The FCC has approved requests from nine television broadcast stations that asked for extensions of waivers that would exempt them from distant signal strength tests under the SHVERA Act of 2004.
Under certain conditions, the FCC allows stations to request a waiver from the rules allowing a satellite subscriber whose household is predicted to be served by the analog signal of a local network affiliated station to demonstrate eligibility to receive a distant digital signal of another station affiliated with the same network based on a signal strength test of the local network affiliate's DTV signal. These rules are part of the Satellite Home Viewers Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004. The FCC granted a six-month extension for previously granted waivers scheduled to expire in October 2006 for stations meeting the requirements.
The FCC required stations wanting an additional extension of the waiver to file requests by Feb. 28, 2007. The FCC received requests from nine permit holders or licensees. None of the requests were opposed and after review the FCC granted all of them.
Stations receiving the extension are:
• KFTR-DT, Ontario, Calif.
• KVOA-DT, Tucson, Ariz.
• WBNX-TV, Akron, Ohio
• WSMH-DT, Flint, Mich.
• WFFT-DT, Burlington, Vt.
• KHNL-DT, Honolulu
• KOGG-DT, Wailuku, Hawaii
• WNBC-DT, New York
• WDSU-DT, New Orleans
Information on each station's request is available in FCC Order DA 07-1957.
