The FCC Media Bureau listed just over 300 analog low-power TV and TV translator stations that are at risk of having their licenses canceled if they don’t have a DTV construction permit by the July 13 deadline for those stations to transition to digital. “To avoid automatic cancellation of their station license, remaining analog LPTV/translator stations that do not have a digital construction permit should immediately file an application,” the public notice said. Construction permits for new digital LPTV and translator stations granted before Dec. 17, 2015, have the analog shut-off deadline as their expiration, said another PN Friday. Those facilities need to be constructed and operating by July 13 and to have filed a license to cover application within 10 days, the PN said: “Failure to do so will result in the construction permit being automatically forfeited without any further affirmative cancellation by the Commission.” Requests for waivers or extensions should be filed immediately, the PNs said.

The FCC should issue an NPRM on a CTIA and USTelecom proposal to do away with regulatory burdens for pro forma transactions, NAB told aides to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, per a filing posted Friday in docket 17-105. “A single non-substantial internal transaction can result in filing requirements that strain resources, delay business decisions and divert sparse resources,” it said. Broadcasters have sometimes “opted to temporarily maintain a suboptimal corporate structure due to concerns that a pro forma application could delay or complicate other pending regulatory approvals,” NAB said. Apply “a uniform approach” to pro forma transactions across platforms, it said.

The FCC should adopt Gray Television’s proposal to allow alternative methods for broadcasters to demonstrate their stations are significantly viewed in a market, Gray told aides to Commissioner Nathan Simington, per a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-73. Gray wants the FCC to let broadcasters use Longley-Rice signal reach data in lieu of Nielsen viewership numbers (see 2005150062). Gray also urged the agency to change its rules to facilitate local news production and to update its definition of MVPDs “to account for the significant technological and marketplace changes since the Commission adopted its current rules.”

FCC Media Bureau approval of Gray Television’s request for a channel switch for KAIT Jonesboro, Arkansas, from 8 to 27 took effect Wednesday, said that day's Federal Register.

The FCC should grant Global Media & Entertainment Investments’ request for a declaratory ruling to own up to 49.99% of iHeartMedia over the radio broadcaster's objections, said a GMEI filing posted in docket 21-141 Wednesday. The radio broadcaster’s arguments (see 2105250041) that only the licensee can petition for such “would set a new, dangerous precedent that the Commission cannot veer from the level of advance approval,” said GMEI, which is controlled by U.K. citizens. IHeart sought permission for GMEI to own up to 14.99%. “Acceptance of iHeart’s theory would undermine the Commission’s ability to perform its obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act and otherwise deprive it of its authority to make a public interest determination based on the full record before it,” said GMEI.

ATSC will return its Next Gen Broadcast Conference and annual member meeting to an in-person event Aug. 25-26 at the Reagan Building in Washington, blogged President Madeleine Noland Tuesday. “We’ll be moving to a different room in the vast complex and will also plan to livestream the event.” Doing the conference as a physical event with a virtual component cleared a big hurdle when Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser's (D) May 17 order lifted COVID-19 capacity restrictions on large business gatherings (see 2105240054).

The FCC Media Bureau's seeking new comments on 2018's quadrennial review “is a positive step toward ensuring that the pillars of diversity, localism and competition are fully considered in determining what future media ownership regulation should look like,” tweeted Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. The original QR comment period ended in May 2019. “Given the passage of time since the prior comment period ended ... [and] the Supreme Court’s recent decision, we now seek further comment to update the record,” said Friday’s public notice, referring to SCOTUS' reversal of Prometheus IV (see 2104010067). The agency seeks comment on any materials filed in docket 18-349 since the comment period ended, on how the media market has changed since then, and on effects of COVID-19 and the rise in online video and spread of ATSC 3.0. The PN mentioned evidence that the pandemic didn’t affect retransmission consent revenue, asked about increasing use of online news sources, and questioned whether the FCC should account for multicast streams and satellite stations in the local TV rule. “Have recent industry developments altered the incentives or behavior of any market participants in ways that are relevant to this proceeding?” the PN asked. Comments are due 30 days after publication. “It may well be sometime in the Fall before the comment cycle for the updated comments runs its course,” broadcast lawyer David Oxenford blogged Monday. “Don’t look for any FCC action until 2022, presumably after a permanent Chair of the FCC is appointed and the vacant FCC seat is filled.”

The FCC Media Bureau reinstated media ownership rule changes resurrected by Supreme Court reversal of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ Prometheus IV (see 2104010067), said an order Friday’s. “The Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule, the Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule, and the Television Joint Sales Agreement Attribution Rule are eliminated, and the Local Television Ownership Rule and Local Radio Ownership Rule are reinstated.” Such actions are ministerial, and rules have effectively been in operation since SCOTUS ruled (see 2105070053). The bureau said it's revising forms for assignment, transfer of control and FM construction permit applications.

Channel substitutions in St. George, Utah, and Amarillo took effect Thursday, said the Federal Register. KUTV Licensee’s KMYU St. George swapped from Channel 9 to 21, and KVII Licensee’s KVII-TV Amarillo switched from 7 to 20.

Bidding on four AM construction permits and 136 FM CPs begins July 27, said an FCC Media Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics public notice on Auction 109 Thursday. The bureau received 158 short form applications, of which 107 are complete. Fifty are incomplete, and one was rejected, the PN said. Corrected applications are due June 16.