Proposed Rule2025-02867
Television Broadcasting Services Monroe, Louisiana
Primary source
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Published
February 28, 2025
Effective
March 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
The Video Division, Media Bureau (Bureau), has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Louisiana Educational Television Authority (LETA or Petitioner) on January 10, 2025, as amended January 14, 2025, the licensee of noncommercial educational television PBS member station KLTM-TV, channel *13, Monroe, Louisiana (Station or KLTM). Petitioner requests that the Bureau substitute channel *29 for channel *13 at Monroe in the Table of TV Allotments (Table).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 39 (Friday, February 28, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 39 (Friday, February 28, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10877-10878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02867]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 73
[MB Docket No. 25-14; RM-11994; DA 25-66; FR ID 275581]
Television Broadcasting Services Monroe, Louisiana
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Video Division, Media Bureau (Bureau), has before it a
petition for rulemaking filed by Louisiana Educational Television
Authority (LETA or Petitioner) on January 10, 2025, as amended January
14, 2025, the licensee of noncommercial educational television PBS
member station KLTM-TV, channel *13, Monroe, Louisiana (Station or
KLTM). Petitioner requests that the Bureau substitute channel *29 for
channel *13 at Monroe in the Table of TV Allotments (Table).
DATES: Comments must be filed on or before March 17, 2025 and reply
comments on or before March 31, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary,
45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. In addition to filing comments
with the FCC, interested parties should serve counsel for the
Petitioner as follows: Brad Deutsch, Foster Garvey P.C., 3000 K St. NW,
Suite 420, Washington, DC 20007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Harrison, Media Bureau, at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#581d353134217610392a2a312b3736183e3b3b763f372e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8fcae2e6e3f6a1c7eefdfde6fce0e1cfe9ececa1e8e0f9">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 418-1665, or Mark Colombo, Media Bureau,
at Ma<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bcced792ffd3d0d3d1ded3fcdadfdf92dbd3ca"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="76041d5835191a191b14193610151558111900">[email protected]</span></a>, (202) 418-7611.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In support of its channel substitution
request, the Petitioner asserts that allowing the Station to move from
a VHF to a UHF channel would serve the public interest by addressing
ongoing reception complaints the Station has received from numerous
viewers, significantly improving the Station's over-the-air-service to
the viewers in its existing service area, and ``enabling the Station to
better serve the Monroe community by substantially improving viewer
access to the Station's noncommercial educational and public affairs
programming.'' Petitioner states that since the digital transition and
commencement of digital television operations on high-band VHF channel
*13 in 2009, the Station has consistently received viewer complaints of
poor reception and interference. The Petitioner states that the
Commission has recognized that ``environmental noise blockages
affecting [VHF] signal strength and reception exist'' and ``[vary]
widely from service area to service area.''
An engineering statement provided by the Petitioner confirms that
the proposed channel *29 contour would provide full principal community
coverage to Monroe. The proposed move from channel *13 to channel *29
is also not predicted to create a loss of service to any viewers.
Petitioner's engineering statement also confirms that the proposed
channel substitution contour would not cause impermissible interference
to any other licensed facilities. The proposed channel *29 facility
would remain at its current transmission site and operate at an
effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,000 kW and height above average
terrain (HAAT) of 544.5 meters.
We believe that the Petitioner's channel substitution proposal for
KLTM warrants consideration. Based on an analysis by Bureau staff,
channel *29 can be substituted for channel *13 as proposed, in
compliance with the principal community coverage requirements of Sec.
73.618 of the Commission's rules (Rules), at coordinates 32-11-51'' N+
and 92-4-14.0'' W-. In addition, we find that this channel change meets
the technical requirements set forth in Sec. 73.622(a) of the Rules.
The substitution of channel *29 for channel *13 in the Table will also
allow Petitioner to construct its new facility on a UHF channel and
avoid the known viewer receptions issues on its currently authorized
VHF channel.
This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, MB Docket No. 25-14; RM-11994; DA 25-66, adopted January
17, 2025, and released January 17, 2025. The full text of this document
is available for download at https://
[[Page 10878]]
www.fcc.gov/edocs. To request materials in accessible formats (braille,
large print, computer diskettes, or audio recordings), please send an
email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4f090c0c7a7f7b0f292c2c61282039"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="98dedbdbada8acd8fefbfbb6fff7ee">[email protected]</span></a> or call the Consumer & Government Affairs
Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (VOICE), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
This document does not contain information collection requirements
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. In
addition, therefore, it does not contain any proposed information
collection burden ``for small business concerns with fewer than 25
employees,'' pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of
2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4). Provisions of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601-612, do not apply to
this proceeding.
Members of the public should note that all ex parte contacts are
prohibited from the time a notice of proposed rulemaking is issued to
the time the matter is no longer subject to Commission consideration or
court review, see 47 CFR 1.1208. There are, however, exceptions to this
prohibition, which can be found in Sec. 1.1204(a) of the Commission's
rules, 47 CFR 1.1204(a).
See Sec. Sec. 1.415 and 1.420 of the Commission's rules for
information regarding the proper filing procedures for comments, 47 CFR
1.415 and 1.420.
Providing Accountability Through Transparency Act: The Providing
Accountability Through Transparency Act, Public Law 118-9, requires
each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to post online a
brief plain-language summary of the proposed rule. The required summary
of this notice of proposed rulemaking is available at <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/proposed-rulemakings">https://www.fcc.gov/proposed-rulemakings</a>.
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73
Television.
Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan,
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.
Proposed Rule
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal
Communications Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR part 73 as follows:
PART 73--RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES
0
1. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 301, 303, 307, 309, 310, 334,
336, 339.
0
2. In Sec. 73.622, in the table in paragraph (j), under Louisiana,
revise the entry for ``Monroe'' to read as follows:
Sec. 73.622 Digital television table of allotments.
* * * * *
(j) * * *
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Channel
Community No.
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* * * * *
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Louisiana
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* * * * *
Monroe...................................................... 24, * 29
* * * * *
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* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2025-02867 Filed 2-27-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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