1300 NORTH 17th STREET, 11th FLOOR ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22209 OFFICE: (703) 812-0400 FAX: (703) 812-0486 www.fhhlaw.com www.commlawblog.com DAVINA SASHKIN (703) 812-0458
[email protected] December 15, 2020 SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY VIA ECFS Ms. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Attn: Barbara Kreisman, Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau Re: Petition for Waiver to Allow Major Change Application WHNE-LD, Detroit, MI (Facility ID 168737) Dear Ms. Dortch: Tait Broadcasting, LLC (“Licensee”), licensee of digital low power television station WHNE-LD, Detroit, Michigan (Facility ID 168737), seeks waiver of the Commission’s policy to “freeze” major changes to existing low power television stations adopted in 2010.1 As demonstrated herein, the conditions necessitating the freeze are now moot and waiver will serve the public interest. WHNE-LD Ch. 3 Operations Cannot Serve the Viewers of the Community of License As a result of the post-Incentive Auction repacking of full-power and Class A television stations, WHNE-LD was displaced from its licensed UHF channel 20. The only channel then- available for displacement was low-VHF channel 3. As previously explained to the Commission in Licensee’s 2019 application for modification of license (LMS File No. 0000074644) and in its 1 Initiation of Nationwide First-Come, First-Served Digital Licensing for Low Power Television and TV Translators Postponed Until Further Notice, Public Notice, 25 FCC Rcd 8179 (MB 2010) (the “Major Change Freeze PN”). FLETCHER, HEALD & HILDRETH, P.L.C. December 15, 2020 Page 2 request for Special Temporary Authority for increased power operation (LMS File No.