant
of a waiver to allow the station to move
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to another community. The standard for
waiver of a Commission policy is high
for a reason. The Commission’s rules
and policies impose ongoing
community service obligations on
broadcasters. Moreover, the Commission
has concluded that Section 307(b)
policies must take into account the
public’s legitimate expectation that
existing broadcast services will be
maintained. These considerations will
necessarily limit the ability of licensees
to move to larger or more lucrative
markets. Thus, a broadcaster that sought
to locate in a community is expected to
serve that community, as is a
broadcaster that purchased the sole
local transmission service in a particular
community. In the latter case, no
broadcaster should invest in a station
with the expectation that the
Commission will routinely approve a
request to move to a different
community. However, in the rare but
appropriate case, Commission policy
permits the sole local broadcaster in a
community to show that the public
interest supports a move to a new
community.
14. In the NPRM, the Commission
announced a freeze on the filing of new
petitions to amend the Table of
Allotments, to enable it to complete this
proceeding without adding new rule
making proceedings that might better be
filed under new procedures, and to help
eliminate allocations backlogs. The
freeze on filing new petitions to amend
the Table of Allotments will be lifted on
the effective date of this R&O. Because
the procedural changes in this R&O will
not become effective until 30 days after
publication in the Federal Register, at
that time applicants may file minor
modification applications for changes to
community of license of full-power FM,
noncommercial educational FM, and
standard-band AM stations. Similarly,
applicants wishing to file coordinated,
contingent minor change applications
and petitions for rule making as
discussed herein must wait until the
new community of license application
procedures become effective before
filing either minor change applications
or rule making petitions.
15. Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis. As required by the Regulatory
Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended
(‘‘RFA’’) 2 an Initial Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis (‘‘IRFA’’) was
incorporated in the Notice of Proposed
2 See
5 U.S.C. 603. The RFA, see 5 U.S.C. 601–
612, has been amended by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996
(‘‘SBREFA’’), Pub. L. 104–121, Title II, 110 Stat. 847
(1996). The SBREFA was enacted as Title II of the
Contract With America Advancement Act of 1996
(‘‘CWAAA’’).
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Rule Making (‘‘NPRM’’) to this
proceeding.3 The Commission sought
written public comment on the
proposals in the NPRM, including
comment on the IRFA. The Commission
received no comments on the IRFA.
This present Final Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis (‘‘FRFA’’) conforms to the
RFA.4
16. Need for, and Objectives of, the
Report and Order. This Report and
Order (‘‘R&O’’) adopts rule changes and
procedures to streamline the
Commission’s procedures for adding
and modifying certain broadcast station
allotments, and to streamline the
Commission’s FM commercial allotment
procedures by allowing electronic filing
of rule making petitions to change the
FM Table of Allotments. In particular,
the rules adopted by this R&O, as
required by statute, will permit
broadcast permittees and licensees of all
full-service AM and FM broadcast
stations (except for AM stations in the
expanded band) to change their stations’
communities of license by filing a minor
modification application rather than
through rule making proceedings. The
new rules also will require parties
seeking to add new allotments to the FM
Table of Allotments simultaneously to
file Form 301 for the new facilities at
the time of filing a petition for rule
making, rather than after auction.
Finally, the new rules eliminate a rulebased prohibition against proponents of
new channels in the FM Table of
Allotments filing petitions for rule
making electronically.
17. Summary of Significant Issues
Raised by Public Comments in Response
to the IRFA. There were no comments
filed that specifically addressed the
rules and policies proposed in the IRFA.
18. Description and Estimate of the
Number of Small Entities to Which the
Proposed Rules Will Apply. The RFA
directs the Commission to provide a
description of and, where feasible, an
estimate of the number of small entities
that will be affected by the rules
adopted herein.5 The RFA generally
defines the term ‘‘small entity’’ as
having the same meaning as the terms
‘‘small business,’’ ‘‘small organization,’’
and ‘‘small government jurisdiction.’’ 6
In addition, the term ‘‘small business’’
has the same meaning as the term
‘‘small business concern’’ under the
Small Business Act.7 A small business
3 NPRM,
20 FCC Rcd 11169, 11190, 11192.
5 U.S.C. 604.
5 5 U.S.C. 603(b)(3).
6 Id. Sec. 601(6).
7 Id. Sec. 601(3) (incorporating by reference the
definition of ‘‘small business concern’’ in 15 U.S.C.
632). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 601(3), the statutory
definition of a small business applies ‘‘unless an
4 See
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concern is one which: (1) Is
independently owned and operated; (2)
is not dominant in its field of operation;
and (3) satisfies any additional criteria
established by the Small Business
Administration (SBA).8
19. The subject rules and policies
potentially will apply to all AM and
commercial FM radio broadcasting
licensees and potential licensees. The
SBA defines a radio broadcasting station
that has $6.5 million or less in annual
receipts as a small business.9 A radio
broadcasting station is an establishment
primarily engaged in broadcasting aural
programs by radio to the public.10
Included in this industry are
commercial, religious, educational, and
other radio stations.11 Radio
broadcasting stations which primarily
are engaged in radio broadcasting and
which produce radio program materials
are similarly included.12 However, radio
stations that are separate establishments
and are primarily engaged in producing
radio program material are classified
under another NAICS number.13
According to Commission staff review
of BIA Publications, Inc. Master Access
Radio Analyzer Database on November
2, 2006, about 10,449 (95%) of 10,979
commercial radio stations have revenue
of $6.5 million or less. First
Broadcasting, which filed the Petition
for Rule Making in this proceeding, is
included in the definition of ‘‘small
business.’’ We note, however, that many
radio stations are affiliated with much
larger corporations having much higher
revenue. Our estimate, therefore, likely
overstates the number of small entities
that might be affected by any ultimate
changes to the allocation rules.
20. Description of Projected
Reporting, Record Keeping and other
Compliance Requirements. As
described, certain rules and procedures
will change, but at most will only
minimally increase the reporting
requirements on existing and potential
radio licensees and permittees, insofar
as some of the proposed changes require
the filing of application forms rather
agency, after consultation with the Office of
Advocacy of the Small Business Administration
and after opportunity for public comment,
establishes one or more definitions of such term
which are appropriate to the activities of the agency
and publishes such definition(s) in the Federal
Register.’’ 5 U.S.C. 601(3).
8 15 U.S.C. 632. Application of the statutory
criteria of dominance in its field of operation and
independence are sometimes difficult to apply in
the context of broadcast television. Accordingly, the
Commission’s statistical account of television
stations may be over-inclusive.
9 See 13 CFR 121.201, NAICS Code 515112.
10 Id.
11 Id.
12 Id.
13 Id.
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than rule making petitions. However,
the forms to be filed are existing FCC
application forms with which
broadcasters are already familiar, so any
additional burdens are minimal.
Applicants seeking to modify a station
community of license will need to
include, with their Form 301
applications, an exhibit detailing how
the proposed community change
comports with the policies underlying
Section 307(b) of the Communications
Act of 1934, as amended. However,
current practice requires that rule
making proponents demonstrate that the
proposed new community of license
represents a superior arrangement of
allotments under Section 307(b), so any
new burdens are minimal. The new rule
will also require that applicants for a
new community of license provide local
public notice in local newspapers and
on air. These will impose additional
burdens upon applicants. These
burdens are identical to those imposed
upon applicants for new broadcast
facilities and applicants seeking to
assign or transfer broadcast licenses. As
such, any new burdens are familiar to
broadcast licensees, are already set forth
in our rules, and are necessary to ensure
that members of the public are notified
of proposed changes and are afforded
the opportunity to comment.
21. Additionally, parties seeking to
add new allotments to the FM Table of
Allotments must simultaneously file
FCC Form 301 with their petitions to
add new allotments, and pay the Form
301 filing fee at that time. This requires
petitioners for new allotments to file
Form 301 earlier in the process than is
the case now. However, it is the same
Form 301 as is currently filed by
successful auction bidders. The only
difference from Form 301 currently filed
by applicants consists of a certification
that the proponent of the new FM
allotment will participate in the auction
for the new channel if allotted. To the
extent that the proponent/applicant is
not the winning bidder for the new
allotment, the applicant may apply for
waiver and refund of the fee; however,
the burden will be increased to the
extent that such an unsuccessful bidder
would not currently be required to file
Form 301.
22. Steps Taken to Minimize
Significant Impact of Small Entities, and
Significant Alternatives Considered.
The RFA requires an agency to describe
any significant alternatives that it has
considered in reaching its proposed
approach, which may include the
following four alternatives (among
others): (1) The establishment of
differing compliance or reporting
requirements or timetables that take into
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account the resources available to small
entities; (2) the clarification,
consolidation, or simplification of
compliance or reporting requirements
under the rule for small entities; (3) the
use of performance, rather than design,
standards; and (4) an exemption from
coverage of the rule, or any part thereof,
for small entities.14
23. The procedural changes adopted
in the R&O for adding FM channel
allotments and changing stations’
communities of license are designed to
make the process faster and more
efficient, reducing delays to
broadcasters in implementing new radio
service. The procedure for changing a
station’s community of license will
move from the current two-step process
to a one-step minor application process,
thus saving applicants time and
resources. The Commission will require
that petitioners for new FM channel
allotments simultaneously file Form
301, and pay the prescribed filing fee for
Form 301. Although this requires
payment of the filing fee earlier than is
the case in current practice, to the
extent that petitioners ultimately obtain
construction permits for these
allotments, it is a fee they would be
required to pay in any event, therefore
this requirement should impose a
minimal burden on petitioners. The
Commission also eliminates the current
prohibition on electronic filing of
petitions to amend the FM Table of
Allotments and comments on such
proposals. Electronic filing, when
implemented, will reduce burdens on
all broadcasters, including small
entities, by reducing the time and effort
spent in preparing and submitting such
documents in hard copy, as is the
current practice.
24. Report to Congress. The
Commission will send a copy of the
R&O, including this FRFA, in a report
to be sent to Congress and the
Government Accountability Office
pursuant to the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996.15 In addition, the Commission
will send a copy of the R&O, including
the FRFA, to the Chief Counsel for
Advocacy of the Small Business
Administration. A copy of the R&O and
FRFA (or summaries thereof) will also
be published in the Federal Register.16
Ordering Clauses
25. Accordingly, it is ordered,
pursuant to the authority contained in
Sections 1, 2, 4(i), 303(r), and 307 of the
Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C
14 5
U.S.C. 603(c)(1)–(c)(4).
id. Sec. 801(a)(1)(A).
16 See id. Sec. 604(b).
15 See
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76215
151, 152, 154(i), 303(r), and 307, this
Report and Order is hereby adopted and
the Commission’s Rules are hereby
amended as set forth in the Rule
Changes.
26. It is further ordered that the rule
amendments set forth in the Rule
Changes will become effective 30 days
after publication in the Federal
Register.
27. It is further ordered that the
Commission’s Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference
Information Center, shall send a copy of
this Report and Order, including the
Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, to
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the
Small Business Administration.
