FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION October 31, 2013 Mignon L. Clyburn Acting Chairwoman The Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate 455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: Thank you for your regarding a pending request to change the channel allocations for WMC-DT, Memphis, Tennessee from digital VHF to UHF. I appreciate your interest in this matter and am pleased to provide the enclosed letter on this issue from the Chief of the Media Bureau's Office of Communications and Industry Information. If you have any additional questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Enclosure 445 121h Street S. W. Washington, D.C. 20554 (202) 411!-1 000 Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 The Honorable Lamar Alexander United States Senate 455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Alexander: October 3 1, 2013 IN REPLY REFER TO: CN-1300986 Thank you for your Jetter regarding the status of pending reque ts to change the channel allocations for WMC-DT, Memphis, Tennessee, and WCYB-DT, Bristol, Virginia from digital VHF to UHF. Your views arc very important to the Commission and will be included in the record of the proceeding. The petitions submitted by WMC and WCYB arc two of approximately ten requests that were filed with the Commission on or before May 31, 2011 by VHF stations seeldng to relocate to a UHF channel. As you know, Title V I of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Spectrum Act) specificall y prohibits the Commi, sion from granting a VHF to UHF channel change until completion of the broadcast incentive auction authorized in the Act unless doing so wou ld not decrease the amount of UJ lF spectrum available for reallocation or the request was pending on May 3 J, 2011. On September 28, 2012, the Commission adopted a Not ice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) seeking public comment on a number of issues and proposals to implement the Spectrum Act In the Notice, the Commission found that it could not yet determine whether granting any of the pending VHF to UII F channel changes would decrease the amount of UHF spectrum available for reallocation and compromise the Commission 's flexibility in the repacking process. Thus, to achieve the Act's goal of maximizing the value of spectrum reclaimed for flexible usc, the Commission proposed to exercise its discretion and not act at this time on any pending requests to reassign a stat ion from a VHF to a UHF channel, including requests that were pending on or before May 31, 20 I J. Commission staff has completed its evaluation of the record developed in the proceeding and is preparing a decision for the Commission's consideration. The recommended decision wi ll address the proposals discussed in the Notice, including the disposition of pending VHF to UHF channel change requests. Please be assured that the pending petitions will be considered carefully as the Commission continues its work to implement the incentive auction provisions of the Spectrum Act. Page 2- The Ilonorable Lamar Alexander The Commission apprec iates your interest in this matter, and please do not hes itate to contact me if I can be o f further ass istance. Sincere ly, --!~~e:~fr--- Chie f, Or!ice o f Communications and Industry Information Media Bureau Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 The I lonorablc Bob Corker United States Senate 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Corker: October 31 ,2013 IN REPLY REFER TO: CN-1300986 Thank you for your letter regard ing the status of pending requests to change the channel allocations for WMC-DT, Memphis, Tennessee, and WCYB-DT, Bristol, Virgin ia from digital VHF to UHF. Your views are very important to the Commission and will be included in the record of the proceeding. The petitions submitted by WMC and WCYB arc two of approximately ten requests that were filed with the Commission on or before May 3 1, 20 II by VHF stations seeking to relocate to a UI IF channel. As you know, Title VI of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 20 12 (Spectrum Act) specifically prohibits the Commission from granting a VHF to UHF channel change until completion of the broadcast incentive auction authorized in the Act unless doing so would not decrease the amount of UHF spectrum available for reallocation or the request was pending on May 3 1, 20 11. On September 28, 20 12, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) seeking public comment on a number of issues and proposals to implement the Spectrum Act. In the Notice, the Commission found that it could not yet determine whether granting any of the pending VIIF to UliF channel changes would decrease the amount of UHF spectrum available for reallocation and compromise the Commission's flexibil ity in the repacking process. Thus, to achieve the Act's goal of maximizing the value of spectrum reclaimed for flexible use, the Commission proposed to exercise its discretion and not act at this time on any pending requests to reassign a station from a VIIF to a UHF channel, including requests that were pending on or before May 31, 20 11. Commission staff ha. completed its evaluation of the record developed in the proceeding and is preparing a deci. ion for the Commission' s consideration. The recommended decision wi ll address the proposals discussed in the Notice, including the di~position of pending VIIF to UHF channel change requests. Please be assured that the pending peti tions wi ll be considered carefully as the Commission continues its work to implement the incentive auction provisions of the Spectrum Act. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION October 31, 2013 Mignon L. C lyburn Acting Chairwoman The Honorable Bob Corker United States Senate 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Corker: Thank you for your regarding a pending request to change the channel allocations for WMC-DT, Memphis, Tennessee from digital VHF to UHF. I appreciate your interest in this matter and am pleased to provide the enclosed letter on this issue from the Chief of the Media Bureau's Office of Communications and Industry Information. If you have any additional questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Enclosure 445 12'h Street S. W. Wa~hington. D.C. 20554 (202) 418- 1000 Page 2-The Honorable Bob Corker The Commission appreciates your interest in this matter, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance. Sincerely, ~';1(~~'7'~ Chief, Oftice of Communications and Industry Information Media Bureau