The FCC approved Qualcomm's application to modify station WPZA236 to allow operation on TV Channel 55 in the Philadelphia, Pa. area. Nextstar Broadcasting agreed to accept potential interference to 2.31 percent of the population in the noise-limited service contour of the construction permit for WHAG-DT.
As discussed in RF Report for Jan. 25, 2007, the FCC previously granted Qualcomm's application to use Channel 55 in the Norfolk/Richmond, Va. area. Interference from this operation is included in the 2.31 percent total interference to WHAG-DT. The commission used the same reasoning in granting this Qualcomm Channel 55 application as it did for the earlier grant--Qualcomm's MediaFLO will provide more viewing options at mass market prices and grant of the application will contribute to the growth of the American economy.
Of the total number of potential WHAG-DT viewers receiving interference, only 357 persons are predicted to no longer be able to receive NBC DTV service from another NBC station before WHAG-DT switches channels at the end of the DTV transition period in 2009. Viewers in this interference area will continue to be served by at least eight other analog and digital TV stations.