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 1
Practice and procedure.
47 CFR Part 73
Radio broadcast services.
Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
Rule Changes
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Federal Communications
Commission amends 47 CFR parts 1 and
73 as follows:
I
PART 1—PRACTICE AND
PROCEDURE
1. The authority citation for part 1
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 79 et seq.; 47 U.S.C.
151, 154(i), 154(j), 155, 157, 225, 303(r), and
309.
2. Section 1.401 is amended by
revising paragraph (b) and the last
sentence of paragraph (d) to read as
follows:
I
§ 1.401
Petitions for rulemaking.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) The petition for rule making shall
conform to the requirements of §§ 1.49,
1.52, and 1.419(b) (or § 1.420(e), if
applicable), and shall be submitted or
addressed to the Secretary, Federal
Communications Commission,
Washington, DC 20554, or may be
submitted electronically.
*
*
*
*
*
(d) * * * Petitions to amend the FM
Table of Allotments must be
accompanied by the appropriate
construction permit application and
payment of the appropriate application
filing fee.
*
*
*
*
*
I 3. Section 1.420 is amended by
revising the section heading, revising
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paragraph (g) and adding new Note to
§ 1.420 following paragraph (j); the
revisions set forth below are to read as
follows:
§ 1.420 Additional procedures in
proceedings for amendment of the FM or TV
Tables of Allotments, or for amendment of
certain FM assignments.
*
*
*
*
*
(g) The Commission may modify the
license or permit of a UHF TV station
to a VHF channel in the same
community in the course of the rule
making proceeding to amend
§ 73.606(b), or it may modify the license
or permit of an FM station to another
class of channel through notice and
comment procedures, if any of the
following conditions are met:
(1) There is no other timely filed
expression of interest, or
(2) If another interest in the proposed
channel is timely filed, an additional
equivalent class of channel is also
allotted, assigned or available for
application.
Note to Paragraph (g): In certain situations,
a licensee or permittee may seek an adjacent,
intermediate frequency or co-channel
upgrade by application. See § 73.203(b) of
this chapter.
*
*
*
*
*
Note to § 1.420: The reclassification of a
Class C station in accordance with the
procedure set forth in Note 4 to § 73.3573
may be initiated through the filing of an
original petition for amendment of the FM
Table of Allotments. The Commission will
notify the affected Class C station licensee of
the proposed reclassification by issuing a
notice of proposed rule making, except that
where a triggering petition proposes an
amendment or amendments to the FM Table
of Allotments in addition to the proposed
reclassification, the Commission will issue
an order to show cause as set forth in Note
4 to § 73.3573, and a notice of proposed rule
making will be issued only after the
reclassification issue is resolved. Triggering
petitions will be dismissed upon the filing,
rather than the grant, of an acceptable
construction permit application to increase
antenna height to at least 451 meters HAAT
by a subject Class C station.
PART 73—RADIO BROADCAST
SERVICES
4. The authority citation for part 73
continues to read as follows:
I
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Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 334, 336.
5. Section 73.202 is amended by
revising paragraph (a) introductory text,
paragraph (a)(2) and paragraph (b), the
Note following paragraph (a)(2) remains
unchanged, the following revisions are
to read as follows:
I
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§ 73.202
Table of Allotments.
Channel No.
(a) General. The following Table of
Allotments contains the channels (other
than noncommercial educational
Channels 201–220) designated for use in
communities in the United States, its
territories, and possessions, and not
currently assigned to a licensee or
permittee or subject to a pending
application for construction permit or
license. All listed channels are for Class
B stations in Zones I and I–A and for
Class C stations in Zone II unless
otherwise specifically designated.
Channels to which licensed, permitted,
and ‘‘reserved’’ facilities have been
assigned are reflected in the Media
Bureau’s publicly available
Consolidated Data Base System.
*
*
*
*
*
(2) Each channel listed in the Table of
Allotments reflects the class of station
that is authorized to use it based on the
minimum and maximum facility
requirements for each class contained in
§ 73.211.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) Table of FM Allotments.
Channel No.
ALABAMA
Anniston ..........................
Boligee ............................
Coosada .........................
Frisco City .......................
Livingston ........................
Maplesville ......................
New Hope .......................
Pine Level .......................
Rockford .........................
Saint Florian ...................
*261C3
297A
226A
278A
242A
292A
278A
248A
286A
274A
ALASKA
Palmer ............................
238C1
ARIZONA
Aguila ..............................
Ajo ...................................
Ash Fork .........................
Bagdad ...........................
Chino Valley ...................
Ehrenberg .......................
First Mesa .......................
Fredonia ..........................
Grand Canyon Village ....
Heber ..............................
Huachuca City ................
Leupp ..............................
Overgaard .......................
Parker .............................
Patagonia ........................
Paulden ...........................
Peach Springs ................
Pima ................................
Pinetop ............................
Quartzsite .......................
Rio Rico ..........................
Sells ................................
Snowflake .......................
PO 00000
Frm 00106
Fmt 4700
297C3
295A
267A
269C3
223A
286C2
247C
278C1
273C1
288C2
232A
255C2
232C3
247C3
251A
263C3
285C3
*296A
294C1
275C3, 290C2
300A
285A
258C2
Sfmt 4700
Somerton ........................
Taylor ..............................
Wickenburg .....................
Willcox ............................
*260C3
278C3
229C3
*223C3
ARKANSAS
Altheimer .........................
Arkadelphia .....................
Bearden ..........................
Clarendon .......................
Cove ...............................
Daisy ...............................
Gassville .........................
Greenwood .....................
Hermitage .......................
Paragould .......................
Rison ...............................
Sparkman .......................
Strong .............................
251C3
228A
224A
281A
232A
293C3
224A
268A
300A
257A
255A
259A
296C3
CALIFORNIA
Alturas .............................
Amboy .............................
Barstow ...........................
Big Sur ............................
Blythe ..............................
Burney ............................
Buttonwillow ....................
Cambria ..........................
Cedarville ........................
Cloverdale .......................
Coachella ........................
Covelo .............................
Desert Center .................
Essex ..............................
Greenfield .......................
Hemet .............................
Kerman ...........................
Kernville ..........................
King City .........................
Lake Isabella ..................
Lamont ............................
McKinleyville ...................
Mecca .............................
Mojave ............................
Murrieta ...........................
Nevada City ....................
Portola ............................
Randsburg ......................
Ridgecrest .......................
San Joaquin ....................
Susanville .......................
Sutter Creek ...................
Tecopa ............................
Trona ..............................
Twentynine Palms ..........
Wasco .............................
Waterford ........................
Westley ...........................
Willow Creek ...................
268C1, 277C
237A
267A
240A
239B
225A
265A
287A, 293A
260A
274A
278A
245A
288A
280B
254A
273A
224A
289A
275A
239A
247A
236C3, 277C3
274A
255A
281A
297A
269A
271A
229A, 252A
299A
262A
*298A
291A
247A
270A
224A
294A
*238A
253A
COLORADO
Arriba ..............................
Aspen ..............................
Cheyenne Wells .............
Crawford .........................
Crested Butte ..................
De Beque ........................
Durango ..........................
Flagler .............................
Fruita ...............................
E:\FR\FM\20DER1.SGM
20DER1
240A
228A
224C1
274C3
246C3
275C3
287A
283C3
255C3
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 244 / Wednesday, December 20, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
Channel No.
Genoa .............................
Gunnison ........................
Hotchkiss ........................
Hugo ...............................
Lake City .........................
Olathe .............................
Orchard Mesa .................
Steamboat Springs .........
Strasburg ........................
Stratton ...........................
Channel No.
291C3
265C2, 299C3
258C3
222A
247A
*270C2, *293C
249C3
255A, 289A
249C3
246C1
CONNECTICUT
DELAWARE
Big Pine Key ...................
Cedar Key .......................
Cross City .......................
Daytona Beach Shores ..
Eastpoint .........................
Horseshoe Beach ...........
Islamorada ......................
Jasper .............................
Key Largo .......................
Key West ........................
Lake Park .......................
Live Oak .........................
Okeechobee ...................
Otter Creek .....................
Palm Coast .....................
Perry ...............................
Port St. Joe .....................
Silver Springs Shore .......
Sugarloaf Key .................
*239A
261A
249C3
258A
283A
*234C3
283C2
298A
237C3
244A
262A
*259A
291A
*240A
254A
228A
270C3
259A
289A
GEORGIA
Alamo ..............................
Americus .........................
Calhoun ..........................
Crawfordville ...................
Cusseta ...........................
Dexter .............................
Homerville .......................
Lincolnton .......................
Milner ..............................
Morgan ............................
Patterson ........................
Pineview .........................
Plains ..............................
Plainville ..........................
Reynolds .........................
St. Simons Island ...........
Tallapoosa ......................
Tignall .............................
Ty Ty ...............................
Wadley ............................
Woodbury .......................
Young Harris ...................
287C3
295A
233A
234A
279A
276A
246A
254A
290A
228A
296A
226A
290A
285A
*245A
229C3
255A
244A
249A
227A
233A
236A
HAWAII
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES
Kailua-Kona ....................
Kihei ................................
244A
298C2
IDAHO
McCall .............................
Weiser .............................
Bloomfield .......................
Farmersburg ...................
Fowler .............................
Madison ..........................
Terre Haute ....................
17:07 Dec 19, 2006
252A
288A
253A
*277A
*258A
*297A
292A
*295A
229A
*282A
266A
Asbury .............................
Keosauqua ......................
Moville .............................
North English ..................
Rudd ...............................
*238A
*271C3
*246A
246A
*268A
KANSAS
Americus .........................
Atwood ............................
Council Grove .................
240A
292C0
*281C3
KENTUCKY
Burgin .............................
Morgantown ....................
Science Hill .....................
Smith Mills ......................
290A
256A
291A
*233A
LOUISIANA
Anacoco ..........................
Bordelonville ...................
Cameron .........................
Clayton ............................
Colfax ..............................
Dulac ...............................
Florien .............................
Franklin ...........................
Golden Meadow .............
Harrisonburg ...................
Haynesville .....................
Homer .............................
Hornbeck ........................
Lake Providence .............
Leesville ..........................
New Llano .......................
Oak Grove ......................
Oil City ............................
Opelousas .......................
Ringgold ..........................
Rosepine .........................
St. Joseph .......................
Wisner .............................
228C3, 238C3,
275C3, 293C3
*280C1
Jkt 211001
266A
*242A
291A
*265A
298B
IOWA
276C3
280A
296C3
266A
267A
242A
242A
295C3
*289C2
232A
288A
*272A
269A
224A
224A
252C3
289A
285A
279A
*253C3
281A
257C3
300C3
MASSACHUSETTS
Adams .............................
East Harwich ..................
Nantucket ........................
West Tisbury ...................
PO 00000
Frm 00107
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
255A
254A
249A
*282A
MICHIGAN
Alpena .............................
Crystal Falls ....................
Custer .............................
Ferrysburg ......................
