The Media Bureau’s Audio Division, on its own motion, is proposing to amend the Table of FM Allotments by substituting the FM channel or class for five existing vacant FM allotments located in various communities in Alabama, California, and Texas.
What led Assistant Chief Nazifa Sawez to act? Compliance with minimum distance separation requirements is the reason.
A recent staff engineering analysis determined that the following five vacant allotments do not comply with the FCC’s minimum distance separation requirements:
- Channel 221A, Hamilton, Alabama
- Channel 261B, Coalinga, California
- Channel 291A, Rocksprings, Texas
- Channel 221A, Silverton, Texas
- Channel 260C2, Spur, Texas.
In addition, vacant Channel 261B in Coalinga also does not comply with the city-grade coverage requirements of the Rules.
Sawez explains, “The Media Bureau periodically issues a Various Locations Order that amends the FM Table by reinstating FM channels that have become a vacant allotment due to the cancellation of the associated authorization. As contemplated by the Changes of Community R&O, when an authorization is cancelled, the vacant FM channel must be reinstated in the FM Table in order to be protected for spacing purposes and to preserve the opportunity to license a future station in the specified community.”
The Hamilton, Ala., vacant channel is short-spaced by 8km to WOWL-FM in Burnsville, Miss.
The Coalinga, Calif., vacant channel is short-spaced by just 6km to KMAK-FM in Orange Grove, Calif.
The Rocksprings, Tex., vacant channel is short-spaced by a mere 2km to KKVR-FM in Kerrville, Tex., while the Silverton vacant channel is short-spaced by 30km to a vacant channel in Turkey, Tex. The Spur vacant FM allotment is short-spaced by 7km to KCHT-FM in Childress, Tex.
What’s the FCC’s solution?
- the substitution of Channel 277A for vacant Channel 221A at Hamilton, Alabama
- the substitution of Channel 261B1 for vacant Channel 261B at Coalinga, California
- the substitution of Channel 289A for vacant Channel 291A at Rocksprings, Texas
- the substitution of Channel 261A for vacant Channel 221A at Silverton, Texas
- the substitution of Channel 281C2 for vacant Channel 260C2 at Spur, Texas
But, in order for this to happen, public input is required.
As such, a comment date was sent for November 21, with a Reply Comment Date affirmed for December 8, 2025. All comments must reference MB Docket No. 25-298.
