The FCC has now taken two important steps towards creating a Final DTV Table of Allotments.
First, the Media Bureau released an Order approving 25 Negotiated Channel Agreements (NCAs) and rejecting 12. The stations participating in the approved NCAs will receive tentative channel designations for the channels contained in the agreements. The stations participating in the rejected NCAs reverted to their alternate channel elections and were considered during the general Round One conflict analysis.
Second, the commission sent approximately 155 conflict letters to stations that elected their NTSC channel for digital operation, but FCC engineering analysis indicated that would result in impermissible interference. Stations now have 60 days to inform the FCC how they will resolve the interference conflict.
The commission will complete Round One later this summer and begin Round Two elections in the fall. In the Second DTV Periodic Report and Order, the FCC announced its plan to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing a new DTV Table of Allotments by August 2006, and is committed to meeting this deadline.