Fife Lake .........................
Frederic ...........................
Glen Arbor ......................
Harrison ..........................
Hubbardston ...................
Houghton ........................
Ludington ........................
McBain ............................
Onaway ...........................
Paradise ..........................
Pentwater ........................
Traverse City ..................
289A
280C2
263A
226A
240C2
237A
227A
280A
*279A
242C1
242A
300A
292C2
234A
280A
283A
MINNESOTA
Baudette .........................
Grand Portage ................
Red Lake ........................
233C1
224C, 245C0,
274C
231C1
MISSISSIPPI
Calhoun City ...................
Greenwood .....................
Holly Springs ..................
Marietta ...........................
Oxford .............................
Vaiden .............................
Vardaman .......................
Walnut Grove ..................
272A
277A
243A
250A
286A
271A
258A
244C2
MISSOURI
Alton ................................
Bourbon ..........................
Columbia .........................
Doolittle ...........................
Eminence ........................
Grandin ...........................
Huntsville ........................
Laurie ..............................
Lowry City .......................
Madison ..........................
Marceline ........................
Marquand ........................
Moberly ...........................
290A
231A
252C2
283A
281A
283A
*278C2
*265C3
285A
247C3
256A
295A
223A
MONTANA
Bozeman .........................
Cut Bank .........................
Lewistown .......................
Montana City ..................
Outlook ...........................
Roundup .........................
Whitehall .........................
MAINE
Monticello ........................
VerDate Aug<31>2005
MARYLAND
INDIANA
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FLORIDA
Channel No.
ILLINOIS
Abingdon .........................
Altamont ..........................
Augusta ...........................
Canton ............................
Cedarville ........................
Clifton ..............................
Cuba ...............................
Freeport ..........................
Grayville ..........................
Pinckneyville ...................
West Salem ....................
76217
*240C3
274C1
300C1
293A
289C
248A
274A
NEBRASKA
234A
Arthur ..............................
E:\FR\FM\20DER1.SGM
20DER1
300C1
76218
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 244 / Wednesday, December 20, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
Channel No.
Firth .................................
Hartington .......................
Hyannis ...........................
Pierce ..............................
Channel No.
229A
232C2
250C1
248C2
NEVADA
Battle Mountain ...............
Fallon Station ..................
Fernley ............................
Pahrump .........................
Silver Springs .................
253A
287C
231C3
272C3
273C
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Enfield .............................
Groveton .........................
Pittsburg ..........................
282A
268A
246A
NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO
Alamo Community ..........
Alamogordo ....................
Carrizozo ........................
Clayton ............................
Grants .............................
Las Vegas .......................
Milan ...............................
Roswell ...........................
Taos ................................
Taos Pueblo ...................
*298A
240C2
261C2
248C1
244C3
283C2, 296A
270A
237C0
228A, 288A
292C3
NEW YORK
Amherst ..........................
Celoron ...........................
Indian Lake .....................
Keeseville .......................
Montauk ..........................
Morrisonville ....................
Rhinebeck .......................
Rosendale .......................
221A
237A
290A
231A
235A
231A
*273A
255A, 273A
NORTH CAROLINA
Dillsboro ..........................
Garysburg .......................
Ocracoke ........................
237A
276A
224C1
NORTH DAKOTA
Berthold ..........................
Tioga ...............................
Williston ..........................
264C
281C1
253C1
Erick ................................
Haileyville ........................
Haworth ..........................
Holdenville ......................
Hollis ...............................
Kiowa ..............................
Leedey ............................
Lone Wolf .......................
Mooreland .......................
Muldrow ..........................
Okeene ...........................
Pawhuska .......................
Pittsburg ..........................
Red Oak .........................
Reydon ...........................
Ringwood ........................
Savanna ..........................
Sayre ..............................
Stuart ..............................
Taloga .............................
Thomas ...........................
Tipton ..............................
Tishomingo .....................
Valliant ............................
Vici ..................................
Wapanucka .....................
Waynoka .........................
Weatherford ....................
Wright City ......................
Wynnewood ....................
OREGON
Clatskanie .......................
Dallas ..............................
Diamond Lake ................
Ione .................................
Keno ...............................
Madras ............................
Merrill ..............................
Monument .......................
Powers ............................
Prairie City ......................
Prineville .........................
Terrebonne .....................
The Dalles ......................
Erie .................................
Lawrence Park ................
Liberty .............................
Meyersdale .....................
Sheffield ..........................
Susquehanna ..................
Sykesville ........................
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:07 Dec 19, 2006
240A
224A
*298A
253A
286A
227A
240A
RHODE ISLAND
241A
257A
279A
229A
SOUTH CAROLINA
Pendleton ........................
Quinby ............................
OKLAHOMA
Arnett ..............................
Boswell ...........................
Broken Bow ....................
Buffalo .............................
Cheyenne .......................
Clayton ............................
Coalgate .........................
Cordell ............................
Covington ........................
225C3
*252C3
299A
258A
253A
*251C1
289A
280C1
293C2
260C
267C1
293C2
*268C3
PENNSYLVANIA
OHIO
Ashtabula ........................
Cridersville ......................
McConnelsville ................
North Madison ................
259C2
290A
294A
265A
274C2
254A
297A
224A
254A, 300C2
286A
268C3
233A
232A
227A
264C2
285A
275A
269C2
228A
226A
288A
233C3
259C3
234C3
249A
298A
231C2
*286A
226A
*283A
240A
237A
SOUTH DAKOTA
285C2
282C3
285A
224C2
247C3
241A
242A
*229A
290A
Jkt 211001
Edgemont .......................
Lead ................................
Rosebud .........................
Sisseton ..........................
Wall .................................
289C1
232C
257C
258C2
299C
TENNESSEE
Linden .............................
PO 00000
Frm 00108
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
Channel No.
Lynchburg .......................
Oliver Springs .................
Pigeon Forge ..................
296A
291A
292A
TEXAS
Annona ...........................
Asherton .........................
Aspermont ......................
Austwell ..........................
Baird ...............................
Ballinger ..........................
Balmorhea ......................
Bangs ..............................
Benavides .......................
Benjamin .........................
Big Lake ..........................
Big Spring .......................
Big Wells .........................
Blanket ............................
Blossom ..........................
Brackettville ....................
Bruni ...............................
Buffalo Gap .....................
Burnet .............................
Camp Wood ....................
Canadian ........................
Carbon ............................
Carrizo Springs ...............
Centerville .......................
Channing ........................
Childress .........................
Colorado City ..................
Comanche ......................
Cotulla .............................
Crosbyton .......................
Crowell ............................
Cuney .............................
Dalhart ............................
Denver City .....................
Detroit .............................
Dickens ...........................
Dilley ...............................
Eagle Lake ......................
El Indio ............................
Eldorado .........................
Elkhart .............................
Encinal ............................
Encino .............................
Estelline ..........................
Floydada .........................
Fort Stockton ..................
Freer ...............................
Garwood .........................
George West ..................
Goliad .............................
Goree ..............................
Grapeland .......................
Groom .............................
Guthrie ............................
Hamilton ..........................
Hamlin .............................
Hawley ............................
Hebbronville ....................
Hewitt ..............................
Hico .................................
Hooks ..............................
Idalou ..............................
Iraan ................................
Jacksonville ....................
Jayton .............................
Junction ..........................
267A
E:\FR\FM\20DER1.SGM
20DER1
263A
284A
226C2
290A
243C3
238A
283C
250C3
282A
237C3
246A, 296C2
265C3
271A
284A
224C2
234A
293A
227A
*240A
271A
235C1
238A
295A
274A
284C
281C2
257A
280A
242A, 264A, 289A
264C3
293C3
259A
261C
*248C2
282C2
240A, 294A
229A
237C3
236A
258C1, 285A,
293A
265A
259A, 273A, 286A
250A, 283A
263C3
255A
263C
288A
247A
250A, 292A
282A
275A
232C3
223A
252A
299A
283C2
269A
232A, 254A
294A
285A
231A
299A
269C2
236A
231C2
277C3, 284A,
292A, 297A
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 244 / Wednesday, December 20, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
Channel No.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES
Kermit .............................
Knox City ........................
La Pryor ..........................
Leakey ............................
Llano ...............................
Lockney ..........................
Lometa ............................
Longview .........................
Lovelady .........................
Marathon .........................
Mason .............................
Matador ...........................
Matagorda .......................
McCamey ........................
McLean ...........................
Memphis .........................
Menard ............................
Mertzon ...........................
Meyersville ......................
Moody .............................
Mount Enterprise ............
Muleshoe ........................
Mullin ..............................
Munday ...........................
Newcastle .......................
O’Brien ............................
Ozona .............................
Paducah ..........................
Paint Rock ......................
Palacios ..........................
Pampa ............................
Panhandle .......................
Pearsall ...........................
Pineland ..........................
Port Isabel ......................
Premont ..........................
Presidio ...........................
Quanah ...........................
Rankin .............................
Richland Springs ............
Rising Star ......................
Roaring Springs ..............
Robert Lee ......................
Roby ...............................
Rocksprings ....................
Rotan ..............................
Rule ................................
Sabinal ............................
San Diego .......................
San Isidro .......................
Sanderson ......................
Santa Anna .....................
Savoy ..............................
Shamrock ........................
Sheffield ..........................
Silverton ..........................
Smiley .............................
Snyder ............................
Sonora ............................
Spur ................................
Stamford .........................
Sweetwater .....................
Teague ............................
Turkey .............................
Van Alstyne ....................
Weinert ...........................
Wellington .......................
Wells ...............................
Westbrook .......................
Wheeler ..........................
Zapata .............................
VerDate Aug<31>2005
Channel No.
229A
291A
278A
257A, 275A, 299A
293C3
271C3
253A
300C2
288A
278C
269C3, 281C2
221C2, 227C3
252A
233C3
267C3
283A, 292A
242A, 265C2,
287C3
278C2
261A
256A
231A
227C1
224C3
270C1
263A
261A
275C3, 289C1
234C3
296C3
264A
277C2
291C3
227A
256A
288A
287A
292C1
255C3
229C3
235A, 299A
290C3
276C3
289A
249A
235C3
290A
239C2, 253A
296A
273A
247A
274C1, 286C2
282A
297A
271A
224C2
252A
280A
235C3
237C3, 272A
254A, 260C3
233A
221C3
237C3
244C2, 269A
*260A
266C3
248A
254A
272A
280C2
292A
17:07 Dec 19, 2006
Jkt 211001
Channel No.
UTAH
Beaver ............................
Fountain Green ...............
Manila .............................
Mona ...............................
Parowan ..........................
Salina ..............................
Toquerville ......................
76219
AMERICAN SAMOA
CENTRAL MARIANAS
259A
*260A
228A
225A
300C2
233C
280C
GARAPAN
GUAM
PUERTO RICO
Santa Isabel ....................
251A
VERMONT
VIRGIN ISLANDS
Albany .............................
Canaan ...........................
Poultney ..........................
