The end-of-life for low power television and television translator stations operating on four specific UHF channels is nearing.
And, the Media Bureau on Tuesday sent out a reminder to all licensees of such stations that operations must cease in just six weeks’ time.
Specifically, low-power facilities using guard band/duplex gap channels — channels
38, 44, 45 and 46 — must cease operations no later than 11:59pm local time on July 13.
The reason is tied directly to the FCC Incentive Auction, completed in April 2017. It resulted in the re-purposing of television channels 38 to 51 as the new wireless 600 MHz Band.
The 600 MHz Band Plan is comprised of uplink and downlink bands, a duplex gap between these bands (the 600 MHz duplex gap), and a guard band between the downlink band and channel 37 (the 600 MHz guard band).
The July 13, 2020 deadline for LPTV/translator stations operating on guard band/duplex gap channels to cease operations is a hard deadline – no extensions of time will be considered by the Media Bureau.
LPTV/translator stations operating on guard band/duplex gap channels that have not yet filed an application for displacement channel between 2 and 36 (in core channel) remain eligible to do so. But, such stations are not eligible for reimbursement from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund.
