Television Broadcasting Services; Hampton-Norfolk, Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia-Elizabeth City, NC

Riepilogo

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association ("HRETA"), the licensee of noncommercial educational television station WHRO-TV, channel *16, Hampton-Norfolk, Virginia, requesting the reallotment of its channel *16 to Norfolk, Virginia-Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as Elizabeth City's first local TV service. HRETA also requests modification of station WHRO-TV's license to specify Norfolk, Virginia-Elizabeth City, North Carolina as its community of license. There is presently a freeze on the filing of television allotment rulemaking petitions, but since HRETA'S proposal contemplates no changes in the technical specifications of WHRO-TV, a grant of its request for a waiver of the freeze will not undermine the underlying purpose of the freeze. Waiving the freeze will serve the public interest by moving forth with HRETA's proposal to change its community of license to provide Elizabeth City with its first television broadcast station.