The FCC order relaxing interference rules for distributed transmission systems was a “misstep” and “includes significant factual errors, and contradictions,” said Microsoft in a petition for reconsideration of the ATSC 3.0-friendly change posted in docket 20-74 Monday. Adopt an expedited waiver process for broadcaster use of DTS that creates signal spillover exceeding "a minimal amount," Microsoft asked. The expedited waiver proposal was endorsed by then-Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and fellow Democrat Geoffrey Starks when the DTS order was approved 3-2 in January 2021 (see 2101190078), in one of the final acts under Ajit Pai. That FCC “impermissibly overlooked the substantial impacts to TVWS [TV white spaces] from the significantly increased range of DTS signals even without interference protection,” said Microsoft: Allowing “significantly more spillover by DTS transmitters outside of a broadcaster’s service area would greatly increase interference to TVWS operations."

The FCC Media Bureau seeks comment on petitions for channel substitutions. Scripps wants to swap KTNV-TV Las Vegas from 13 to 26, and KHQA Licensee wants to change KHQA-TV Hannibal, Missouri, from 7 to 22. Comment dates will be determined by Federal Register publication. WFXL Licensee’s WFXL Albany, Georgia’s change from Channel 12 to 29 is effective Monday, says that day's FR.

The FCC Media Bureau terminated the license hearing proceeding for WJEH(AM) Gallipolis, Ohio, after Vandalia Media filed a request to dismiss its own renewal application, said an order in Thursday’s Daily Digest. The hearing was initiated over WJEH’s record of silent periods and reduced power (see 2104020047).

The FCC Media Bureau approved three channel substitutions, in orders in Thursday’s Daily Digest. KVII Licensee’s KVII-TV Amarillo, Texas, will swap from 7 to 20, KUTV Licensee’s KMYU St. George, Utah, will change from 9 to 21, and Gray Television’s KAIT Jonesboro, Arkansas, will change from 8 to 27.

Switching Sinclair’s KBOI-TV Boise to Channel 20 (see 2104270084) would let it take advantage of better propagation of UHF signals and “prospective advantages of UHF broadcasting using the ATSC 3.0 standard,” said Sinclair comments posted Wednesday in FCC docket 21-156.

FCC FY 2021 proposed regulatory fees “inexplicably require broadcasters to pay for a portion of the $33 million that Congress expressly appropriated to pay for the implementation of the Broadband DATA Act,” which “neither regulates nor benefits broadcasters” and doesn’t involve the Media Bureau, NAB told Office of Managing Director staff. "For the third year in a row, the Commission has proposed a steep increase in regulatory fees for broadcasters,” which face revenue declines from the COVID-19 pandemic, per a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-190. The wireless industry pays a lower rate, NAB said. This is due to “the questionable exclusion of scores of” Wireless Bureau employees from the main budget and the proposal not using the full number of Wireless Bureau employees when calculating what carriers “should proportionately pay,” NAB said.

Scripps is working with Amazon Advertising to sell Amazon over-the-top inventory across IMDb TV, Twitch, network and broadcaster apps, and Amazon’s news apps to local businesses, it said Tuesday. Scripps launched Octane OTT in 2019 as a platform for local advertisers to reach cord cutters and cord nevers via streaming services. Scripps recently rolled out Octane Verify, an integrated linear and OTT attribution solution.

The FCC Media Bureau approved three TV channel swaps, per orders in Monday’s Daily Digest. WLUK Licensee’s WLUK-TV Green Bay, Wisconsin, will switch from Channel 12 to Channel 18, Gray Television's KCRG-TV Cedar Rapids from 9 to 32, and WFXL Licensee’s WFXL Albany, Georgia, from 12 to 29. MB will seek comment on WGEM Licensee’s request to swap to channel 19 from 10 for WGEM-TV Quincy, Illinois, an NPRM said.

Two Gray Television channel swaps take effect Friday, says that day's Federal Register. KFVS-TV Cape Girardeau, Missouri, will switch from 11 to 32, and WRDW-TV Augusta, Georgia, will move from 12 to 27.

Channel 6 low-power TV broadcasters face “financial and logistical pressure” from the coming July 13 deadline for LPTV stations to go digital and FCC silence on an LP-6 proposal based on ATSC 3.0, said LP-6 broadcaster George Flinn in a filing posted Thursday to docket 03-185. The deadline appears to require the channel 6 stations cease analog audio broadcasts -- receivable on FM radios -- that are their primary content, and stations propose offering the radio signal as an ancillary service and broadcasting video over ATSC 3.0 (see 2104300063). It isn’t clear if that idea will be acceptable to the Media Bureau. “Time is truly of the essence since FCC guidance is critical to the build-out path that must be taken (and the financial outlay which must be incurred),” Flinn said: The matter should get "expedited consideration.”