The Media Bureau’s Video Division has approved a rule change to switch the channel allotment of KENV-DT, a television station based in Elko, Nev., operated by Sinclair Inc. through a shared services agreement, to a UHF channel.
KENV will be relocating from VHF channel 10 to UHF channel 20. The decision followed a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in response to a petition filed by Reno Licensee Inc., affiliated with Cunningham Broadcasting, the entity that owns KENV-DT.
The switch to UHF from VHF is expected to resolve signal reception issues experienced by viewers on channel 10. The petitioner highlighted challenges associated with VHF for digital television service, which include interference from undesired signals and noise over far distances and poor performance of most antennas on high VHF channels.
The petitioner stated that the station had received numerous complaints from local viewers who were unable to receive KENV-DT’s over-the-air signal. Therefore, the channel substitution is anticipated to enhance viewer reception in the station’s service area.
An analysis using the Commission’s TVStudy software indicated that no individuals within the station’s current noise-limited contour will lose service due to the change. In fact, an additional 1,367 people are expected to gain service from the station.
The Bureau agreed that the proposed change could be made in compliance with the principal community coverage requirements. It stated that the substitution would be in the public interest as it would not result in any loss of service, and would indeed improve reception for viewers in KENV-DT’s service area, as well as providing new service to people who are currently unable to receive the station. The channel change also meets the technical requirements laid out in the rules.
The Bureau decided to make the channel change effective immediately upon its publication in the Federal Register. This expedited timeline was deemed necessary to ensure that KENV-DT could provide improved service to its viewers as quickly as possible.
Following the decision, Cunningham is required to submit a minor change application for a construction permit specifying channel 20 within ten days of the rule change becoming effective.
