# 2026-01279: Low-Power TV Gets FCC Overhaul for Smoother Airwaves 2026-01279, Advancement of the Low Power Television, TV Translator and Class A Television Service, is a Federal Register rule from Federal Communications Commission published 2026-01-23, effective 2026-02-23 (as of 2026-06-11). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01279 - As of: 2026-06-11 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2026-01279 - Title: Advancement of the Low Power Television, TV Translator and Class A Television Service - Type: Rule - Agencies: Federal Communications Commission - Citation: 91 FR 2861 - Published: 2026-01-23 - Effective: 2026-02-23 - Comments close: not stated - Significant: no - Touches household money: no - Regulation identifier numbers: none - Last updated: 2026-06-11 ## In one line Low-Power TV Gets FCC Overhaul for Smoother Airwaves ## 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. ## Abstract In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopts certain changes to its rules concerning Class A television, low power television and TV translator stations (LPTV Service). These include operational and technical rule updates aimed at providing clarity and regulatory certainty to licensees so they can make informed business decisions about their station operations and to ensure that the public continues to benefit from their operations. ## Effects PRIA read - Relocation measured from antenna coordinates: benefit, low. 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 mov… - 49.1 km relocation limit and waiver rules: mixed, medium. 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… - Community-of-license (COL) designation rule: cost, low. 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… - No new minimum operating hours required: benefit, low. 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 automatical… - Video program signal clarified (primary stream): cost, low. 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 a… - Formal process to change station designation: cost, low. 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 desi… - TV translator call sign standard enforced: cost, low. 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 gr… - Class A / LPTV call sign rules and grandfathering: mixed, low. 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… - EAS obligations clarified for translators: mixed, low. 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 n… - Channel 14 emission mask requirement: cost, low. 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 fa… - Ban on operations above channel 36: cost, low. 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: benefit, low. 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 agreements: signed, disclosed, maintainable: mixed, medium. 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 inte… - Interference/displacement thresholds and bases clarified: benefit, low. 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), interfer… - Elimination of 30-day public notice for displacement: benefit, medium. 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. - Maximum interference grid resolution codified: benefit, low. 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. ## Related documents - [2026-20591](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20591): Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20590](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20590): Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20676](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20676): Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20607](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20607): Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20681](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20681): Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 2026-10-08 - [2026-20486](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20486): Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, 2026-10-06 ## Sources - [2026-01279 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/23/2026-01279/advancement-of-the-low-power-television-tv-translator-and-class-a-television-service) - [2026-01279 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-23/pdf/2026-01279.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2026-01248, Security Zone; Corpus Christi and La Quinta Ship Channel, Corpus Christi, TX](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01248) - [Next: 2026-01284, Fraser River Panel Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Orders](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01284) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-01279 (as of 2026-06-11).