PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
445 12th STREET, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554                                                     

News media information 202/418-0500     Fax-On-Demand  202/418-2830     Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov    ftp.fcc.gov
                                    Released:  December 7, 1999
                                                     DA 99-2739

"community broadcasters protection act of 1999"  SETS DEADLINE OF
DECEMBER 31,1999 FOR FULL SERVICE TV STATIONS TO FILE LETTERS OF
            INTENT TO MAXIMIZE THEIR DTV FACILITIES
                                
On November 29, 1999, the Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1999 (Act) was signed
into law.  That legislation provides for the establishment of a new primary status "Class A" license
for qualifying low power television (LPTV) stations.  The Act directs the Commission to grant a
"certification of eligibility" to apply for a Class A license to LPTV station licensees who certify
within 60 days of enactment that their stations meet certain statutorily-established qualifications. 
Generally, the service areas of LPTV stations granted this designation are to be preserved against
electromagnetic interference until final resolution of their applications for Class A licenses. 

The Act, however, provides that the service areas of Class A-designated stations are not
preserved with respect to commercial and noncommercial educational DTV stations seeking to
replicate their analog services area, nor from "maximized" DTV facilities for which applications
or notices of intent to maximize were filed by December 31, 1999.  Commercial and
noncommercial educational DTV applicants filing notices of intent to maximize must also file their
maximization applications by May 1, 2000.  Maximization is a term that describes DTV station
operations with an effective radiated power (ERP) and/or antenna height above average terrain
(HAAT) which exceed a station's initially allotted ERP and/or HAAT  (See Appendix B of the
Second Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration of the Fifth and Sixth Report and
Orders in MM Docket No. 87-268, which is available on the FCC's web site at
http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/). 

The notice of intent to file a DTV maximization application must be filed with the Commission by
December 31, 1999, and should be directed to H. John Morgan, Assistant Chief (Engineering),
Video Services Division, Mass Media Bureau, FCC, Room 2-C864, 445 12th St., SW,
Washington, D.C. 20554. The actual technical facilities to be proposed in the application need not
be stated in the letter.  A record of stations filing these letters will be available at the FCC web site
at http://www.fcc.gov/mmb/vsd/dtvstatus.html, in January 2000.

For further information, please contact H. John Morgan at (202) 418-1600.

By:  Chief, Mass Media Bureau
                                   -FCC-