Federal Communications Commission DA 17-736
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of
Amendment of Section 73.202(b),
Table of Allotments,
FM Broadcast Stations.
(Fort Walton Beach, Florida)
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MB Docket No. 16-422
RM-11783
REPORT AND ORDER
Adopted:  August 3, 2017 Released:  August 4, 2017
By the Assistant Chief, Audio Division, Media Bureau:
1. The Audio Division has before it a Notice of Proposed Rule Making,1 issued in response to a 
Petition for Rule Making (Petition) filed by Northwest Florida Media, LLC (NWF Media) to allot 
Channel 295A at Fort Walton Beach, Florida.2 NWF Media filed comments, as did Media One 
Communications, Inc. (Media One). NWF Media filed reply comments in response to Media One’s 
comments.3 For the reasons discussed below, we amend the FM Table of Allotments, Section 73.202(b) 
of the Commission’s rules,4 by allotting Channel 295A at Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
2. Background.  The Notice proposed the allotment of Channel 295A at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 
as a sixth local service. Fort Walton Beach is an incorporated community with a 2010 U.S. Census 
population of 19,507 persons. NWF Media filed comments, reiterating its expression of interest in 
Channel 295A. NWF Media states that if the allotment is made it will prosecute its application, participate 
in the auction, and promptly construct the authorized facilities.5  
3.  Media One also filed comments and states that the allotment of Channel 295A at Fort Walton 
Beach would displace FM translator W295AP (Facility ID No. 150909), which Media One uses to 
rebroadcast the programming of WRNE(AM), Gulf Breeze, Florida. Media One contends that this 
displacement would cause great financial hardship to Media One, and that, for most of the past 25 years, 
WNRE(AM) has been the only station serving the African American and Hispanic communities in the 
Gulf Coast area. Media One asks that it either be allowed to continue re-broadcasting WRNE(AM) using 
its current FM translator and frequency, or alternatively, that it be afforded the use of a different FM 
frequency to re-broadcast WRNE’s programming. In response, NWF Media argues that FM translators 
are secondary services which are not considered in allotment proceedings.
4.  Discussion. The Commission is subject to a Congressional directive to ensure that FM translators 
  
1 Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, DA 17-125 (rel. Feb. 3, 2017) (Notice).
2 Petition for Rulemaking of Northwest Florida Media, LLC, (filed Nov. 22, 2016).
3 Reply Comments of Northwest Florida Media, LLC (filed Apr. 10, 2017).
4 47 C.F.R. § 73.202(b).
5 NFW Media comments at 2 (filed Mar. 22, 2017). 
Federal Communications Commission DA 17-736
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remain secondary to full-service FM stations.6 We therefore will not consider potential displacement of 
FM Translator W295AP as a negative factor in evaluating this allotment proposal.7
5.   We find that the public interest would be served by allotting a sixth local service at Fort Walton 
Beach, Florida, which would advance Priority (4) of our FM Allotment Priorities.8 A staff engineering 
analysis indicates that Channel 295A at Fort Walton Beach can be allotted consistent with the minimum 
distance separation requirements of the Commission’s rules without a site restriction. The reference 
coordinates are 30-24-40 NL and 86-37-28 WL. 
6.  Ordering Clauses. Accordingly, pursuant to the authority found in 47 U.S.C. Sections 4(i), 
5(c)(1), 303(g) and (r) and 307(b) and 47 C.F.R. Sections 0.61, 0.204(b) and 0.283, IT IS ORDERED 
That effective, September 18, 2017, the FM Table of Allotments, 47 C.F.R. Section 73.202(b), IS 
AMENDED, with respect to the community listed below, to read as follows:
Community Channel
Fort Walton Beach, Florida 295A
7. The window period for filing applications for 295A at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, will not be 
opened at this time. Instead, the issue of opening a filing window for this allotment will be addressed by 
the Commission in a subsequent order.
8. The Commission will send a copy of this Report and Order in a report to Congress and the 
Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. § 
801(a)(1)(A).
9. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that this proceeding IS TERMINATED.10. For further information 
concerning this proceeding, contact Deborah A. Dupont, Media Bureau, (202) 418-2700.
 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Nazifa Sawez
Assistant Chief
Audio Division
Media Bureau
  
6 See Policies to Promote Rural Radio Service and to Streamline Allotment and Assignment Procedures, Second 
Report and Order, First Order on Reconsideration, and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 FCC 
Rcd 2556, 2571-72, n.77 (2011), recon. granted in part, 27 FCC Rcd 12829 (2012). See also Willows and Dunnigan, 
California, 15 FCC Rcd 23852, 23856-57 (MMB 2000).
7 If FM translator W295AP is displaced, Media One is free to request to operate its FM translator station on a 
different channel, pursuant to Rule 74.1233. See 47 CFR § 74.1233.
8 The hierarchy of allotment priorities is: (1) First fulltime aural service, (2) Second fulltime aural service, (3) First 
local service and (4) Other public interest matters. Priorities 2 and 3 receive equal weight. Revision of FM 
Assignment Policies and Procedures, Second Report and Order, 90 FCC 2d 88, 90-93 (1982) (“FM Allotment 
Priorities”).