WASHINGTON—While the recent summer heat wave has melted nearly everything frozen, the FCC is doing its own kind of melting with the Media Bureau announcing a lift on the freeze imposed on the filing and processing of minor modification applications for full power and Class A stations.

Thanks to the now reopen application process—which was initially ceased on April 5, 2013—full power stations can apply for an increase to its noise-limited contour, while Class A stations can file to increase its protected contour, in one or more directions beyond the station’s authorized facilities. These actions are limited to full power and Class A stations that were reassigned to new channels as part of the repack and have yet to complete the transition to their post-auction channels.

While the freeze was in effect, stations had to apply for a waiver to complete their transition in instances of an antenna not exactly matching the previously authorized antenna pattern or the authorized height of the antenna on a station’s tower differs from the actual installed height. Lifting the freeze is designed to relieve stations of these steps as they move through the repack process.

The freeze is only lifted for the qualified stations, remaining in place for all others.

Minor modification applications will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis, with the filing of an acceptable application cutting off the filing rights of subsequent, conflicting applications.

More information is available by visiting fcc.gov/media.

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.