After releasing a list of stations filing proposed negotiated agreements (NCA) on March 1, last week the FCC issued a Public Notice with more information on proposed negotiated channel agreements. Attachment Table I lists stations with two out-of-core channels that participated in an NCA to obtain an in-core channel and Table II lists stations that filed Schedule B. Stations proposing to reduce DTV coverage as part of an NCA had to file Schedule B with technical information on the proposed facilities. If the FCC accepts the NCA, these facilities will become the baseline facilities to be used when evaluating channels in future DTV channel election rounds.
The FCC said it was providing the listing of stations with two out-of-core channels who had entered into a NCA to obtain an in-core channel so that all interested parties would have an opportunity to comment on the proposed NCAs for these stations. Stations without an in-core channel were not required or permitted to file a first round channel election. For NCAs involving these stations, parties objecting to or commenting on an NCA must file their pleadings no later than March 21, 2005. One week was allowed for reply comments, until March 28, 2005. Refer to the Public Notice for information on how to file objections or comments.
In the Public Notice the FCC cautioned, "We remind stations that all NCAs are subject to Commission approval and may be rejected if they propose the acceptance of a significant level of interference or loss of service or are otherwise inconsistent with the public interest. If, after review of the record, including but not limited to oppositions and replies, we find that the NCA reasonably could be construed to have an adverse impact on the interests of a station not a party to the NCA, or is otherwise not in the public interest, the NCA will be rejected."
A spreadsheet listing of all channel elections by stations filing Form 382, based on CDBS files dated February 23, 2005, is available at www.xmtr.com/fcc/dtvch.zip.
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