233A
231C3
223A
6. Section 73.203 is revised to read as
follows:
299A
252A
270A
229A
273A
*296A
WASHINGTON
Chewelah ........................
Coupeville .......................
Goldendale .....................
Oak Harbor .....................
Port Angeles ...................
Sedro-Woolley ................
Sequim ............................
Union Gap ......................
Waitsburg ........................
*274C3
266A
240A
*233A, 277A
229A
289A
237A
285A
272A
WEST VIRGINIA
Glenville ..........................
Marlinton .........................
St Marys .........................
White Sulphur Springs ....
299A
292A
*287A
227A
WISCONSIN
Ashland ...........................
Augusta ...........................
Boscobel .........................
Crandon ..........................
Ephraim ..........................
Hayward ..........................
Laona ..............................
New Holstein ..................
Owen ..............................
Rhinelander ....................
Rosholt ............................
Tigerton ...........................
Tomahawk ......................
Two Rivers ......................
Washburn .......................
*275A
*268C3
244C3
276C3
295A
*232C2
272C3
225A
242C3
243C3
263A
295A
265C3
255A
*284A
WYOMING
Bairoil ..............................
Centennial .......................
Meeteetse .......................
Pine Bluffs ......................
Reliance ..........................
Sinclair ............................
PO 00000
Frm 00109
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
257A
258A
I
VIRGINIA
Alberta ............................
Belle Haven ....................
Iron Gate .........................
Lynchburg .......................
Shawsville .......................
Shenandoah ...................
Charlotte Amalie .............
Frederiksted ....................
235A
248A
273C
238C3
254C3
267C
§ 73.203
Availability of channels.
(a) Except as provided for in
paragraph (b) of this section and
§ 1.401(d) of this chapter and
73.3573(a)(1), applications may be filed
to construct new FM broadcast stations
only at the communities and on the
channels contained in the Table of
Allotments (§ 73.202(b)).
(b) Applications filed on a first come,
first served basis for the minor
modification of an existing FM
broadcast station may propose any
change in channel and/or class and/or
community not defined as major in
§ 73.3573(a). Applications for a change
in community of license must comply
with the requirements set forth in
§ 73.3573(g).
Note to § 73.203: This section is limited to
non-reserved band changes in channel and/
or class and/or community. Applications
requesting such changes must meet either the
minimum spacing requirements of § 73.207 at
the site specified in the application, without
resort to the provisions of the Commission’s
rules permitting short spaced stations as set
forth in §§ 73.213 through 73.215, or
demonstrate by a separate exhibit attached to
the application the existence of a suitable
allotment site that fully complies with
§§ 73.207 and 73.315 without resort to
§§ 73.213 through 73.215.
7. Section 73.1690 is amended by
adding paragraph (b)(9) to read as
follows:
I
§ 73.1690
systems.
Modification of transmission
*
*
*
*
*
(b) * * *
(9) Any change in the community of
license, where the proposed new
facilities are the same as, or would be
mutually exclusive with, the licensee’s
or permittee’s present assignment.
*
*
*
*
*
I 8. Section 73.3571 is amended by
revising paragraph (a)(1), and adding
new paragraph (j) to read as follows:
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§ 73.3571 Processing of AM broadcast
station applications.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with RULES
(a) * * *
(1) In the first group are applications
for new stations or for major changes in
the facilities of authorized stations. A
major change for an AM station
authorized under this part is any change
in frequency, except frequency changes
to non-expanded band first, second or
third adjacent channels. A major change
in ownership is a situation where the
original party or parties to the
application do not retain more than
50% ownership interest in the
application as originally filed. A major
change in community of license is one
in which the applicant’s daytime
facilities at the proposed community are
not mutually exclusive, as defined in
§ 73.37, with the applicant’s current
daytime facilities, or any change in
community of license of an AM station
in the 1605–1705 kHz band. All other
changes will be considered minor.
*
*
*
*
*
(j) Applications proposing to change
the community of license of an AM
station, except for an AM station in the
1605–1705 kHz band, are considered to
be minor modifications under
paragraphs (a)(2) and (f) of this section,
and are subject to the following
requirements:
(1) The applicant must attach an
exhibit to its application containing
information demonstrating that the
proposed community of license change
constitutes a preferential arrangement of
assignments under Section 307(b) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended (47 U.S.C. 307(b));
(2) The daytime facilities specified by
the applicant at the proposed
community of license must be mutually
exclusive, as defined in § 73.37, with
the applicant’s current daytime
facilities; and
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of
§ 73.3580(a), the applicant must comply
with the local public notice provisions
of §§ 73.3580(c)(3), 73.3580(d)(3), and
73.3580(f). The exception contained in
§ 73.3580(e) shall not apply to an
application proposing to change the
community of license of an AM station.
I 9. Section 73.3573 is amended by
revising paragraph (a)(1), adding new
paragraph (g), and revising Note 1 to
§ 73.3573 (Notes 2, 3, and 4 to § 73.3573
remain unchanged), the revisions are to
read as follows:
§ 73.3573 Processing of FM broadcast
station applications.
(a) * * *
(1) In the first group are applications
for new stations or for major changes of
authorized stations. A major change in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:07 Dec 19, 2006
Jkt 211001
ownership is any change where the
original party or parties to the
application do not retain more than 50
percent ownership interest in the
application as originally filed. In the
case of a Class D or an NCE FM reserved
band channel station, a major facility
change is any change in antenna
location which would not continue to
provide a 1 mV/m service to some
portion of its previously authorized 1
mV/m service area. In the case of a Class
D station, a major facility change is any
change in community of license or any
change in frequency other than to a
first-, second-, or third-adjacent
channel. A major facility change for a
commercial or a noncommercial
educational full service FM station, a
winning auction bidder, or a tentative
selectee authorized or determined under
this part is any change in frequency or
community of license which is not in
accord with its current assignment,
except for the following:
(i) A change in community of license
which complies with the requirements
of paragraph (g) of this section;
(ii) A change to a higher or lower class
co-channel, first-, second-, or thirdadjacent channel, or intermediate
frequency;
(iii) A change to a same-class first-,
second-, or third-adjacent channel, or
intermediate frequency;
(iv) A channel substitution, subject to
the provisions of Section 316 of the
Communications Act for involuntary
channel substitutions.
*
*
*
*
*
(g) Applications proposing to change
the community of license of an FM
station or assignment are considered to
be minor modifications under
paragraphs (a)(2), (e)(1), and (f)(1) of this
section, and are subject to the following
requirements:
(1) The applicant must attach an
exhibit to its application containing
information demonstrating that the
proposed community of license change
constitutes a preferential arrangement of
allotments or assignments under Section
307(b) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 307(b));
(2) The facilities specified by the
applicant at the proposed community of
license must be mutually exclusive, as
defined in § 73.207 or 73.509, with the
applicant’s current facilities or its
current assignment, in the case of a
winning auction bidder or tentative
selectee; and
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of
§ 73.3580(a), the applicant must comply
with the local public notice provisions
of §§ 73.3580(c)(3), 73.3580(d)(3), and
73.3580(f). The exception contained in
PO 00000
Frm 00110
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
§ 73.3580(e) shall not apply to an
application proposing to change the
community of license of an FM station.
(4) Non-reserved band applications
must demonstrate the existence of a
suitable assignment or allotment site
that fully complies with §§ 73.207 and
73.315 without resort to § 73.213 or
73.215.
Note 1 to § 73.3573: Applications to modify
the channel and/or class to an adjacent
channel, intermediate frequency (IF) channel,
or co-channel may utilize the provisions of
the Commission’s Rules permitting short
spaced stations as set forth in § 73.215 as
long as the applicant shows by separate
exhibit attached to the application the
existence of an allotment reference site
which meets the allotment standards, the
minimum spacing requirements of § 73.207
and the city grade coverage requirements of
§ 73.315. This exhibit must include a site
map or, in the alternative, a statement that
the transmitter will be located on an existing
tower. Examples of unsuitable allotment
reference sites include those which are
offshore, in a national or state park in which
tower construction is prohibited, on an
airport, or otherwise in an area which would
necessarily present a hazard to air navigation.
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. E6–21633 Filed 12–19–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 11
[EB Docket No. 04–296, FCC 05–191]
Review of the Emergency Alert System
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; announcement of
effective date.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Commission adopted
rules that expanded the reach of the
Emergency Alert System (EAS), as
currently constituted, to cover digital
communications technologies that are
increasingly being used by the
American public to receive news and
entertainment. This document
announces the effective date of these
published rules.
DATES: The amendments to §§ 11.15,
11.21, 11.35, 11.51, 11.52, 11.55, and
11.61 published at 70 FR 71023,
November 25, 2005 became effective on
February 21, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean
Ann Collins, Public Safety and
Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418–
2792.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
Feburary 21, 2006, the Office of
E:\FR\FM\20DER1.SGM
20DER1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 20, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 76208-76220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21633]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 1 and 73
[MB Docket No. 05-210; FCC 06-163]
Revision of Procedures Governing Amendments to FM Table of
Allotments and Changes of Community of License in the Radio Broadcast
Services
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission adopted a number of
procedures and procedural changes designed to streamline the process of
allocating new FM channels and modifying the communities of license of
existing radio stations, and to reduce current backlogs in proceedings
to amend the FM Table of Allotments. In the R&O, the Commission also
announced that it would lift a freeze on all new petitions to amend the
FM Table
[[Page 76209]]
of Allotments, as of the effective date of the R&O.
DATES: Effective January 19, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Doyle, Chief, Media Bureau,
Audio Division, (202) 418-2700 or Peter.Doyle@fcc.gov; Thomas
Nessinger, Attorney-Advisor, Media Bureau, Audio Division, (202) 418-
2700 or Thomas.Nessinger@fcc.gov.
For additional information concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act
information collection requirements contained in this document, contact
Cathy Williams at 202-418-2918, or via the Internet at
Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis
The Report and Order (``R&O'') contains new and modified
information collection requirements, which were proposed in the NPRM
and are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA'').\1\
These information collection requirements were submitted on July 19,
2005, to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review under
Section 3507(d) of the PRA. In addition, the general public and other
Federal agencies were invited to comment on these information
collection requirements in the NPRM. The Commission further notes that
pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, it
previously sought specific comment on how the Commission might
``further reduce the information collection burden for small business
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.'' The Commission received no
comments concerning these information collection requirements. On
September 15, 2005, the Commission obtained OMB approval for these
information collection requirements, encompassed by OMB Control No.
3060-0027. This R&O adopts the information collection requirements, as
proposed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), Pub. L. 104-
13, 109 Stat 163 (1995) (codified in Chapter 35 of title 44 U.S.C.).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because, as detailed in the R&O, the Commission extends its new
community of license minor modification procedures to FM NCE licensees
and permittees, FCC Form 340 must be modified to accommodate the new
information collection requirements of those procedures. The procedural
requirements for FM NCE applicants for change of community of license
will become effective after approval by OMB. The Commission published a
separate Federal Register Notice seeking public comment on this new
information collection requirement on November 22, 2006 (see 71 FR
67581 (November 22, 2006)). Upon OMB approval, the Commission will
issue a public notice announcing the effective date of this rule.
