The Orono, Me., TV station offering PBS programming to the community and its surrounding region has asked the FCC for a swap of its VHF signal for a more powerful UHF facility.
The Media Bureau’s Video Division has received a petition for rulemaking filed by Maine Public Broadcasting Corp. that seeks to exchange VHF Channel 9 for UHF Channel 22 for its WMEB-TV.
As has been stated in similar petitions involving commercially licensed broadcast TV licensees, Maine Public shares that although the new facilities results in a slight reduction in the predicted population served by WMEB, the proposed channel change would result in first service “to a substantial number of persons.”
And, much of the predicted loss is in areas served by two other Maine Public PBS Member stations.
After reviewing the matter, the Video Division Chief, Barbara Kreisman, believes the proposal warrants consideration. As such, a comment period is to open. The Comment Date is some 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. That’s followed by a Reply Comment Date some 45 days after said publication.
