Is there (or will there ever be) a fixed FCC channel assignment chart?

[vchimpanzee]

If they could find a station willing to do that, I don't see why not. WZRB could easily move over to WKTC with at least some of its subchannels (three subchannels are presently duplicated on WZRB and WKTC), making use of WKTC's huge signal.

Are stations still able sell back spectrum, and/or just relinquish the signal to piggyback onto another station, sharing that station's channel? That way, you would eliminate the question of WZRB interfering with WJZY/WYMT south of Charlotten

I ought to know the answer to this because I created the article on repacking on Wikipedia after reading about it here. Others have taken over making it better and it probably hasn't been updated enough.

 

[IM42A]

I ought to know the answer to this because I created the article on repacking on Wikipedia after reading about it here. Others have taken over making it better and it probably hasn't been updated enough.

Thank you for writing the article in the first place. That's always a contribution to the knowledge base on the internet. I'm a big fan of Wikipedia.

 

[TexasTom]

Short version, will there ever be a "fixed for all time" channel assignment list, as existed in the analog days? (It took an act of Congress, figuratively and almost literally, to reassign channels, such as when WTVQ in Lexington KY coveted and ended up getting Portsmouth, Ohio's channel 36 allocation, and the "drop-ins" such as WVAH-11 in Charleston WV whose contours ended up looking like an elongated peanut to protect WJHL, WPXI, WHAS, and WTOL.) And will there be the possibility of adding channel assignments to cities (at least east of the Rockies, where distances are shorter), or does a 30-channel universe pretty much max out all possibilities?

It did not (and still does not) take an act of Congress to update the table of allocations, as long as the proposed new channel fits the FCC's existing channel spacing requirements. There is a very specific rulemaking process that involves an individual or company submitting a petition for rulemaking, which the FCC will review and either dismiss or approve. If approved, that approval is subject to a comment period (to allow for any objections or additional information from third parties, and for the original petitioner to express continued interest) and then finalized.

I know this from first hand experience, since I've been through the process for both FM and digital TV allocations. The problem is that when the FCC switched to auctions for determining who actually gets the CP to build the station, they killed most of the incentive for people to file these petitions for new stations (although petitions to change the facilities for existing stations -- a class upgrade on FM or a new channel on DTV -- do still happen) because unless the original petitioner has deep pockets, they're unlikely to prevail. In particular, in the case of the DTV petitions I generated three petitions (Greeley, CO; Medical Lake, WA; Leonard, TX) just using the FCC's online database; the cost of submitting the petitions was my time plus the cost of printing out copies and paying postage. To my surprise, two of the three petitions (Greeley & Medical Lake) were successful and the DTV table of allocations was amended to add those channels. Apparently it surprised the FCC as well, as they put a freeze on new DTV allocations shortly thereafter. But, of course, the FCC auctioned the channels to the highest bidder, which were religious TV groups in both instances.

So while it was an interesting exercise, there wasn't ultimately a lot of point to it -- there was essentially no way that I'd ever be the winning bidder unless I proposed locations that were so out of the way as to be essentially worthless.

 

[Greg Strickland]

Texas Tom-

Your hard work got put up for auction. You probably didn't even get a thank you.

My view-

Congress delegates authority to the FCC, but the FCC follows rules enacted by Congress.

We've all have read this:

"In considering applications for licenses and modifications and renewals thereof, when and insofar as there is demand for the same, the Commission shall make such distribution of licenses frequencies, hours of operation, and of power among the several States and communities as to provide a fair, efficient, and equitable distribution of radio service to each of the same."

An allocation has already been open to public comment at the rulemaking stage. Comparative analysis method of reviewing applicants for construction permits consumed significant resources and time for everyone involved. Auction is market based, faster, and generates income to the US Treasury. Perhaps this is a recognition of broadcasting for profit in the non-reserved band, compared to broadcasting not for profit in the reserved band.

This topic leads to a great discussion and debate about public policy. I think that discussion is more social and political than operational.
What is intellectual property and what is free for all to use?
Is a discovery based on public information the possession of all?
If you find a new melody, should you have rights to that melody, considering the notes are public information?
Is radio spectrum property? If so, whose?
What is "in the public interest" ?