This is a synopsis of the Commission's Report and Order (R&O), FCC
06-163, adopted November 3, 2006, and released November 29, 2006. The
full text of the R&O is available for inspection and copying during
regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, 445 Twelfth Street,
SW., Room CY-A257, Portals II, Washington, DC 20554, and may also be
purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, BCPI, Inc., Portals
II, 445 Twelfth Street, SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554.
Customers may contact BCPI, Inc. via their Web site, https://
www.bcpi.com, or call 1-800-378-3160. This document is available in
alternative formats (computer diskette, large print, audio record, and
Braille). Persons with disabilities who need documents in these formats
may contact Brian Millin at (202) 418-7426 (voice), (202) 418-7365
(TTY), or via e-mail at Brian.Millin@fcc.gov.
Synopsis of Order
1. With this Report and Order (``R&O''), the Commission makes
certain changes to its procedures for allotting and assigning channels,
classes, and communities of license for AM and FM broadcast stations,
as proposed in the original Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM'')
in this proceeding. Revision of Procedures Governing Amendments to FM
Table of Allotments and Changes of Community of License in the Radio
Broadcast Services, Notice of Proposed Rule Making, 20 FCC Rcd 11169
(2005). Specifically, the Commission makes changes of community of
license for commercial full-power AM standard band and commercial and
noncommercial educational (``NCE'') full-power FM broadcast stations a
minor modification, to be accomplished by first come-first served minor
modification application, subject to certain procedural requirements
described below. To accommodate this change, the FM Table of
Allotments, 47 CFR 73.202, shall henceforth contain only vacant
allotments, and authorized full-power non-reserved band FM facilities
already occupying allotments shall be listed only in the Media Bureau's
Consolidated Data Base System (``CDBS''). As it does now, CDBS shall
reflect the authorizations granted to those broadcasters operating on
the listed channels and communities, and which are entitled to
protection under our current rules. The Commission further adopts the
proposal that it require allocations proponents simultaneously to file
Form 301 applications with their allocations proposals, to submit the
designated Form 301 filing fee, and to certify on Form 301 that they
intend to apply to participate in auction bidding for the allotment
should their proposal be adopted. The Commission also adopts the
proposal to modify its rules to allow electronic filing of allocations
documents. The Commission also lifts the current freeze on the filing
of new petitions to amend the FM Table of Allotments, as of the
effective date of the R&O. At this time, however, the Commission does
not adopt the proposal to limit the number of proposals to add
additional allotments or modify vacant allotments within a single rule
making proposal, although it delegates to staff the discretion to
return unreasonably large proposals or counter-proposals, if warranted.
The Commission also declines to change its policy disfavoring the
removal of a community's sole local transmission service to become
another community's first local service, instead reiterating the need
for parties contemplating such moves to seek waiver of the policy using
existing law, and to demonstrate clearly the public interest benefits
of such moves that would outweigh application of the policy in
particular cases.
2. The Commission adopts the proposal to allow AM and FM full-power
stations to change community of license by first come-first served
minor modification application. Most commenters favored this proposal,
and some opponents would mute their objections if the Commission
adopted certain procedural safeguards. As the Commission tentatively
concluded in the NPRM, and upon examination of the record in this
proceeding, the Commission finds that the public interest would be
served by streamlining current city of license modification procedures
and employing certain safeguards to ensure that Section 307(b) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 307(b)) (``Section
307(b)'') and other concerns are accommodated. The Commission also
concludes that, given the maturity of the FM service, there is no need
to continue utilizing rule making procedures to modify FM stations'
communities of license merely because such procedures provide an
opportunity to counter-propose allotments. The use of first come-first
served procedures is consistent with the doctrine enunciated in
Ashbacker v. U.S., 326 U.S. 327 (1945), and the Commission believes
[[Page 76210]]
that there have been ample opportunities for potential counter-
proponents to propose new FM station allotments during the 43 years
that the Commission has relied on the current Table of Allotments.
Further, all parties will continue to have reasonable opportunities to
make such proposals. Moreover, to the extent that commenters object to
the lack of opportunity to file competing applications, because the
Commission proposes to limit such applications to those mutually
exclusive with the applicant's existing facilities, foreclosing
competing applications does not, as a practical matter, deprive
potential applicants of opportunities for comparative consideration.
Finally, the Commission is convinced that adopting the proposed new
procedure will preserve limited agency resources, reduce the time
needed to process community of license changes and, accordingly,
expedite the provision of enhanced broadcast service to the public.
3. Community of license changes for commercial and NCE full-power
AM standard band and FM broadcast licensees may be filed as minor
modification applications. These minor modification applications
processed on a first come-first served basis will be limited to those
applications where the proposed daytime facilities are mutually
exclusive with the applicant's existing daytime facilities. Related
minor change applications must be submitted concurrently, and will be
subject to the requirements and restrictions that apply to contingent
minor modification application filings. See 47 CFR 73.3517(e). Required
reference coordinate changes (which are not set out in the Table of
Allotments) will not count against the current limit of four contingent
minor modification applications that may be filed simultaneously.
Parties seeking to employ this procedure must file, with their
applications, a detailed exhibit demonstrating that the proposed change
constitutes a preferential arrangement of allotments under Section
307(b) of the Act as compared to the existing allotment(s). The
Commission will require a narrative showing that the proposed community
of license change represents a net service benefit, under the Section
307(b) priorities and policies used since 1982. See Revision of FM
Assignment Polices and Procedures, 90 FCC 2d 88 (1982). Applicants also
will be required to confirm the community status of the proposed new
community of license, demonstrating that it constitutes a community
suitable for allotment purposes. Between our body of Section 307(b)
precedent and the procedural safeguards discussed herein, these
procedures will ensure that grant of such applications comports with
the Commission's statutory mission under Section 307(b) to distribute
radio service fairly, efficiently, and equitably. Additionally, as
noted in the NPRM, our minimum distance separation standards and
spectrum congestion will limit substantial urban migration. The new
procedure will also address the concerns that led the Commission in
1999 to decline to treat such applications as minor changes as well as
most commenters' Section 307(b) concerns. See 1998 Biennial Regulatory
Review--Streamlining of Radio Technical Rules in Parts 73 and 74 of the
Commission's Rules, First Report and Order, 14 FCC Rcd 5272, 5278
(1999).
4. The Commission adopts certain additional safeguards to ensure
that the public interest is served by the new procedures introduced
herein. In performing Section 307(b) analyses under the new procedures
adopted herein, the Commission will carefully consider whether an
application would promote the fair, efficient, and equitable
distribution of radio service. Under this analysis, a new permittee
that obtained its permit after being awarded a dispositive Section
307(b) preference in an AM auction filing window should not be allowed
to change communities prior to the commencement of broadcast operations
in the originally authorized community unless the new community would
compare equally or more favorably to the communities specified by the
other mutually exclusive applicants in the auction Section 307(b)
analysis. For example, an AM auction applicant that received a Priority
(3) preference by proposing first local service to a larger community
than that specified in a competing applicant's first local service
proposal could not seek to modify the initial construction permit by
later specifying a community with a smaller population than the
competitor's proposed community. Otherwise, AM auction applicants could
initially select their communities solely on the basis of providing the
greatest Section 307(b) advantage and avoiding an auction, without
actually serving those communities. Likewise, the Commission will not
award rapid, successive community changes that sidestep the mutual
exclusivity requirement of the new procedure. Accordingly, any
application proposing a community of license change filed by a
permittee that has not built its current permitted facilities and that
is not mutually exclusive with either the applicant's built and
operating facilities or its original allotment shall be returned as
unacceptable for filing. The analysis set forth in Faye and Richard
Tuck, Inc., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 3 FCC Rcd 5374 (1988), will
be carefully applied in considering Section 307(b) showings submitted
in support of first come-first served applications to change
communities of license, and that a first local service preference will
not be awarded to a community that is largely interdependent with the
Urbanized Area or surrounding communities. The Commission declines to
adopt a service floor requirement such as that suggested in the NPRM,
believing that existing Section 307(b) priorities and policies are
sufficient to safeguard existing service. The Commission finds that
existing procedural requirements, along with local public notice
requirements (see 47 CFR 73.3580(c)(3), (d)(3), and (f)), will provide
reasonable notice and opportunity for interested parties to comment
under the new procedures introduced in the R&O. Broadcasters and
members of the public may participate in the process of evaluating the
grantability of a minor modification application to change community of
license by filing informal objections. Arguments, evidence, and
precedent may be presented in an informal objection as readily as in a
more formal petition to deny, and are subject to the same evidentiary
and legal standards. Moreover, the statutory right to file a petition
for reconsideration, enumerated in Section 405 of the Communications
Act of 1934, as amended (47 U.S.C. 405), provides a safety net for both
relevant public interest considerations and participation by interested
parties. Further, with regard to notice of applications, such minor
modification applications will be listed in the Media Bureau's CDBS-
generated ``Broadcast Applications'' public notices, much as AM major
change applications are listed now. Due to the importance of local
broadcast service to communities, however, the Commission believes it
is vital that residents are provided adequate notice to enable them to
file informal objections to, or comments in support of, a particular
move. Thus, the Commission adopts its proposal to require the proponent
to give local public notice in connection with such applications,
notwithstanding that minor modification applicants generally need not
provide local public notice. See 47 CFR 73.3580(a). Specifically,
applicants under this new procedure
[[Page 76211]]
shall provide local public notice as set forth in Sections
73.3580(c)(3), (d)(3), and (f) of the Commission's rules (47 CFR
73.3580(c)(3), (d)(3), and (f)), and shall certify such compliance in
Form 301. The Media Bureau shall also provide notice in the Federal
Register that an application to modify an AM or FM station's community
of license has been filed. Moreover, the Bureau will not act upon such
an application until at least 60 days after publication in the Federal
Register. The combination of local public notice under 47 CFR 73.3580,
publication in the Federal Register, and the 60-day prohibition on
Commission action will provide interested parties with ample notice and
opportunity to comment on proposed community of license changes under
our new procedures. Applicants themselves need only comply with the
local public notice procedures, which are well known to licensees and
permittees. The newspaper publication requirements of 47 CFR
73.3580(c)(3) will require the applicant to publish both in the current
community of license and the proposed community, so as to give maximum
notice to all residents potentially affected by grant of the
application.
5. This new procedure will apply both to commercial full-service
broadcast stations and also to full-power NCE stations. NCE FM
allotments in the reserved band are not included in the Table of
Allotments (see 47 CFR 73.201, 73.202(a), and 73.501(a)), and as non-
tabled facilities such licensees must undergo a process similar to that
undergone by AM licensees if they wish to change their communities of
license, in that they must wait for an NCE filing window before
applying to change communities. However, while reserved band NCE FM
stations are non-tabled, the reserved band resembles the non-reserved
FM band in most other respects, including maturity of the service,
application of spacing rules, and spectrum congestion near larger
cities. Because of these similarities, the Commission finds that the
rationales for adopting the new procedure, such as streamlining of the
current two-step process and maturity of the FM service, apply equally
to NCE stations, and thus the new procedure will apply to NCE stations.
