Sec. 73.623 DTV applications and changes to DTV allotments.
(a) General. This section contains the technical criteria for
evaluating applications requesting DTV facilities that do not conform to
the provisions of Sec. 73.622 and petitions for rule making to amend the
DTV Table of Allotments (Sec. 73.622(b)). Petitions to amend the DTV
Table (other than those also expressly requesting amendment of this
section) and applications for new DTV broadcast stations or for changes
in authorized DTV stations filed pursuant to this section will not be
accepted for filing if they fail to comply with the requirements of this
section.
(b) In considering petitions to amend the DTV Table and applications
filed pursuant to this section, the Commission will use geographic
coordinates defined in Sec. 73.622(d) as reference points in determining
allotment separations and evaluating interference potential.
(c) Minimum technical criteria for modification of DTV allotments
included in the initial DTV Table of Allotments and for applications
filed pursuant to this section. No petition to modify a channel
allotment included in the initial DTV Table or application for authority
to construct or modify a DTV station, filed pursuant to this section,
will be accepted unless it shows compliance with the requirements of
this paragraph.
(1) Requests filed pursuant to this paragraph must demonstrate
compliance with the principal community coverage requirements of
Sec. 73.625(a).
(2) Requests filed pursuant to this paragraph must demonstrate that
there is no increase in the amount of interference caused to any other
DTV broadcast station, DTV allotment, or analog TV broadcast station.
For evaluating compliance with this requirement, interference is to be
predicted based on the procedure set forth in Appendix B of the Sixth
Report and Order in MM Docket 87-268, FCC 97-115, adopted April 3, 1997,
including service areas determined in accordance with Sec. 73.622(e),
consideration of whether F(50,10) undesired signals will exceed the
following desired-to-undesired (D/U) signal ratios, assumed use of a
directional receiving antenna, and use of the terrain dependent Longley-
Rice point-to-point propagation model. Guidance for evaluating
interference using the Longley-Rice methodology is provided in OET
Bulletin No. 69. Copies of the Sixth Report and Order and OET Bulletin
No. 69 may be inspected during normal business hours at the: Federal
Communications Commission, 1919 M St., NW., Dockets Branch (Room 239),
Washington, DC 20554. These documents are also available through the
Internet on the FCC Home Page at http://www.fcc.gov. The threshold
levels at which interference is considered to occur are:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
D/U
ratio
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Co-channel:
DTV-into-analog TV........................................... +34
analog TV-into-DTV........................................... *+2
DTV-into-DTV................................................. *+15
First Adjacent Channel:
Lower DTV-into-analog TV..................................... -17
Upper DTV-into-analog TV..................................... -12
Lower analog TV-into-DTV..................................... -48
Upper analog TV-into-DTV..................................... -49
Lower DTV-into-DTV........................................... -42
Upper DTV-into-DTV........................................... -43
Other Adjacent Channel (Channels 14-69 only) DTV-into-analog
TV, where N = analog TV channel and DTV Channel:
N-2.......................................................... -24
N+2.......................................................... -28
N-3.......................................................... -30
N+3.......................................................... -34
N-4.......................................................... -34
N+4.......................................................... -25
N-7.......................................................... -35
N+7.......................................................... -34
N-8.......................................................... -32
N+8.......................................................... -43
N+14......................................................... -33
N+15......................................................... -31
[[Page 190]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to paragraph (c)(2): The values for co-channel interference to
DTV service are only valid at locations where the signal-to-noise ratio
is 28 dB or greater. At the edge of the noise-limited service area,
where the signal-to-noise ratio is 16 dB, these values are 21 dB and 23
dB for interference from analog TV and DTV, respectively. Due to the
frequency spacing that exists between Channels 4 and 5, between Channels
6 and 7, and between Channels 13 and 14, the minimum adjacent channel
technical criteria specified in the table shall not be applicable to
these pairs of channels (see Sec. 73.603(a)).
(d)(1) Minimum geographic spacing requirements for DTV allotments
not included in the initial DTV Table of Allotments. No petition to add
a new channel to the DTV Table of Allotments will be accepted unless it
demonstrates compliance with the principle community coverage
requirements of Sec. 73.625(a) and meets the following requirements for
geographic spacing with regard to all other DTV stations, DTV allotments
and analog TV stations:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Channel relationship Separation requirement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
VHF Channels 2-13:
Co-channel, DTV to DTV
Zone I--244.6 km.
