Gray Television will divest seven TV stations to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Broadcasting for $380 million, in connection with its proposed $925 million buy of Quincy Media, Gray announced Thursday. The stations are owned by Quincy in markets where Gray has overlaps, such as Tucson and Madison, Wisconsin. Gray/Quincy isn’t expected to hit regulatory snags (see 2102010072). The divestiture will close when the Quincy deal does, expected in Q3, Gray said. “At no time will Gray own, control or operate any of the divestiture television stations.” Allen repeated in the release that he plans to invest about $10 billion over the next two years to buy top four network stations “with the goal of being the largest broadcast television group in America.”

OMB approved data collection aspects of the FCC order allowing stations to use all-digital AM tech, says Thursday's Federal Register. The rule takes effect Thursday (see Notebook, 2010270035).

Comments are due May 28, replies June 14 in docket 21-156 for Sinclair's request to swap KBOI-TV Boise from channel 9 to 20, says Wednesday's Federal Register.

America-CV Station Group wants the FCC to allow the company to be up to 100% foreign owned due to a bankruptcy reorganization, said an undocketed petition for declaratory ruling posted Tuesday. The agency already OK'd transfers of control associated with the reorganization, transferring ACV’s four TV stations in Puerto Rico and one in Miami to Vasallo TV Group, which is owned by Spanish citizen Carlos Vasallo, the filing said. The bureau asked ACV to refile its petition after the transfer, it said. ACV was 21.9% foreign-owned before the bankruptcy, it said.

Requirements for qualifying for special bidding credits for new entrants in the FCC’s July 27 auction of radio construction permits -- auction 109 -- will be relaxed because of the Supreme Court’s recent Prometheus ruling (see 2104010067), said a public notice Tuesday. That decision restored the FCC revenue-based definition of eligible entities, and the rules allow investors and creditors of eligible entities to have bigger stakes in existing media properties and still qualify for new entrant bidding credits. The bidding credit provides a discount on the bid amount (see 2102080064). “This relaxed [equity/debt plus] standard was unavailable to applicants in recent auctions due to ongoing litigation, which was resolved by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision,” the PN said. Normally, an entity can’t qualify for the new entrant credit if its equity and debt interests in mass media exceed 33% of its total asset value, but if an eligible entity is part of that calculation, it can exceed that threshold, the PN said.

The FCC Media Bureau approved channel change requests, said orders in Monday’s Daily Digest. KHGI Licensee’s request to swap KHGI Kearney, Nebraska, from channel 13 to 18 was granted, along with Gray Television's requests to swap KCBD Lubbock, Texas, from channel 11 to 36 and WTOC-TV Savannah from 11 to 23. The bureau will seek comment in docket 21-185 on Sinclair’s request to change KTVM-TV Butte, Montana, from channel 6 to 20.

Revised FCC rules for distributed transmission systems take effect May 24, said a Media Bureau public notice in Monday’s Daily Digest. The changes loosen interference requirements to make it easier for broadcasters to employ the technology -- also called single frequency networks -- which is widely considered important to realize ATSC 3.0’s potential (see 2101190078).

The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecom Services Sector is reviewing iHeartMedia’s foreign ownership petitions, said a letter to the FCC posted Monday in docket 21-141 (see 2104090048). The FCC “will be notified when the Chair has determined that responses to the Committee’s initial request for information are complete and the 120-day initial review period can begin,” the letter said.

PMCM’s appeal of FCC grant of a distributed transmission system application from Connecticut Broadcasting will be decided without oral argument, said an order (in Pacer) Thursday in docket 20-1334 of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. “The court concludes, on its own motion, that oral argument will not assist the court in this case.” Oral argument had been set (in Pacer) for May 7.

Comments are due May 24, replies June 7 in docket 21-127 for WRGB Licensee’s request to switch to channel 35 from channel 6 for WRGB Schenectady, New York, said Friday's Federal Register. Dates are the same in docket 21-128 for Sinclair’s request to swap to channel 35 from channel 5 for WCYB-TV Bristol, Virginia. The Media Bureau granted KRCG Licensee’s request to move KRCG Jefferson City, Missouri, from channel 12 to 29 and Scripps’ request to switch KRIS-TV Corpus Christi, Texas, from channel 13 to 26, the FR said.