The FCC Media Bureau approved channel change requests, said orders in Monday’s Daily Digest. KHGI Licensee’s request to swap KHGI Kearney, Nebraska, from channel 13 to 18 was granted, along with Gray Television's requests to swap KCBD Lubbock, Texas, from channel 11 to 36 and WTOC-TV Savannah from 11 to 23. The bureau will seek comment in docket 21-185 on Sinclair’s request to change KTVM-TV Butte, Montana, from channel 6 to 20.

Revised FCC rules for distributed transmission systems take effect May 24, said a Media Bureau public notice in Monday’s Daily Digest. The changes loosen interference requirements to make it easier for broadcasters to employ the technology -- also called single frequency networks -- which is widely considered important to realize ATSC 3.0’s potential (see 2101190078).

The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecom Services Sector is reviewing iHeartMedia’s foreign ownership petitions, said a letter to the FCC posted Monday in docket 21-141 (see 2104090048). The FCC “will be notified when the Chair has determined that responses to the Committee’s initial request for information are complete and the 120-day initial review period can begin,” the letter said.

PMCM’s appeal of FCC grant of a distributed transmission system application from Connecticut Broadcasting will be decided without oral argument, said an order (in Pacer) Thursday in docket 20-1334 of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. “The court concludes, on its own motion, that oral argument will not assist the court in this case.” Oral argument had been set (in Pacer) for May 7.

Comments are due May 24, replies June 7 in docket 21-127 for WRGB Licensee’s request to switch to channel 35 from channel 6 for WRGB Schenectady, New York, said Friday's Federal Register. Dates are the same in docket 21-128 for Sinclair’s request to swap to channel 35 from channel 5 for WCYB-TV Bristol, Virginia. The Media Bureau granted KRCG Licensee’s request to move KRCG Jefferson City, Missouri, from channel 12 to 29 and Scripps’ request to switch KRIS-TV Corpus Christi, Texas, from channel 13 to 26, the FR said.

The FCC filing window for applications for noncommercial educational FM construction permits will be open Nov. 2-9, said a Media Bureau public notice Wednesday. "The window is available for FM reserved band (channels 201-220) proposals." The agency adopted and deleted from Thursday’s commissioners' meeting agenda a PN setting the limit for the NCE FM window at 10 applications, said a deletion notice. That item was considered noncontroversial (see 2104200074). Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey said the 4-0 OK'd version had few changes from the draft, answering our question in a reporter Q&A Thursday.

Comments are due May 24, replies June 7 in docket 21-152 on Gray Television’s request for the allotment of DTV channel 9 at Freeport, Illinois, says Thursday's Federal Register. Entities seeking to participate in a hearing on Vandalia Media Partners 2’s license renewal application for WJEH Gallipolis, Ohio, also have until May 24 to file a petition for leave to intervene in docket 21-118, the FR says.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr condemned Democrats in Congress over reports that they seek to pressure the FCC into blocking the sale of WSUA(AM) Miami over political viewpoints. Carr’s Monday evening statement referenced a report members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus want the FCC to oppose the sale. That report was retweeted by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla. “We can no longer allow conservative media to lead Spanish-language misinformation campaigns on Florida's Latino communities,” he said. “It's time for the FCC to intervene.” Carr responded that “the FCC has no business doing the Democrats’ bidding or using our regulatory process to censor political opinions that Democrats do not like.” He condemned “treating the FCC as merely an arm” of the Democratic National Committee and called “on my FCC colleagues to join me in publicly rejecting this attempt to inject partisan politics into our licensing process.” No other FCC commissioners released a similar statement Tuesday. Although no application for the sale of the station has been filed with the FCC, it has been reported that the deal would involve the station being sold to America CV Network by current owner WSUA Broadcasting.

The FCC Media Bureau canceled a notice of apparent liability against a school-affiliated radio station after learning that COVID-19 restrictions had affected access to the outlet and the licensee mistakenly believed it had filed a timely license renewal application, said an order Monday. MB changed a proposed $3,000 forfeiture for WCHW-FM Bay City, Michigan to an admonishment: Staff determined several renewal applications were begun in time but not filed. “Licensee misunderstood our electronic filing procedures,” the order said. The bureau changed a $6,000 proposed forfeiture to an admonishment for WKRA (AM/FM) Holly Springs, Mississippi, after licensee Billy Autry submitted tax returns demonstrating inability to pay.

The FCC Media Bureau is seeking comment on two channel substitution requests, said two NPRMs in Friday’s Daily Digest. Sinclair Boise Licensee wants to swap KBOI-TV Boise from channel 9 to 20 in docket 21-156, and KTVL Licensee wants to switch KTVL Medford, Oregon, from channel 10 to 16 in docket 21-155. Commenting dates will be determined after the items appear in the Federal Register.