Month: October 2020

Effective Date of Modified Section 73.3580 and Other Rules is October 30, 2020.

On May 13, 2020, the FCC released a Second Report and Order in its proceeding to modernize and revise the local public notice rules for broadcast application filings. The rule revisions streamline and standardize the requirements for on-air and written notice of applications. The Public Notice Second R&O revised sections 73.3580 and 73.3594 of the Commission’s rules, and also made conforming amendments to several other rule sections. See Public Notice and Report and Order for full details.

In order to ensure a stable technical database in connection with the DTV transition, in 2004, the FCC froze the filing of certain full power and Class A television station minor modification applications and full power television station rulemaking petitions to amend the DTV Table of Allotments. Over the course of the following years, the Bureau extended the freezes to further ensure the database remained stable in connection with the incentive auction and repacking process. With the 2009 completion of the DTV transition and the July 13, 2020 completion of the post-incentive auction transition period, these freezes are no longer required. Accordingly, the FCC will lift the freezes effective fifteen (15) days after publication of this Public Notice in the Federal Register. See Public Notice for full details.

The FCC has adopted a Report and Order that allows AM radio stations to operate using all-digital broadcast signals. AM broadcasters will be able to voluntarily choose whether and when to convert to all-digital operation from their current analog or hybrid analog/digital signals. See Press Release and Report and Order for full details.

The FCC announced that it is directing the Media Bureau to open a filing window for new FM reserved band applications and seeks comment on imposing a limit of ten applications filed by any party in this window. See Public Notice for full details.

FCC dismisses and denies four Petitions for Reconsideration and affirms its rules concerning the filing and processing of claims of interference from FM translator stations. See Order on Reconsideration for full details.