Report No. MM-838            MASS MEDIA ACTION                June 16, 1994


          MONTGOMERY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM GRANTED CP AND LICENSE 
                    FOR ITFS CHANNELS AT MONTGOMERY, AL

     The Commission has conditionally granted the application of
Montgomery Public School System for a construction permit and
license on Channel A1-A4 in the Instructional Television Fixed
Service (ITFS) at Montgomery, AL.  The Commission denied the
competing application of Barbour County Board of Education for ITFS
facilities at Society Hill, AL.

     When applicants are competing for the same or adjacent
channels in the same geographic area, each application is reviewed
pursuant to the Commission's comparative process.  This procedure
awards a maximum of 12 merit points based on five criteria deemed
to be most relevant to predicting the applicant best qualified to
provide the service for which the ITFS spectrum has been allocated.

     In this case, the Commission concluded that Montgomery was
entitled to four points for being local, three points for being
accredited, two points for observing the four-channel limitation,
and one point for proposing at least 21 hours of formal educational
programming per channel per week, for a total of 10 points.  
Barbour was awarded two points for observing the four-channel
limitation and one point for proposing at lease 21 hours of formal
educational programming per channel per week, for a total of three
points.  Thus, the selectee is Montgomery.

     Montgomery proposed to lease its excess capacity for non-ITFS
use, and submitted a copy of its lease with Capital Cable
Television, Inc.  However, two provisions of the lease do not
comply with the Commission's requirements for such leases. 
Accordingly, Montgomery's authorization was conditioned upon
conformity of the lease to FCC requirements.

     Action by the Commission June 6, 1994, by Memorandum Opinion
and Order (FCC 94-143).  Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello and
Barrett, with Commissioners Ness and Chong not participating.

                                   -FCC-

     News Media contact: Patricia A. Chew at (202) 418-0500.
     Mass Media Bureau contact: Jennifer A Johns at (202) 418-
1610.