(a) Except for assignments made pursuant to §73.213 or 73.215, FM allotments and assignments must be separated from other allotments and assignments on the same channel (co-channel) and five pairs of adjacent channels by not less than the minimum distances specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. The Commission will not accept petitions to amend the Table of Allotments unless the reference points meet all of the minimum distance separation requirements of this section. The Commission will not accept applications for new stations, or applications to change the channel or location of existing assignments unless transmitter sites meet the minimum distance separation requirements of this section, or such applications conform to the requirements of §73.213 or 73.215. However, applications to modify the facilities of stations with short-spaced antenna locations authorized pursuant to prior waivers of the distance separation requirements may be accepted, provided that such applications propose to maintain or improve that particular spacing deficiency. Class D (secondary) assignments are subject only to the distance separation requirements contained in paragraph (b)(3) of this section. (See §73.512 for rules governing the channel and location of Class D (secondary) assignments.)

(b) The distances listed in Tables A, B, and C apply to allotments and assignments on the same channel and each of five pairs of adjacent channels. The five pairs of adjacent channels are the first (200 kHz above and 200 kHz below the channel under consideration), the second (400 kHz above and below), the third (600 kHz above and below), the fifty-third (10.6 MHz above and below), and the fifty-fourth (10.8 MHz above and below). The distances in the Tables apply regardless of whether the proposed station class appears first or second in the “Relation” column of the table.

(1) Domestic allotments and assignments must be separated from each other by not less than the distances in Table A which follows:

Table A—Minimum Distance Separation Requirements in Kilometers (miles)

Open Table
Relation Co-channel 200 kHz 400/600 kHz 10.6/10.8 MHz
A to A 115 (71) 72 (45) 31 (19) 10 (6)
A to B1 143 (89) 96 (60) 48 (30) 12 (7)
A to B 178 (111) 113 (70) 69 (43) 15 (9)
A to C3 142 (88) 89 (55) 42 (26) 12 (7)
A to C2 166 (103) 106 (66) 55 (34) 15 (9)
A to C1 200 (124) 133 (83) 75 (47) 22 (14)
A to C0 215 (134) 152 (94) 86 (53) 25 (16)
A to C 226 (140) 165 (103) 95 (59) 29 (18)
B1 to B1 175 (109) 114 (71) 50 (31) 14 (9)
B1 to B 211 (131) 145 (90) 71 (44) 17 (11)
B1 to C3 175 (109) 114 (71) 50 (31) 14 (9)
B1 to C2 200 (124) 134 (83) 56 (35) 17 (11)
B1 to C1 233 (145) 161 (100) 77 (48) 24 (15)
B1 to C0 248 (154) 180 (112) 87 (54) 27 (17)
B1 to C 259 (161) 193 (120) 105 (65) 31 (19)
B to B 241 (150) 169 (105) 74 (46) 20 (12)
B to C3 211 (131) 145 (90) 71 (44) 17 (11)
B to C2 241 (150) 169 (105) 74 (46) 20 (12)
B to C1 270 (168) 195 (121) 79 (49) 27 (17)
B to C0 272 (169) 214 (133) 89 (55) 31 (19)
B to C 274 (170) 217 (135) 105 (65) 35 (22)
C3 to C3 153 (95) 99 (62) 43 (27) 14 (9)
C3 to C2 177 (110) 117 (73) 56 (35) 17 (11)
C3 to C1 211 (131) 144 (90) 76 (47) 24 (15)
C3 to C0 226 (140) 163 (101) 87 (54) 27 (17)
C3 to C 237 (147) 176 (109) 96 (60) 31 (19)
C2 to C2 190 (118) 130 (81) 58 (36) 20 (12)
C2 to C1 224 (139) 158 (98) 79 (49) 27 (17)
C2 to C0 239 (148) 176 (109) 89 (55) 31 (19)
C2 to C 249 (155) 188 (117) 105 (65) 35 (22)
C1 to C1 245 (152) 177 (110) 82 (51) 34 (21)
C1 to C0 259 (161) 196 (122) 94 (58) 37 (23)
C1 to C 270 (168) 209 (130) 105 (65) 41 (25)
C0 to C0 270 (168) 207 (129) 96 (60) 41 (25)
C0 to C 281 (175) 220 (137) 105 (65) 45 (28)
C to C 290 (180) 241 (150) 105 (65) 48 (30)

