§  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
   (§ 73.606(b)) (other than those also expressly requesting amendment of
   this section or § 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 § 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 § 73.610.
   Thereafter, the provisions of said section shall be applicable.

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

   (1)
   Zone               Kilometers
           Channels 2–13      Channels 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 § 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
   § 73.698 must be met in either rule-making proceedings looking towards
   the amendment of the Table of Assignments (§ 73.606(b)) or in licensing
   proceedings. No channel listed in column (1) of Table II of § 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 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)
   Fm Class TV Zone I TV Zones II & 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, 303))

   [ 28 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]