FCC May Lift Freeze to Allow Iowa TV Channel Swap

Monday the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (DA 13-1577) proposing substitution of channel 29 for KGAN's channel 51 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The proposal would grant KGAN the same ERP (850 kW) and the same HAAT (585 meters) that it currently has on channel 51. Due the dipole factor, this would increase KGAN's coverage, assuming no increase in interference.

The NPRM explained the FCC would lift the May 2011 freeze on channel substitutions for stations requesting to relocate from Channel 51 pursuant to a voluntary channel relocation agreement with lower 700 MHz A Block licensees and comments, “KGAN Licensee has entered into such a voluntary relocation agreement with King Street Wireless, L.P. and states that operation on Channel 29 would remove any potential interference with a wireless operation located directly adjacent to Channel 51 in Cedar Rapids.”

This channel swap is one that Rabbitears.info identified in a list of WTB Channel 51 Relocations, that appeared in CDBS. I reported on this last May in New Slots for Channel 51 Stations?.

It will be interesting to see if any of the other stations that appeared in CDBS last year under a “WTB” (Wireless Telecommunications Bureau”) call sign show up in proposals for channel changes prior to the FCC incentive auction.

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.