(2) Under the Canada-United States FM Broadcasting Agreement, domestic U.S. allotments and assignments within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the common border must be separated from Canadian allotments and assignments by not less than the distances given in Table B, which follows. When applying Table B, U.S. Class C2 allotments and assignments are considered to be Class B; also, U.S. Class C3 allotments and assignments and U.S. Class A assignments operating with more than 3 kW ERP and 100 meters antenna HAAT (or equivalent lower ERP and higher antenna HAAT based on a class contour distance of 24 km) are considered to be Class B1.

Table B—Minimum Distance Separation Requirements in Kilometers

Open Table
Relation Co-Channel Adjacent Channels I.F.
0 kHz 200 kHz 400 kHz 600 kHz 10.6/10.8 MHz
A-A 132 85 45 37 8
A-B1 180 113 62 54 16
A-B 206 132 76 69 16
A-C1 239 164 98 90 32
A-C 242 177 108 100 32
B1-B1 197 131 70 57 24
B1-B 223 149 84 71 24
B1-C1 256 181 106 92 40
B1-C 259 195 116 103 40
B-B 237 164 94 74 24
                   
B-C1 271 195 115 95 40
B-C 274 209 125 106 40
C1-C1 292 217 134 101 48
C1-C 302 230 144 111 48
C-C 306 241 153 113 48

(3) Under the 1992 Mexico-United States FM Broadcasting Agreement, domestic U.S. assignments or allotments within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the common border must be separated from Mexican assignments or allotments by not less than the distances given in Table C in this paragraph (b)(3). When applying Table C—

(i) U.S. or Mexican assignments or allotments which have been notified internationally as Class A are limited to a maximum of 3.0 kW ERP at 100 meters HAAT, or the equivalent;

(ii) U.S. or Mexican assignments or allotments which have been notified internationally as Class AA are limited to a maximum of 6.0 kW ERP at 100 meters HAAT, or the equivalent;

(iii) U.S. Class C3 assignments or allotments are considered Class B1;

(iv) U.S. Class C2 assignments or allotments are considered Class B; and

(v) Class C1 assignments or allotments assume maximum facilities of 100 kW ERP at 300 meters HAAT. However, U.S. Class C1 stations may not, in any event, exceed the domestic U.S. limit of 100 kW ERP at 299 meters HAAT, or the equivalent.

Table C—Minimum Distance Separation Requirements in Kilometers

Open Table
Relation Co-Channel 200 kHz 400 kHz or 600 kHz 10.6 or 10.8 MHz (I.F.)
A to A 100 61 25 8
A to AA 111 68 31 9
A to B1 138 88 48 11
A to B 163 105 65 14
A to C1 196 129 74 21
A to C 210 161 94 28
AA to AA 115 72 31 10
AA to B1 143 96 48 12
AA to B 178 125 69 15
AA to C1 200 133 75 22
AA to C 226 165 95 29
B1 to B1 175 114 50 14
B1 to B 211 145 71 17
B1 to C1 233 161 77 24
B1 to C 259 193 96 31
B to B 237 164 65 20
B to C1 270 195 79 27
B to C 270 215 98 35
C1 to C1 245 177 82 34
C1 to C 270 209 102 41
C to C 290 228 105 48

(c) The distances listed below apply only to allotments and assignments on Channel 253 (98.5 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 TV Channel 6 allotment or assignment are not met:

Minimum Distance Separation From TV Channel 6 (82-88 MHz)

Open Table
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

[48 FR 29504, June 27, 1983, as amended at 49 FR 10264, Mar. 20, 1984; 49 FR 19670, May 9, 1984; 49 FR 50047, Dec. 26, 1984; 51 FR 26250, July 22, 1986; 54 FR 14963, Apr. 14, 1989; 54 FR 16366, Apr. 24, 1989; 54 FR 19374, May 5, 1989; 54 FR 35338, Aug. 25, 1989; 56 FR 27426, June 14, 1991; 56 FR 57293, Nov. 8, 1991; 62 FR 50256, Sept. 25, 1997; 65 FR 79776, Dec. 20, 2000]


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