Yesterday, the FCC released its further Public Notice announcing that the freeze on filing certain Class A LPTV applications will be lifted on August 4th. Previously, Class A stations had been frozen from expanding their authorized contours and from changing channels (displacing) while the DTV transition was underway. Because Class A stations receive protection as primary stations, the FCC needed to lock those stations down until it had completed the DTV Table of Allotments, which it has now done.
Accordingly, as of August 4th (nearly four years to the day that the freeze was first imposed), Class A LPTV stations will once again be able to seek to modify their contours and change channels. Applications filed prior to August 4th that requested a waiver of the freeze will be treated as having been filed on the 4th. Thereafter, changes will be on a first come, first serve basis. A copy of the public notice is available here.