The FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on LPFM and Channel 6 TV issues, which we wrote about here, was published in the Federal Register today. This sets the deadline for comments in this proceeding as October 21, 2019, with reply comments due by November 4. This proceeding looks at issues including whether to remove all restrictions on LPFM stations’ use of directional antennas as well as whether such stations can use on-channel boosters to fill in gaps in their service areas. The rulemaking will also seek to resolve whether limitations should be lifted on locating FM educational stations near to TV channel 6 stations when the FM station is operating in the reserved band at the low end of the FM dial. The protections of these channel 6 TV stations from reserved-band FMs are based on the performance of analog TV receivers – which have not been a real concern for almost a decade since the TV digital transition. The rulemaking also seeks comments on whether LPTV stations operating on channel 6 can continue, after their digital conversion, to broadcast an analog audio signal capable of being received on most FM receivers (allowing these stations, sometimes referred to as “Franken FMs,” to operate as FM stations). If you are interested in any of these topics, be prepared to submit your comments to the FCC by October 21.