After 16 Years, FCC Lifts TV Filing Freeze

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC") Media Bureau announced via Public Notice the end of a filing freeze on certain full power and Class A TV station modifications that lasted more than 16 years and the leadership of seven FCC chairpersons. The freeze was part of the FCC's effort to keep a stable technical database first during the DTV transition, and then the incentive auction and associated repack; now that the transition is over and the post-incentive auction is complete, the FCC deemed it an appropriate time to end the freeze and allow additional discretionary changes to television facilities.

Modification proposals that can now be filed include:

• Petitions for rulemaking to change channels in the DTV Table of Allotments.
• Petitions for rulemaking to add new DTV allotments.
• Petitions to swap in-core channels.
• Petitions for rulemaking to change communities of license.
• Modification applications that increase a full power or Class A station's service area beyond an area that is already served.

This lifting of the freeze will be effective 15 days after the publication of the Public Notice in the Federal Register. We will notify you when this publication occurs.