However, the new procedures will not apply to expanded band AM
stations, as allowing community of license changes by minor
modification application for such stations could jeopardize the
Commission's ability to develop a comprehensive plan for additional
expanded band AM licensing.
6. There are currently fewer than 25 pending community change rule
making proceedings for which a Report and Order has not been released.
These parties will not be required to dismiss their rule making
petitions and refile their proposals in the form of an application.
However, a rule making petitioner that has submitted a community of
license change proposal that could, under the new procedures, be filed
as a minor modification application will be permitted to withdraw its
rule making petition and to resubmit its proposal as an application on
the effective date of the new procedure. A party choosing to dismiss a
rule making petition and refile as an application may adversely affect
its position with respect to earlier filed petitions for rule making or
earlier or simultaneously filed applications. Parties opting to dismiss
and refile should carefully consider whether doing so would be
advantageous to their cut-off rights.
7. In order to accommodate the new procedure, the Commission will
remove the allotments of currently authorized and awarded FM facilities
from the Table of Allotments (47 CFR 73.202). Currently, all vacant FM
allotments as well as FM assignments (that is, channels and communities
occupied by authorized facilities) are listed in the Table of
Allotments. All of these represent allotments and assignments added to
the Table of Allotments through notice-and-comment rule making
procedures over more than 40 years of the Table of Allotments'
existence. Vacant allotments, which must be protected by all subsequent
filings, serve as placeholders for future facilities. The same cut-off
principles will apply to implementing applications filed under our
comparative commercial and NCE procedures. Once an assignment is made,
i.e., upon ``reservation,'' this record supersedes the vacant
allotment. Thus, it is unnecessary for ``occupied'' allotments (that
is, those that are licensed, permitted, or reserved) to be listed in
the Table of Allotments--the authorizations and reserved assignments,
reflected in CDBS, protect those facilities and govern their technical
facilities and communities of license. Once a station is authorized,
application procedures provide reasonable opportunities to interested
parties to comment on or object to further modifications of authorized
facilities. For this reason, as well as the maturity of the FM service
discussed above, it is no longer necessary to change authorized non-
reserved band FM stations' attributes through notice-and-comment rule
making. Thus, the Commission shall amend the Table of Allotments to
reflect only vacant allotments that do not correspond to an authorized
station or reserved assignment. Assignments for licensed, permitted,
and reserved facilities (those for which applications are pending) will
be reflected solely in CDBS. In CDBS, channel/frequency and community
assignments for currently authorized stations are represented as ``FA
USE.'' ``FA RSV'' is used to designate assignments for winning auction
bidders, NCE tentative selectees, and proposed assignments for stations
that have filed, or have been directed to file, modification
applications for authorized stations. These designations will continue
to be used in CDBS to indicate the status and cut-off rights of
assignments. Changes to the channel, class, or community of existing
facilities will constitute changes to the individual authorizations or
applications, rather than to 47 CFR 73.202, and therefore may be made
through minor modification application procedures (as adjacent channel
and class modifications have been made under the Commission's ``one-
step'' procedures). However, the Commission will permit an FM non-
reserved band permittee or licensee to use notice and comment
procedures to modify its current assignment to specify a non-adjacent
class upgrade or downgrade in the same community of license. This
action is taken to preserve the facility improvement options now set
forth at Section 1.420(g)(1) and (2). The Commission will retain the
Table for vacant allotments and will continue to use rule making
procedures to establish new channel allotments, as the procedures for
new allotments allow for efficient consideration of all proposals and
counterproposals in keeping with the Commission's Section 307(b)
obligations. While Section 307(b) considerations enter into community
of license changes to authorized facilities as well, the same detailed
rule making procedures are not as essential when dealing with changes
to authorized stations not subject to competing applications. Thus, new
allotments and changes to vacant allotments will continue to be made
via notice-and-comment rule making procedures. To the extent that a
proposal or counter-proposal is contingent upon one or more such
changes to vacant allotments, such proposals will also continue to be
made via rule making proceedings. However, as discussed below, the
Media Bureau will return any rule making proposals or
[[Page 76212]]
counterproposals that do not propose changes to vacant allotments,
except for notice and comment filings submitted pursuant to Section
1.420(g)(1) or (2).
8. A common aspect of FM allotment petitions and counterproposals,
including city of license modifications, are proposed channel
substitutions for both vacant allotments and authorized facilities.
Rule making proponents are limited to two ``involuntary'' channel
substitutions for authorized stations. See Columbus, Central City,
Crookston, Kearney, Lexington, McCook, and Valentine, Nebraska; and
Hill City, Kansas, Report and Order, FCC 86-59, 59 RR 2d 1184 (MMB
1984) (``Columbus, Nebraska''). Current procedures impose no limit on
voluntary, i.e., consensual, channel substitutions. The bifurcated
procedures adopted in the R&O for allotments and assignments require
new procedures for these city of license application and rule making
components. Channel substitutions for authorized facilities will be
treated as ``minor'' changes. Voluntary channel changes must be
proposed in the Form 301 applications as set forth below. Involuntary
channel changes for authorized stations must be specified in the Form
301 application, but will continue to be limited to two under the
Columbus, Nebraska policy. The staff will issue an order to show cause
with regard to an involuntary channel change if it determines that the
entire city of license modification proposal is acceptable for filing.
These procedures accord with our current procedures, under which an
order to show cause is issued when a rule making proponent seeks an
involuntary change to another facility. Proposals to substitute
channels for vacant allotments will be filed in accordance with
established rule making procedures.
9. Under these revised procedures, certain FM city of license
modification proposals may consist of several contingent applications.
Some ``hybrid'' filings will consist of both applications and rule
making filings. Both the ``pure'' and ``hybrid'' proposals will be
subject to the requirements and restrictions that apply to contingent
coordinated FM minor change filings. See 47 CFR 73.3517(c). It is not
necessary to prohibit contingent city of license modification
proposals. The staff currently and regularly handles rule making
proposals involving several different allotments and communities. All
contingent applications filed pursuant to the procedures adopted here
will be subject to identical Section 307(b) analysis. The Commission is
satisfied that this analysis will function effectively in the
application context, just as it does in the rule making context, to
safeguard the goals and principals of Section 307(b). All related
proposals must be simultaneously filed and clearly cross-reference each
of the other component filings. The dismissal, denial or return of any
component filing will result in the dismissal or return of all the
related filings. Both ``pure'' application and ``hybrid'' filings will
be subject to the four-application limit. Both voluntary and
involuntary channel changes for authorized stations will count toward
the four-application limit. Those components filed pursuant to rule
making procedures will not count toward the four-application limit.
10. In the NPRM, the Commission showed that a small percentage of
petitioners seeking new allotments in the FM Table of Allotments (also
known as ``drop-in'' petitions) were responsible for an inordinate
percentage of the drop-in petitions filed. To date, those drop-in
proponents have not actively participated in the auctions process.
Thus, there appears to be a fundamental disconnect between those adding
new allotments and those seeking to obtain authorizations pursuant to
the Commission's competitive bidding procedures. Accordingly, in the
NPRM the Commission proposed a mechanism to encourage only bona fide
proponents to seek to add channels to the Table. The mechanism proposed
was to require an allocations proponent simultaneously to file a Form
301 application, and pay the appropriate fee, with its petition for
rule making. The applicant would also certify in the application that,
if its allotment was adopted, it intended to apply to participate in
the auction for the new channel. That form would then become the
proponent's application for construction permit, should the channel be
allotted and the petitioner be the winning bidder. Previously, rule
making proponents for new FM allotments needed only to state that they
were interested in applying for the station if allotted, and paid no
filing fee until and unless the allotment was made and an application
filed. The Commission believes that requiring Form 301 and the
concurrent filing fee with a petition for rule making, which is
currently not required, would discourage insincere proponents, and
further believes, as stated in the NPRM, that the public interest is
best served by processing only those proposals for new allotments filed
by bona fide potential applicants, rather than devoting scarce staff
resources to processing allotment proposals that may represent less-
than-optimal choices to actual auction participants. Accordingly, the
Commission adopts this proposal. A party filing a petition for rule
making to add a new allotment to the Table, whether as an original
proposal or as a counterproposal, must simultaneously file a Form 301
application specifying the proposed facilities. A separate Form 301 and
fee must be filed for each proposed new allotment. The application
shall include a certification that, if the FM channel allotment
requested is adopted, petitioner/counter-proponent intends to apply to
participate in the auction of the channel allotment requested and
specified in this application. In the event the petitioner or counter-
proponent is the high bidder for the allotment, it need only file an
amendment to its Form 301 application, if necessary, and will not pay a
further filing fee. However, while the Commission need not refund
application filing fees paid by applicants whose applications are not
granted (see Establishment of a Fee Collection Program to Implement the
Provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, Memorandum
Opinion and Order, 6 FCC Rcd 5919, 5925 n.40 (1991), citing Conference
Report, 1989 U.S. Code Cong. & Ad. News at 3036), the Commission
recognizes the inequity in retaining filing fees from parties whose
rule making proposals are not granted, as the unfavorable disposition
of their proposals would render their Form 301 applications a nullity.
See 47 CFR 1.1113(a)(4). Refunding the filing fee of a successful rule
making proponent that loses at auction places the proponent in the same
position as competing bidders who were not required to file Form 301
pre-auction. Accordingly, the Commission will entertain waiver
requests, pursuant to 47 CFR 1.1117, filed by a petitioner for a new
allotment that files a Form 301 for the allotment, and that either has
its allotment proposal denied in favor of another proposal or
counterproposal, or that applies for the allotment and qualifies to bid
for the allotment at auction, if the allotment is awarded to another
higher-bidding applicant. A rule making proponent whose proposal is
rejected may file its waiver request only after the proceeding is
terminated and has become final. A successful rule making proponent who
is not the winning bidder for the allotment may file its waiver request
only after release of a public notice announcing the winning bidders in
the auction. Provided that the waiver applicant has acted in good faith
and in accordance with our Rules and
[[Page 76213]]
statutes, the Commission will normally grant such waiver requests and
issue refunds under 47 CFR 1.1113(a)(4) or 1.1113(a)(5), as applicable.
However, such a waiver request will not be viewed favorably if, for
example, the rule making petition for a new allotment is returned due
to patent legal or engineering defects. Similarly, a successful
petitioner that fails to apply to participate in the auction or qualify
to bid on the new allotment will not receive a waiver, nor will a
petitioner that is the high bidder but either withdraws its high bid or
is found unqualified to be the permittee.
