Television Broadcasting Services Des Moines, Iowa

This document proposes to amend the Table of TV Allotments (Table) of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) rules in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Iowa Public Broadcasting Board (Licensee), the licensee of noncommercial educational PBS member television station KDIN-TV (KDIN-TV), Des Moines, Iowa (Des Moines). The Licensee holds a construction permit (CP) to construct a facility on UHF channel *34 at Des Moines, and now requests to substitute VHF channel *11 for UHF channel *34 in the Table, with the technical parameters as set forth in KDIN-TV's current license. The Media Bureau previously granted a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Licensee to substitute UHF channel *34 in place of VHF channel *11 at Des Moines. The Licensee states that it is now unable to complete construction of the channel *34 facility within the time specified on the construction permit, and therefore requests amendment of the Table to allow it to continue to operate on VHF channel *11 at its currently licensed technical parameters to provide uninterrupted service to viewers. Given that the Licensee proposes to utilize its currently licensed parameters, we believe VHF channel *11 can be substituted for UHF channel *34 at Des Moines as proposed, in compliance with the principal community coverage requirements. In addition, we find that this channel change meets the technical requirements as well as the Commission's interference protection requirements.