Sec. 73.610  Minimum distance separations between stations.

    (a) The provisions of this section relate to allotment separations 
and station separations. Petitions to amend the Table of Allotments 
(Sec. 73.606(b)) (other than those also expressly requesting amendment 
of this section or Sec. 73.609) will be dismissed and all applications 
for new TV broadcast stations or for changes in the transmitter sites of 
existing stations will not be accepted for filing if they fail to comply 
with the requirements specified in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of this 
section.

    Note: Licensees and permittees of television broadcast stations 
which were operating on April 14, 1952 pursuant to one or more 
separations below those set forth in Sec. 73.610 may continue to so 
operate, but in no event may they further reduce the separations below 
the minimum. As the existing separations of such stations are increased, 
the new separations will become the required minimum separations until 
separations are reached which comply with the requirements of 
Sec. 73.610. Thereafter, the provisions of said section shall be 
applicable.

    (b) Minimum co-channel allotment and station separations:
    (1)

                                                                                                
                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
                                                                                     Kilometers 
                
                               Zone                                -----------------------------
----------------
                                                                        Channels 2-13          C
hannels 14-69   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
I.................................................................    272.7 (169.5 miles)    248
.6 (154.5 miles)
II................................................................    304.9 (189.5 miles)    280
.8 (174.5 miles)
III...............................................................    353.2 (219.5 miles)    329
.0 (204.5 miles)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------

    (2) The minimum co-channel distance separation between a station in 
one zone and a station in another zone shall be that of the zone 
requiring the lower separation.
    (c) Minimum allotment and station adjacent channel separations 
applicable to all zones:
    (1) Channels 2-13 95.7 kilometers (59.5 miles). Channels 14-69 87.7 
kilometers (54.5 miles).
    (2) Due to the frequency spacing which exists between Channels 4 and 
5, between Channels 6 and 7, and between Channels 13 and 14, the minimum 
adjacent channel separations specified above shall not be applicable to 
these pairs of channels (see Sec. 73.603(a)).
    (d) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) 
of this section, the minimum assignment and station separations between 
stations on Channels 14-69, inclusive, as set forth in Table II of 
Sec. 73.698 must be met in either rule-making proceedings looking 
towards the amendment of the Table of Assignments (Sec. 73.606(b)) or in 
licensing proceedings. No channel listed in column (1) of Table II of 
Sec. 73.698 will be assigned to any city, and no application for an 
authorization to operate on such a channel will be granted, unless the 
distance separations indicated at the top of columns (2) through (7), 
inclusive, are met with respect to each of the channels listed in those 
columns and parallel with the channel in column (1).
    (e) The zone in which the transmitter of a television station is 
located or proposed to be located determines the applicable rules with 
respect to co-channel distance separations where the transmitter is 
located in a different zone from that in which the channel to be 
employed is located.
    (f) The distances listed below apply only to allotments and 
assignments on Channel 6 (82-88 MHz). The Commission

[[Page 175]]

will not accept petitions to amend the Table of Allotments, applications 
for new stations, or applications to change the channel or location of 
existing assignments where the following minimum distances (between 
transmitter sites, in kilometers) from any FM Channel 253 allotment or 
assignment are not met:

       Minimum Distance Separation from FM Channel 253 (98.5 MHz)       
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             TV Zones II
                   Fm Class                      TV Zone I      & III   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.............................................           17           22
B1............................................           19           23
B.............................................           22           26
C3............................................           19           23
C2............................................           22           26
C1............................................           29           33
C.............................................           36           41
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Secs. 4, 5, 303, 48 Stat., as amended, 1066, 1068, 1082 (47 U.S.C. 154, 
155, ))

[28 303 FR 13660 , Dec. 14, 1963, as amended at  37 FR 25842 , Dec. 5, 1972;  44 FR 65765 , Nov. 15, 1979;  47 FR 35990 , Aug. 18, 1982;  50 FR 23698 , June 
5, 1985;  51 FR 44070 , Dec. 8, 1986;  54 FR 14964 , Apr. 14, 1989;  54 FR 16368 , Apr. 24, 1989;  54 FR 35340 , Aug. 25, 1989]