11. In the NPRM, the Commission proposed to supplement the policy
announced in Columbus, Nebraska, which limited to two the number of
proposals for involuntary channel substitution changes to the Table of
Allotments. The Commission specifically proposed to limit the number of
changes to the Table that a party might propose or counter-propose to
five, absent waiver based on a showing of significant public interest
benefits. It was noted that parties sometimes file proposals
(frequently, counterproposals) involving large numbers of changes to
facilities, which frequently consumed large amounts of staff resources,
and the Commission tentatively concluded that the staff could more
efficiently dispose of these proceedings if proponents were required to
break them apart into several discrete components. After reviewing
comments and upon further consideration, the Commission has determined
that it should defer acting on this proposal while it determines the
effects on the efficiency of our allocations procedures of the other
proposals adopted in the R&O. However, due to concern about the effects
of complex proposals and counterproposals on the staff's ability
efficiently to process changes to the Table of Allotments, the
Commission instructs the staff carefully to review all proposals of
five or more changes to the Table of Allotments, including those that
may contain fewer than five proposals per party but that are
interrelated, such that one party's proposal is dependent on others.
The staff may, in its discretion, break such proceedings into smaller
ones, return those proposals or counterproposals that do not require
changes to vacant allotments and may be filed as minor modification
applications, or in extreme cases return proposals or counterproposals
in their entirety. The Commission reserves the right to revisit this
proposal if deemed necessary in the public interest and to preserve the
integrity of the FM allotment and assignment plan.
12. In the NPRM, the Commission proposed to eliminate the existing
prohibition against electronic filing of petitions filed in broadcast
allotment proceedings, set forth in 47 CFR 1.401(b). Electronic filing
has brought substantial benefits in other application contexts,
specifically by streamlining processes and enhancing the accuracy and
reliability of Commission databases, and those benefits should be
extended to the allocations process. Therefore, the Commission adopts
the proposal to eliminate from 47 CFR 1.401(b) the prohibition against
electronic submission of petitions for rule making in broadcast
allocations proceedings. The Media Bureau and Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau will announce, by public notice, such procedures as they
will devise for submission of broadcast allocations petitions and other
documents. It should be noted that, as these are restricted
proceedings, such procedures must provide for service on all interested
parties, as defined in the Commission's Rules (see 47 CFR 1.1202(d)),
by electronic or other appropriate means.
13. In the NPRM, the Commission sought comment on First
Broadcasting Investment Partners, LLC's (``First Broadcasting'')
proposal to abandon the Commission's existing policy against removing
the sole local transmission service at a community in order to allow it
to become the first local transmission service at another community.
First Broadcasting contended that this policy undermines the goal of
spectrum efficiency which, in its opinion, should favor provision of
first local transmission service to the greatest population. First
Broadcasting proposed a presumption that it is in the public interest
to permit a station providing a community's sole local service to move
to another community provided that (a) at least two other stations
provide principal community service to the entirety of the current
community, (b) the station would be the first local transmission
service in the proposed community, (c) the station moving would provide
70 dB[mu] service to a larger population in the proposed community of
license, and (d) the move would not cause any short spacing and/or
would fully or partially resolve existing short spacing. First
Broadcasting stated that its proposal would enable the staff to
consider multiple public interest benefits of such proposed community
of license changes, rather than ending its analysis at preservation of
local service, and would ensure that the staff's Section 307(b)
analysis will be conducted in an objective manner. After careful
consideration and review of comments, the Commission declines to adopt
this proposal. The Commission rejects the suggestion that objectivity
in decision making can only be achieved by application of a defined
multi-part test. Moreover, the Commission's experience shows that the
reasons given by applicants for wanting to move the sole local service
at a community are varied, and are better suited to a case-by-case
waiver analysis than to a ``one size fits all'' test. Thus, the
Commission retains its policy disfavoring removal of the sole local
transmission service at a community, subject to waiver upon a detailed
showing that retention of local service at a station's current
community is contrary to the public interest, convenience, and
necessity. For example, a showing that circumstances have changed to
the extent that the current community of license is no longer a
licensable community (due, perhaps, to a precipitous decline in
population or significant loss of industry), or is no longer
independent of a larger urban area, in the appropriate case might
support a waiver to allow move of the station to serve a larger or more
independent community. An AM licensee that has lost its transmitter
site, and due to terrain or lack of available land cannot find a
substitute site that would provide adequate community coverage, might
also be able to present a compelling case for waiver. The foregoing
examples are offered by way of illustration only, and are neither meant
to be exhaustive nor are they meant to imply that a bare allegation of
any of these circumstances will result in automatic waiver. All waiver
requests are reviewed with an eye toward the particular facts as well
as the context in which those facts are presented. Applicants are
reminded that the waiver standard requires a detailed recitation of
facts and circumstances, including documentary or testimonial
(affidavit) evidence where appropriate, demonstrating special
circumstances that warrant deviation from the policy, and showing that
such deviation serves the public interest. See Northeast Cellular
Telephone Co. v. F.C.C., 897 F.2d 1164, 1166 (D.C. Cir. 1990), citing
WAIT Radio v. F.C.C., 418 F.2d 1153, 1157-59 (D.C. Cir. 1969). For
example, the bare assertion that a station has lost its site, absent
evidence showing an exhaustive but fruitless search for sites from
which a sole local transmission service could comply with our technical
rules, would not suffice to justify grant of a waiver to allow the
station to move
[[Page 76214]]
to another community. The standard for waiver of a Commission policy is
high for a reason. The Commission's rules and policies impose ongoing
community service obligations on broadcasters. Moreover, the Commission
has concluded that Section 307(b) policies must take into account the
public's legitimate expectation that existing broadcast services will
be maintained. These considerations will necessarily limit the ability
of licensees to move to larger or more lucrative markets. Thus, a
broadcaster that sought to locate in a community is expected to serve
that community, as is a broadcaster that purchased the sole local
transmission service in a particular community. In the latter case, no
broadcaster should invest in a station with the expectation that the
Commission will routinely approve a request to move to a different
community. However, in the rare but appropriate case, Commission policy
permits the sole local broadcaster in a community to show that the
public interest supports a move to a new community.
14. In the NPRM, the Commission announced a freeze on the filing of
new petitions to amend the Table of Allotments, to enable it to
complete this proceeding without adding new rule making proceedings
that might better be filed under new procedures, and to help eliminate
allocations backlogs. The freeze on filing new petitions to amend the
Table of Allotments will be lifted on the effective date of this R&O.
Because the procedural changes in this R&O will not become effective
until 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, at that time
applicants may file minor modification applications for changes to
community of license of full-power FM, noncommercial educational FM,
and standard-band AM stations. Similarly, applicants wishing to file
coordinated, contingent minor change applications and petitions for
rule making as discussed herein must wait until the new community of
license application procedures become effective before filing either
minor change applications or rule making petitions.
15. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. As required by the
Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended (``RFA'') \2\ an Initial
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (``IRFA'') was incorporated in the
Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM'') to this proceeding.\3\ The
Commission sought written public comment on the proposals in the NPRM,
including comment on the IRFA. The Commission received no comments on
the IRFA. This present Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (``FRFA'')
conforms to the RFA.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See 5 U.S.C. 603. The RFA, see 5 U.S.C. 601-612, has been
amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996 (``SBREFA''), Pub. L. 104-121, Title II, 110 Stat. 847 (1996).
The SBREFA was enacted as Title II of the Contract With America
Advancement Act of 1996 (``CWAAA'').
\3\ NPRM, 20 FCC Rcd 11169, 11190, 11192.
\4\ See 5 U.S.C. 604.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
16. Need for, and Objectives of, the Report and Order. This Report
and Order (``R&O'') adopts rule changes and procedures to streamline
the Commission's procedures for adding and modifying certain broadcast
station allotments, and to streamline the Commission's FM commercial
allotment procedures by allowing electronic filing of rule making
petitions to change the FM Table of Allotments. In particular, the
rules adopted by this R&O, as required by statute, will permit
broadcast permittees and licensees of all full-service AM and FM
broadcast stations (except for AM stations in the expanded band) to
change their stations' communities of license by filing a minor
modification application rather than through rule making proceedings.
The new rules also will require parties seeking to add new allotments
to the FM Table of Allotments simultaneously to file Form 301 for the
new facilities at the time of filing a petition for rule making, rather
than after auction. Finally, the new rules eliminate a rule-based
prohibition against proponents of new channels in the FM Table of
Allotments filing petitions for rule making electronically.
17. Summary of Significant Issues Raised by Public Comments in
Response to the IRFA. There were no comments filed that specifically
addressed the rules and policies proposed in the IRFA.
18. Description and Estimate of the Number of Small Entities to
Which the Proposed Rules Will Apply. The RFA directs the Commission to
provide a description of and, where feasible, an estimate of the number
of small entities that will be affected by the rules adopted herein.\5\
The RFA generally defines the term ``small entity'' as having the same
meaning as the terms ``small business,'' ``small organization,'' and
``small government jurisdiction.'' \6\ In addition, the term ``small
business'' has the same meaning as the term ``small business concern''
under the Small Business Act.\7\ A small business concern is one which:
(1) Is independently owned and operated; (2) is not dominant in its
field of operation; and (3) satisfies any additional criteria
established by the Small Business Administration (SBA).\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ 5 U.S.C. 603(b)(3).
\6\ Id. Sec. 601(6).
\7\ Id. Sec. 601(3) (incorporating by reference the definition
of ``small business concern'' in 15 U.S.C. 632). Pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 601(3), the statutory definition of a small business applies
``unless an agency, after consultation with the Office of Advocacy
of the Small Business Administration and after opportunity for
public comment, establishes one or more definitions of such term
which are appropriate to the activities of the agency and publishes
such definition(s) in the Federal Register.'' 5 U.S.C. 601(3).
\8\ 15 U.S.C. 632. Application of the statutory criteria of
dominance in its field of operation and independence are sometimes
difficult to apply in the context of broadcast television.
Accordingly, the Commission's statistical account of television
stations may be over-inclusive.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
19. The subject rules and policies potentially will apply to all AM
and commercial FM radio broadcasting licensees and potential licensees.
The SBA defines a radio broadcasting station that has $6.5 million or
less in annual receipts as a small business.\9\ A radio broadcasting
station is an establishment primarily engaged in broadcasting aural
programs by radio to the public.\10\ Included in this industry are
commercial, religious, educational, and other radio stations.\11\ Radio
broadcasting stations which primarily are engaged in radio broadcasting
and which produce radio program materials are similarly included.\12\
However, radio stations that are separate establishments and are
primarily engaged in producing radio program material are classified
under another NAICS number.\13\ According to Commission staff review of
BIA Publications, Inc. Master Access Radio Analyzer Database on
November 2, 2006, about 10,449 (95%) of 10,979 commercial radio
stations have revenue of $6.5 million or less. First Broadcasting,
which filed the Petition for Rule Making in this proceeding, is
included in the definition of ``small business.'' We note, however,
that many radio stations are affiliated with much larger corporations
having much higher revenue. Our estimate, therefore, likely overstates
the number of small entities that might be affected by any ultimate
changes to the allocation rules.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ See 13 CFR 121.201, NAICS Code 515112.
