Digital Television Broadcast Service; Great Falls, MT

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

The Commission requests comments on a petition filed by KRTV Communications, Inc., licensee of station KRTV(TV), NTSC Channel 3, Great Falls, Montana, requesting the substitution of DTV Channel 7 for its assigned DTV Channel 44. DTV Channel 7 can be allotted to Great Falls, Montana, in compliance with the principle community coverage requirements of Section 73.625(a) at reference coordinates 47-32-09 N and 111-17-02 W. However, since the community of Great Falls is located within 400 kilometers of the U.S.-Canadian border, concurrence by the Canadian government must be obtained for this proposal. As requested, we propose to allot DTV Channel 7 to Great Falls with a power of 160 (kW) and a height average terrain (HAAT) of 180 meters.

DATES:

Comments must be filed on or before February 5, 2001, and reply comments on or before February 20, 2001.

ADDRESSES:

Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. In addition to filing comments with the FCC, interested parties should serve the petitioner, or its counsel or consultant, as follows: Scott S. Patrick, Dow, Lohnes & Albertson, 1200 New Hampshire Avenue, NW., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036-6802 (Counsel for KRTV Communications, Inc.).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Pam Blumenthal, Mass Media Bureau, (202) 418-1600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a synopsis of the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rule Making, MM Docket No. 00-246, adopted December 14, 2000, and released December 15, 2000. The full text of this Commission decision is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC. The complete text of this decision may also be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Services, Inc., (202) 857-3800, 1231 20th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036.

Provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 do not apply to this proceeding.

Members of the public should note that from the time a Notice of Proposed Rule Making is issued until the matter is no longer subject to Commission consideration or court review, all ex parte contacts are prohibited in Commission proceedings, such as this one, which involve channel allotments. See 47 CFR 1.1204(b) for rules governing permissible ex parte contacts.

For information regarding proper filing procedures for comments, see 47 CFR 1.415 and 1.420.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

Television, Digital television broadcasting.

For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Communications Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR part 73 as follows:

PART 73—TELEVISION BROADCAST SERVICES

1. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 334, and 336.