Zones II & III--273.6 km.
Co-channel, DTV to analog TV
Zone I--244.6 km.
Zone II & III--273.6 km.
Adjacent Channel
DTV to DTV........................... No allotments permitted
between:
Zone I--40.2 km and 96.6 km.
Zones II & III--48.3 km and
96.6 km.
DTV to analog TV..................... No allotments permitted
between:
Zone I--11.3 km and 114.3 km.
Zone II & III--17.7 km and
146.4 km.
UHF Channels:
Co-channel, DTV to DTV
Zone I--196.3 km
Zone II & III--223.7 km.
Co-channel, DTV to analog TV
Zone I--217.3 km.
Zone II & III--244.6 km.
Adjacent Channel
DTV to DTV........................... No allotments permitted
between:
All Zones--32.2 km and 88.5
km.
DTV to analog TV..................... No allotments permitted
between:
All Zones--9.7 km and 88.5
km.
Taboo Channels, DTV to analog TV only No allotments permitted
(DTV channels #2,. between:
#3, #4, #7, #8, and 14 or 15 channels Zone I--24.1 km and 80.5 km
above the analog TV channel). Zone II & III 24.1 km and
96.6 km
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note to paragraph (d)(1): Due to the frequency spacing that exists
between Channels 4 and 5, between Channels 6 and 7, and between Channels
13 and 14, the minimum geographic spacing requirements specified in the
table shall not be applicable to these pairs of channels (see
Sec. 73.603(a)).
(2) Zones are defined in Sec. 73.609. The minimum distance
separation between a DTV station in one zone and an analog TV or DTV
station in another zone shall be that of the zone requiring the lower
separation.
(e) Protection of land mobile operations on channels 14-20. The
Commission will not accept petitions to amend the DTV Table of
Allotments, applications for new DTV stations, or applications to change
the channel or location of authorized DTV stations that would use
channels 14-20 where the distance between the DTV reference point as
defined in Sec. 73.622(d), would be located less than 250 km from the
city center of a co-channel land mobile operation or 176 km from the
city center of an adjacent channel land mobile operation. Land mobile
operations on these channels in the following markets:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
City Channels Latitude
Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Boston, MA....................... 14, 16................... 42 deg.21'24' 71 deg.0
3'25'
Chicago, IL...................... 14, 15................... 41 deg.52'28' 87 deg.3
8'22'
Dallas, TX....................... 16....................... 32 deg.47'09' 96 deg.4
7'37'
Houston, TX...................... 17....................... 29 deg.45'26' 95 deg.2
1'37'
Los Angeles, CA.................. 14, 16, 20............... 34 deg.03'15' 118 deg.
14'28'
[[Page 191]]
Miami, FL........................ 14....................... 25 deg.46'37' 80 deg.1
1'32'
New York, NY 1................... 4, 15.................... 40 deg.45'06' 73 deg.5
9'39'
Philadelphia, PA................. 19, 20................... 39 deg.56'58' 75 deg.0
9'21'
Pittsburgh, PA................... 14, 18................... 40 deg.26'19' 80 deg.0
0'00'
San Francisco, CA................ 16, 17................... 37 deg.46'39' 122 deg.
24'40'
Washington, DC................... 17, 18................... 38 deg.53'51' 77 deg.0
0'33'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
(f) Negotiated agreements on interference. Notwithstanding the
minimum technical criteria for DTV allotments specified in paragraph (b)
of this section, DTV stations operating on allotments that are included
in the initial DTV Table may operate with increased ERP and/or antenna
HAAT that would result in additional interference to an analog TV
station if that station agrees, in writing, to accept the additional
interference. Such agreements must be submitted with the application for
authority to construct or modify the DTV station's facilities. The
larger service area resulting from such a change of ERP and/or antenna
HAAT will be protected in accordance with the provisions of paragraph
(c) of this section. Applications submitted pursuant to the provisions
of this paragraph will be granted only if the Commission finds that such
action is consistent with the public interest.
[ 62 FR 26719 , May 14, 1997]
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