\10\ Id.
\11\ Id.
\12\ Id.
\13\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. Description of Projected Reporting, Record Keeping and other
Compliance Requirements. As described, certain rules and procedures
will change, but at most will only minimally increase the reporting
requirements on existing and potential radio licensees and permittees,
insofar as some of the proposed changes require the filing of
application forms rather
[[Page 76215]]
than rule making petitions. However, the forms to be filed are existing
FCC application forms with which broadcasters are already familiar, so
any additional burdens are minimal. Applicants seeking to modify a
station community of license will need to include, with their Form 301
applications, an exhibit detailing how the proposed community change
comports with the policies underlying Section 307(b) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. However, current practice
requires that rule making proponents demonstrate that the proposed new
community of license represents a superior arrangement of allotments
under Section 307(b), so any new burdens are minimal. The new rule will
also require that applicants for a new community of license provide
local public notice in local newspapers and on air. These will impose
additional burdens upon applicants. These burdens are identical to
those imposed upon applicants for new broadcast facilities and
applicants seeking to assign or transfer broadcast licenses. As such,
any new burdens are familiar to broadcast licensees, are already set
forth in our rules, and are necessary to ensure that members of the
public are notified of proposed changes and are afforded the
opportunity to comment.
21. Additionally, parties seeking to add new allotments to the FM
Table of Allotments must simultaneously file FCC Form 301 with their
petitions to add new allotments, and pay the Form 301 filing fee at
that time. This requires petitioners for new allotments to file Form
301 earlier in the process than is the case now. However, it is the
same Form 301 as is currently filed by successful auction bidders. The
only difference from Form 301 currently filed by applicants consists of
a certification that the proponent of the new FM allotment will
participate in the auction for the new channel if allotted. To the
extent that the proponent/applicant is not the winning bidder for the
new allotment, the applicant may apply for waiver and refund of the
fee; however, the burden will be increased to the extent that such an
unsuccessful bidder would not currently be required to file Form 301.
22. Steps Taken to Minimize Significant Impact of Small Entities,
and Significant Alternatives Considered. The RFA requires an agency to
describe any significant alternatives that it has considered in
reaching its proposed approach, which may include the following four
alternatives (among others): (1) The establishment of differing
compliance or reporting requirements or timetables that take into
account the resources available to small entities; (2) the
clarification, consolidation, or simplification of compliance or
reporting requirements under the rule for small entities; (3) the use
of performance, rather than design, standards; and (4) an exemption
from coverage of the rule, or any part thereof, for small entities.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ 5 U.S.C. 603(c)(1)-(c)(4).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
23. The procedural changes adopted in the R&O for adding FM channel
allotments and changing stations' communities of license are designed
to make the process faster and more efficient, reducing delays to
broadcasters in implementing new radio service. The procedure for
changing a station's community of license will move from the current
two-step process to a one-step minor application process, thus saving
applicants time and resources. The Commission will require that
petitioners for new FM channel allotments simultaneously file Form 301,
and pay the prescribed filing fee for Form 301. Although this requires
payment of the filing fee earlier than is the case in current practice,
to the extent that petitioners ultimately obtain construction permits
for these allotments, it is a fee they would be required to pay in any
event, therefore this requirement should impose a minimal burden on
petitioners. The Commission also eliminates the current prohibition on
electronic filing of petitions to amend the FM Table of Allotments and
comments on such proposals. Electronic filing, when implemented, will
reduce burdens on all broadcasters, including small entities, by
reducing the time and effort spent in preparing and submitting such
documents in hard copy, as is the current practice.
24. Report to Congress. The Commission will send a copy of the R&O,
including this FRFA, in a report to be sent to Congress and the
Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996.\15\ In addition, the
Commission will send a copy of the R&O, including the FRFA, to the
Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration. A copy
of the R&O and FRFA (or summaries thereof) will also be published in
the Federal Register.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ See id. Sec. 801(a)(1)(A).
\16\ See id. Sec. 604(b).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ordering Clauses
25. Accordingly, it is ordered, pursuant to the authority contained
in Sections 1, 2, 4(i), 303(r), and 307 of the Communications Act of
1934, 47 U.S.C 151, 152, 154(i), 303(r), and 307, this Report and Order
is hereby adopted and the Commission's Rules are hereby amended as set
forth in the Rule Changes.
26. It is further ordered that the rule amendments set forth in the
Rule Changes will become effective 30 days after publication in the
Federal Register.
27. It is further ordered that the Commission's Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference Information Center, shall send a
copy of this Report and Order, including the Final Regulatory
Flexibility Analysis, to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small
Business Administration.
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 1
Practice and procedure.
47 CFR Part 73
Radio broadcast services.
Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
Rule Changes
0
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Communications
Commission amends 47 CFR parts 1 and 73 as follows:
PART 1--PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE
0
1. The authority citation for part 1 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 79 et seq.; 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j),
155, 157, 225, 303(r), and 309.
0
2. Section 1.401 is amended by revising paragraph (b) and the last
sentence of paragraph (d) to read as follows:
Sec. 1.401 Petitions for rulemaking.
* * * * *
(b) The petition for rule making shall conform to the requirements
of Sec. Sec. 1.49, 1.52, and 1.419(b) (or Sec. 1.420(e), if
applicable), and shall be submitted or addressed to the Secretary,
Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC 20554, or may be
submitted electronically.
* * * * *
(d) * * * Petitions to amend the FM Table of Allotments must be
accompanied by the appropriate construction permit application and
payment of the appropriate application filing fee.
* * * * *
0
3. Section 1.420 is amended by revising the section heading, revising
[[Page 76216]]
paragraph (g) and adding new Note to Sec. 1.420 following paragraph
(j); the revisions set forth below are to read as follows:
Sec. 1.420 Additional procedures in proceedings for amendment of the
FM or TV Tables of Allotments, or for amendment of certain FM
assignments.
* * * * *
(g) The Commission may modify the license or permit of a UHF TV
station to a VHF channel in the same community in the course of the
rule making proceeding to amend Sec. 73.606(b), or it may modify the
license or permit of an FM station to another class of channel through
notice and comment procedures, if any of the following conditions are
met:
(1) There is no other timely filed expression of interest, or
(2) If another interest in the proposed channel is timely filed, an
additional equivalent class of channel is also allotted, assigned or
available for application.
Note to Paragraph (g): In certain situations, a licensee or
permittee may seek an adjacent, intermediate frequency or co-channel
upgrade by application. See Sec. 73.203(b) of this chapter.
* * * * *
Note to Sec. 1.420: The reclassification of a Class C station
in accordance with the procedure set forth in Note 4 to Sec.
73.3573 may be initiated through the filing of an original petition
for amendment of the FM Table of Allotments. The Commission will
notify the affected Class C station licensee of the proposed
reclassification by issuing a notice of proposed rule making, except
that where a triggering petition proposes an amendment or amendments
to the FM Table of Allotments in addition to the proposed
reclassification, the Commission will issue an order to show cause
as set forth in Note 4 to Sec. 73.3573, and a notice of proposed
rule making will be issued only after the reclassification issue is
resolved. Triggering petitions will be dismissed upon the filing,
rather than the grant, of an acceptable construction permit
application to increase antenna height to at least 451 meters HAAT
by a subject Class C station.
PART 73--RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES
0
4. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 334, 336.
0
5. Section 73.202 is amended by revising paragraph (a) introductory
text, paragraph (a)(2) and paragraph (b), the Note following paragraph
(a)(2) remains unchanged, the following revisions are to read as
follows:
Sec. 73.202 Table of Allotments.
(a) General. The following Table of Allotments contains the
channels (other than noncommercial educational Channels 201-220)
designated for use in communities in the United States, its
territories, and possessions, and not currently assigned to a licensee
or permittee or subject to a pending application for construction
permit or license. All listed channels are for Class B stations in
Zones I and I-A and for Class C stations in Zone II unless otherwise
specifically designated. Channels to which licensed, permitted, and
``reserved'' facilities have been assigned are reflected in the Media
Bureau's publicly available Consolidated Data Base System.
* * * * *
(2) Each channel listed in the Table of Allotments reflects the
class of station that is authorized to use it based on the minimum and
maximum facility requirements for each class contained in Sec. 73.211.
* * * * *
(b) Table of FM Allotments.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Channel No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALABAMA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anniston............................................. *261C3
Boligee.............................................. 297A
Coosada.............................................. 226A
Frisco City.......................................... 278A
Livingston........................................... 242A
Maplesville.......................................... 292A
New Hope............................................. 278A
Pine Level........................................... 248A
Rockford............................................. 286A
Saint Florian........................................ 274A
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALASKA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Palmer............................................... 238C1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARIZONA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aguila............................................... 297C3
Ajo.................................................. 295A
Ash Fork............................................. 267A
Bagdad............................................... 269C3
Chino Valley......................................... 223A
Ehrenberg............................................ 286C2
First Mesa........................................... 247C
Fredonia............................................. 278C1
Grand Canyon Village................................. 273C1
Heber................................................ 288C2
Huachuca City........................................ 232A
Leupp................................................ 255C2
Overgaard............................................ 232C3
Parker............................................... 247C3
Patagonia............................................ 251A
Paulden.............................................. 263C3
Peach Springs........................................ 285C3
Pima................................................. *296A
Pinetop.............................................. 294C1
Quartzsite........................................... 275C3, 290C2
Rio Rico............................................. 300A
Sells................................................ 285A
Snowflake............................................ 258C2
Somerton............................................. *260C3
Taylor............................................... 278C3
Wickenburg........................................... 229C3
Willcox.............................................. *223C3
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ARKANSAS
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Altheimer............................................ 251C3
Arkadelphia.......................................... 228A
Bearden.............................................. 224A
Clarendon............................................ 281A
Cove................................................. 232A
Daisy................................................ 293C3
Gassville............................................ 224A
Greenwood............................................ 268A
Hermitage............................................ 300A
Paragould............................................ 257A
Rison................................................ 255A
Sparkman............................................. 259A
Strong............................................... 296C3
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CALIFORNIA
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Alturas.............................................. 268C1, 277C
Amboy................................................ 237A
Barstow.............................................. 267A
Big Sur.............................................. 240A
Blythe............................................... 239B
Burney............................................... 225A
Buttonwillow......................................... 265A
Cambria.............................................. 287A, 293A
Cedarville........................................... 260A
Cloverdale........................................... 274A
Coachella............................................ 278A
Covelo............................................... 245A
Desert Center........................................ 288A
Essex................................................ 280B
Greenfield........................................... 254A
Hemet................................................ 273A
Kerman............................................... 224A
Kernville............................................ 289A
King City............................................ 275A
Lake Isabella........................................ 239A
Lamont............................................... 247A
McKinleyville........................................ 236C3, 277C3
Mecca................................................ 274A
Mojave............................................... 255A
Murrieta............................................. 281A
Nevada City.......................................... 297A
Port