FCC Freezes DRT, LPTV and Class A Applications

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On June 11 the FCC's Media Bureau announced "a freeze on the filing of applications for digital replacement translator (DRT) stations and displacement applications for low power television (LPTV), TV translator, and Class A television stations pursuant to sections 73.3572(a)(4) and 74.787(a)(4) of the Commission’s rules." The Media Bureau will consider waiver requests for displacement applications by LPTV and TV translator stations demonstrating that they are causing or receive "new actual" interference to or from a full power television station. However, the Media Bureau said it did not anticipate waiving the freeze for new DRT stations or Class A displacement applications.

Minor change applications and applications for digital flash cut and digital companion channels filed by existing LPTV and TV translator stations and by Class A stations will continue to be accepted for filing. The Public Notice announcing the freeze (DA 14-808) noted that the FCC recently adopted rules for the broadcast TV spectrum incentive auction and "the facilities of DRT, LPTV, and TV translator stations will not be protected during the repacking."

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.