Certain Minor Changes in Broadcast Facilities Without a Construction Permit

The Report and Order (R&O) in MM Docket No. 96-58 adopts proposals made by the Commission in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (61 FR 15439, April 8, 1996) in this proceeding to streamline the Commission's rules and processes applicable to broadcast stations. These rule and process changes eliminate the construction permit requirement for certain minor changes to broadcast facilities, replacing the present two-step construction permit/license application process with a one-step modification-of-license application, filed after the broadcaster has implemented the permitted changes. The types of modifications permitted under the new process were chosen so that interference to other facilities would not be created by the changes. Additional rules sections were revised to make clarifications and to conform the rules to present policy.