FCC Lifting Freezes on Filing Certain TV Station Applications and Petitions as of November 27

On October 29, the FCC's Media Bureau announced the lifting of its long-term freezes on filing certain full-power and Class A TV station minor modification applications and full-power TV station rulemaking petitions to amend the DTV Table of Allotments. With the completion of the DTV transition in 2009 and the post-incentive auction transition period in July 2020, the Media Bureau found these freezes no longer necessary, and they will be lifted effective November 27.

Specifically, the bureau is lifting the following freezes: (1) petitions for rulemaking to change channels in the DTV Table of Allotments; (2) petitions for rulemaking for new DTV allotments; (3) petitions to swap in-core channels; (4) petitions for rulemaking to change communities of license; and (5) modification applications that increase a full-power or Class A station's service area beyond an area that is already served. There are currently no freezes on filing minor modification, displacement or digital companion channel applications for low power TV and TV translator stations, but the bureau is keeping in place the existing freeze on filing applications for new low power TV/translator stations.

Further information about the lifting of these freezes, including procedures for filing minor modification applications and petitions, can be found in the Media Bureau's notice.