The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is set to consider a package of updated rules for low power television (LPTV) stations during its open meeting on December 18th. This initiative aims to provide regulatory clarity for a service that delivers free, over-the-air programming to millions of viewers across both rural and urban areas of the nation. The Report and Order, a key part of the December agenda, addresses technical and operational requirements for LPTV, TV translator, and Class A television stations, which have seen minimal updates since the service's inception over 40 years ago.
The new rules will impact how these stations calculate relocation distances, designate their communities of license, and manage their call signs. According to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, "We’re taking another step towards advancing the future of local broadcasting by voting on an order that delivers LPTV broadcasters added regulatory clarity to put their licenses to work. LPTV stations deliver free, over-the-air television services to millions of viewers nationwide, often serving small towns, rural communities, and the unique, hyper-local interests of niche viewers." Carr highlighted this in a November 25th blog post announcing the December meeting agenda. He further added, "This action updates our rules to reflect the changes in the broadcast industry since the LPTV service was established more than forty years ago and help LPTV broadcasters serve their communities effectively."
The LPTV service was initially created in 1982 to extend local television access to viewers in areas that were either unserved or underserved by full-power stations. Currently, there are approximately 1,759 licensed LPTV stations, 3,096 TV translators, and 397 Class A stations operating nationwide. These stations cater to specific communities with locally-produced programming, as well as retransmitting network and other content. Many of these stations operate in rural areas, providing the only available over-the-air television service, while others cater to niche audiences in urban markets.
Among the proposed changes, the FCC intends to establish consistent maximum relocation distances for minor modification applications and create a formal method for LPTV stations to designate their community of license. Stations will be required to designate a community with boundaries that overlap their protected service contour within six months of the rule’s effective date. The FCC will permit stations to use county names or commonly recognized names of unincorporated areas for their community designations, addressing concerns from operators serving rural locations. Application fees for community of license changes will be waived during the initial six-month compliance period.
Furthermore, stations will be required to use call signs that match their service designation, although existing call sign combinations will be grandfathered in. The rule changes will also allow LPTV and TV translator stations engaged in channel sharing to apply for their own independent channels through the major modification process. Fees for call sign changes will be waived for one year. The order also revises displacement rules to specify when stations qualify for protection, including instances of actual or predicted interference that exceed established thresholds. Predicted interference caused to full power stations must exceed 0.5 percent to qualify for displacement, while predicted interference received from full power stations must exceed 2 percent.
The FCC plans to eliminate the 30-day public notice period for displacement applications, which officials believe causes unnecessary service interruptions while stations await authorization to relocate. Displacement applicants will be required to include a brief exhibit explaining the basis for their displacement claim. The FCC will require stations to enter into signed written interference agreements that clearly state whether money or other consideration was exchanged, ensuring transparency in arrangements that allow stations to exceed standard interference thresholds. The order updates how relocation distances are calculated, switching from miles to kilometers to align with current technical standards.
The rules also codify a one square kilometer maximum grid resolution for interference analysis, although stations may use a finer 0.5 kilometer resolution if specified in their applications. The order clarifies Emergency Alert System equipment requirements for LPTV stations and updates technical rules intended to prevent interference between stations. For channel 14 operations, stations must specify either stringent or full-service mask filtering. The FCC also requires that all transmitters in a station’s distributed transmission system use the same emission mask to ensure accurate interference calculations.
However, the FCC decided against adopting several proposals that broadcasters argued would impose unnecessary burdens. These include minimum operating hour requirements for LPTV stations, limits on community of license changes, and restrictions on how often stations can change their service designation. The FCC had initially proposed requiring LPTV stations to operate at least 14 hours per calendar week but determined that this requirement would limit operational flexibility for stations serving niche audiences and small markets.
These rule revisions emerged from a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in June 2024 under docket MB 24-148. A related proceeding addressing political programming and online public file requirements for LPTV stations remains pending in a separate docket. The December meeting agenda also includes a third report and order on robocall prevention measures and a direct final rule eliminating approximately 35 obsolete regulations covering analog cable receivers and discontinued cordless phone technologies.