§ 73.207
Minimum distance separation between stations.
(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)
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
Relation
Co-Channel
0 kHz
Adjacent Channels
200 kHz
400 kHz
600 kHz
I.F.
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
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)
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]