As I always say, don't blame the FCC staff personally. They are working within a framework, trying to be as efficient as possible, and follow rules and policy. As of this moment, FCC granted 1,016 AM and FM license renewals this month. Every one of them had to be reviewed for compliance, including ownership structure.

 

[Greg Strickland]

Clarifying that the FCC auctions permits and licenses for use of spectrum. Spectrum is not a physical thing.

https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/wireless/auctions/data/papersAndStudies/aucspec.pdf

 

[IM42A]

In a somewhat related vein, how difficult would it be for an entity to get a low-VHF "drop-in" assignment? Utilization of low-VHF has dwindled almost to the vanishing point, and it seems as though there are a lot of parts of the US where a low-VHF full-power station could be created without any questions of short-spacing or minimal distance. Even a powerhouse such as WCYB-5 in Bristol VA gave up its OTA channel 5, and its huge signal, for UHF. WBRA in Roanoke, on OTA channel 3, is an example of just how massive such a signal can be, from their "catbird seat" up on Poor Mountain.

Of course, there is that little matter of most rooftop antennas not being manufactured for low-VHF anymore.

And, yes, it's a Walter Mitty dream of mine, if I ever won fat stacks in the lottery, to start an independent TV station, funded out of my own pocket, with a mix of family-friendly entertainment, classic reruns, and religious (traditional Catholic) programming. Never gonna happen, but...

 

[tripinva]

A few new allotments have been dropped in over the past two years. See Texas Tom's post above for the procedure. The allotments in question are:

Freeport, IL 9
Eagle River, WI 26
Fort Bragg, CA *4
Vernon, AL *4

As for "powerhouse," "huge," or "massive," I think those adjectives only apply on paper. In terms of being able to actual receive the signal, those stations have serious, serious issues. WBRA was the bane of my existence growing up. Perfect signals from all the UHFs on Poor Mountain, but even the largest low-VHF only roof antenna available couldn't make WBRA a solid 24/7 signal.

- Trip

 

[IM42A]

A few new allotments have been dropped in over the past two years. See Texas Tom's post above for the procedure. The allotments in question are:

Freeport, IL 9
Eagle River, WI 26
Fort Bragg, CA *4
Vernon, AL *4

As for "powerhouse," "huge," or "massive," I think those adjectives only apply on paper. In terms of being able to actual receive the signal, those stations have serious, serious issues. WBRA was the bane of my existence growing up. Perfect signals from all the UHFs on Poor Mountain, but even the largest low-VHF only roof antenna available couldn't make WBRA a solid 24/7 signal.

- Trip

I have heard as much, but I'm just going by the Rabbit Ears maps that show such stations with huge coverage. I'm assuming it's because the lower you go on the band, the more shaky that DTV gets.

Got to wonder why they didn't just do away with channels 2-6 altogether, or at least leave them open only to LPTVs

 

[IM42A]

A few new allotments have been dropped in over the past two years. See Texas Tom's post above for the procedure. The allotments in question are:

..
Vernon, AL *4

Does the asterisk mean that it is for noncommercial broadcasting? And how set in stone would that be?

If it could be commercial, I'm thinking that this could mean another station for the Columbus-Tupelo MS market, possibly picking up either the NBC or ABC affiliation from WTVA.

 

[Greg Strickland]

DTV allotments designated with an asterisk are assigned for use by non-commercial educational broadcast stations only.

 

[tripinva]

Does the asterisk mean that it is for noncommercial broadcasting? And how set in stone would that be?

If it could be commercial, I'm thinking that this could mean another station for the Columbus-Tupelo MS market, possibly picking up either the NBC or ABC affiliation from WTVA.

Getting a reservation removed is really hard. In any event, the petition was filed by Alabama PBS, so I suspect they'll be filing for it.

- Trip

 

[IM42A]

Getting a reservation removed is really hard. In any event, the petition was filed by Alabama PBS, so I suspect they'll be filing for it.

- Trip

Just as well, that market is probably too small to support four commercial network TV stations, the ones that already exist cover the area adequately, and in the digital age of subchannels, multiple networks on one station (such as WTVA) make more sense in such markets.