The FCC Media Bureau approved Nexstar and WUTV Licensee's proposal to swap channels so Nexstar's WNLO Buffalo ends up with channel 36 and WUTV Buffalo with 32 (see 1904230074), said a public notice posted Wednesday on docket 19-118. There were no opposition filings, the PN said.

An Indiana church group filing labeled a petition to deny part of Nexstar buying Tribune and accusing Nexstar of preventing the church from having access to a translator station is incorrectly filed and on a contractual dispute that doesn't actually involve Nexstar, the TV broadcaster said in an opposition filing posted Wednesday. The New Beginnings Movement doesn't have standing to oppose Nexstar/Tribune, and its petition was filed in the consolidated database system rather than in docket 19-30, Nexstar said. New Beginnings' filing accuses Nexstar of denying access to public inspection files at WNDY-TV Marion, Indiana, and WISH-TV Indianapolis, and both Nexstar and Urban One of preventing New Beginnings from accessing the church group's translator site. Nexstar has a lease agreement on a WISH tower with Urban One but no lease or agreement with New Beginnings, Nexstar said. The FCC “has repeatedly held that it is not the forum for private contractual disputes;' and even if it were, this dispute does not involve Nexstar,” the filing said. Since Nexstar isn't a party to any deal with New Beginnings, it isn't required to provide New Beginnings with site access, and FCC rules no longer require physical public files at stations, Nexstar said. New Beginnings and Urban One didn't comment.

The FCC received Office of Management and Budget Paperwork Reduction Act approval for its radio incubator program and is now accepting applications, said a Media Bureau public notice in Tuesday's Daily Digest and on docket 17-289. “Each incubation proposal must be approved by the Bureau in advance in order for the proposed relationship to qualify under the program,” the PN said. “The Bureau is also releasing updated versions of the instructions for FCC Forms 314, 315, and 301 to provide guidance for those seeking to file an incubation proposal as part of an application for an assignment, transfer of control, or new construction permit.” Entities to be incubated must be under a revenue cap and must certify they “would not be able to purchase a radio station or continue operating its struggling station without the support that the proposed incubation relationship will provide,” the PN said. After successful incubation relationship, the incubating entity will be eligible for a “reward waiver” of the local radio ownership rule in the same market as the incubation or a comparable one, the PN said. That comparable market provision is the subject of a challenge from the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters that was heard in the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals later Tuesday (see 1906110073).

Tegna will buy a pair of Midwest TV stations and a radio station from Dispatch Broadcast for $535 million cash, it said Tuesday. Changing hands are WTHR Indianapolis and WBNS Columbus, plus WBNS Radio. Tegna said WBNS joins its other Ohio TV stations, WKYC Cleveland and WTOL Toledo. The deal is expected to close in Q3. Tegna CEO Dave Lougee said the stations are a strategic and financial fit with its portfolio of big four affiliates in top markets.

The FCC Media Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics identified 16 applicants qualified to bid on 11 mutually exclusive cross-service FM translator construction permits in Auction 100 (see 1905160053), said a public notice In Monday's Daily Digest. Bidders for the auction set for June 25 include Christian Broadcasting, Family Talk Radio, Red Wolf Broadcasting, Salem Communications and Townsquare Media.

Beasley Broadcast is buying from Urban One WDMK(FM) Detroit and three translators in the area for $13.5 million, said Beasley and Urban One Monday. The purchase is “complementary to the Company’s three existing radio stations and digital operations in the Detroit market,” Beasley said. The deal’s expected to close in Q4.

Confirm digital low-power TV broadcasters will be allowed to operate analog FM “radio type services” on an ancillary basis, said LPTV broadcasters in meetings last week with aides to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr, Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, and Media Bureau staff, per a filing Monday in docket 03-185. "Preserve the capability of LPTV stations operating on channel 6 to continue broadcasting an aural signal that can be received on frequency 87.7 FM following the LPTV digital transition” in June 2021, said Prism TV, Venture Technologies, Weigel Broadcasting and others. LPTV broadcasters use an analog signal on 87.7 FM and channel 6 to provide content that's mainly geared toward ethnic minorities and “groups unable to find a home elsewhere on the FM dial,” they said. The bureau sought comment in 2014 on whether LPTV stations would be allowed to continue broadcasting an analog signal that can be heard on 87.7 FM after the digital transition, but never issued a decision. Comments were “near unanimously” in favor of allowing the LPTV broadcast, with NPR the only opposition, the LPTV interests said. "Act quickly or else this vital service will be lost once Channel 6 stations end analog operations.”

The FCC Media Bureau accepted for filing license renewal applications filed in the licensing and management system May 1-June 3, said a public notice in Friday’s Daily Digest. The accepted licenses are listed in an attachment to the PN.

The FCC Media Bureau, Incentive Auction Task Force and Office of Economics and Analytics released the procedures and rules for the Sept. 10 auction of mutually exclusive low-power TV and TV translator construction permits remaining from the post-incentive auction displacement window (Auction 104), in a public notice in Friday’s Daily Digest. There are six groups of mutually exclusive stations, and short-form applications are due July 22, the PN said.

The FCC should reject PMCM’s application for review of the move of WEDW Stamford, Connecticut, from Bridgeport, said WEDW’s licensee Connecticut Public Broadcasting in an opposition filing posted Friday in docket 18-126. PMCM argued the Media Bureau didn’t adequately consider changes to WEDW’s facilities, but Connecticut Public Broadcasting said the appeal was “a vehicle to collaterally attack” its application to use a distributed transmission system, which PMCM opposes in another proceeding. The Video Division “correctly found” that WEDW didn’t need to move its Bridgeport facilities to change its community of license, Connecticut Public Broadcasting said.