Low-Power TV Gets FCC Overhaul for Smoother Airwaves
Published Date: 1/23/2026
Rule
Summary
The FCC is updating rules for low power TV, Class A TV, and TV translator stations to make things clearer and easier for station owners. These changes help stations run better and keep viewers happy, starting February 23, 2026, with some parts coming later. If you own or work with these stations, get ready for smoother operations and clearer guidelines—no surprise costs announced.
Analyzed Economic Effects
16 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 6 costs, 4 mixed.
49.1 km relocation limit and waiver rules
The FCC set the minor modification relocation limit at no greater than 49.1 km from a station's current antenna reference coordinates. Stations that need to move farther may seek a waiver; waiver requests for relocations up to 49.1 km will be viewed favorably, and relocations beyond 49.1 km require showing circumstances beyond the station's control and that overlap/coverage to existing viewers is maximized.
Interference agreements: signed, disclosed, maintainable
If you use an interference agreement to resolve interference issues, the FCC now requires a signed written agreement to be submitted with any application exceeding a 2% interference threshold, and the agreement must disclose whether money or other consideration was exchanged. Previously agreed interference thresholds may be maintained when modifying facilities.
Elimination of 30-day public notice for displacement
The FCC removed the requirement that displacement applications be placed on public notice for at least 30 days before action. Displacement applicants may receive faster processing; interested parties can still file informal objections before action and seek reconsideration up to 30 days after grant.
Relocation measured from antenna coordinates
If you own or operate an LPTV, Class A, or TV translator station, the FCC will now measure relocation distances from your station's antenna reference coordinates instead of your community of license. The new distance standard is intended to more accurately reflect service area when you apply to move facilities.
Community-of-license (COL) designation rule
All LPTV, Class A, and TV translator stations must designate a rule-compliant community of license (COL) within six months of the rule's effective date and certify that the station's protected service contour overlaps that community. You must file a license modification application to designate or change a COL; filings made solely to comply within the six-month period are exempt from application fees.
No new minimum operating hours required
The FCC declined to adopt a set minimum operating-hours requirement for LPTV stations. Existing silence and notification rules remain: notify the FCC if off-air more than 10 days, seek authority if silent over 30 days, and licenses may be cancelled for 30+ days of unexplained silence or automatically expire after 12 consecutive months off-air.
Video program signal clarified (primary stream)
The FCC clarified that an LPTV station's required 'video program signal' cannot be met by test patterns, slides, or still pictures with unrelated audio; that requirement applies to the station's primary stream only (not multicast streams). Stations may still air test patterns or slides, but those alone do not satisfy the primary-stream video-signal obligation.
Formal process to change station designation
If you want to change a station's service designation (e.g., LPTV to TV translator or vice versa), you must file a license modification application electronically (Form 2100 Schedule D for LPTV/translator, Schedule F for Class A) and pay the required filing fee. The FCC did not limit how often designation changes may be made.
TV translator call sign standard enforced
All TV translator stations must use an alphanumeric call sign of the form K/W + channel number + two letters, plus the suffix '-D.' Thirty days after the R&O's effective date the FCC will automatically modify noncompliant translator call signs; existing noncompliant translator call signs are not grandfathered.
Class A / LPTV call sign rules and grandfathering
Class A and LPTV stations must use four-letter call signs with suffixes '-CD' (Class A) or '-LD' (LPTV). Existing Class A and LPTV call signs are grandfathered and need not change unless the station’s service designation changes or the licensee voluntarily modifies the call sign. Stations that opt to change to a compliant call sign have one year from the effective date; filings solely to comply within that year are fee-exempt.
EAS obligations clarified for translators
All stations with an LPTV designation generally must comply with Part 11 Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules. A TV translator that entirely rebroadcasts a Primary Station (including all EAS content) is not required to install EAS equipment; but a translator that airs locally originated content may need to install EAS equipment or monitor its Primary Station during local origination.
Channel 14 emission mask requirement
New channel 14 LPTV stations and channel 14 stations that modify facilities must specify either the 'stringent' or 'full service' emission mask and cannot use the 'simple' mask. Channel 14 stations licensed and operating without causing interference do not need to change masks unless they modify facilities.
Ban on operations above channel 36
The FCC prohibits LPTV/TV translator operations above channel 36 (out-of-core). The change deletes prior rules allowing continued out-of-core operation and becomes effective 30 days after publication of this document to give any remaining stations a final opportunity to relocate in-core.
DTS emission mask uniformity
For Distributed Transmission System (DTS) facilities, all transmitters for a station must use the same emission mask at each DTS site. A station may choose any permitted emission mask, but it must be consistent across its DTS sites; pending applications must comply before grant.
Interference/displacement thresholds and bases clarified
The R&O clarifies displacement eligibility: predicted interference 'caused' to a full-power TV station must exceed 0.5% to qualify; predicted interference 'received' must exceed 2% to qualify. The rule also explicitly includes displacement bases for interference to land mobile radio (LMR), interference to/from protected Canadian/Mexican TV facilities, and interference to TV translator input channels.
Maximum interference grid resolution codified
The FCC codified a one square kilometer grid as the maximum grid resolution for evaluating interference from LPTV Service facilities, while allowing finer resolutions (e.g., 0.5 km) if specified in an application exhibit.
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