City channel numbers. There was also the potential that new entrants, which would almost universally be on UHF, would be disadvantaged by higher virtual channels than existing stations that began on VHF—a particular concern given the recent award of a national television network to Grupo Imagen. In December 2015, the Federal Telecommunications Institute opened a public comment period on public guidelines for the assignment of virtual channels, and on June 17, 2016, the IFT officially released the final version of the guidelines. The plan called for standardization of virtual channels according to network, not former analog position, with automatic assignment based on the programming information on file with the IFT; it also set a date of October 27 for a coordinated switch of all virtual channels. In early September, a full list of virtual channel assignments was released. The plan eliminated much of the local variance for national and regional networks. Prior to standardization, Canal 5, a national network, was seen on 25 different virtual channel numbers in different Mexican cities; the plan standardized it as channel 5 nationwide. In all, the IFT accredited nine national television networks and awarded them national rights to a virtual channel. Five were commercial: Azteca Trece (channel 1, changed from 13 at the request of TV Azteca); Las Estrellas (channel 2), Imagen (channel 3), Canal 5 (channel 5), and Azteca 7 (channel 7)). Additionally, the national public broadcasters received channels: Canal Once (channel 11), Una Voz con Todos (channel 14, later renamed Canal Catorce as a result), TV UNAM (channel 20), and Canal 22 (channel 22). The IFT also awarded common numbers to 14 regional networks (primarily operated by state governments) and virtual channels to nearly 100 local stations across the country. Local stations were mostly assigned to channels 4, 8, 10, 12, and less commonly 9, as well as other numbers. Some retained existing channel numbers, particularly if they broadcast on UHF in analog. Initially, channel 6 was reserved, in the event that a 2017 auction of local TV stations produced a national network; this did not come to pass, and Multimedios Televisión stations now use channel 6. The largest exception to standardization is on the US-Mexico border, where due to the presence of US stations on desired virtual channels and objections from the US Federal Communications Commission, 11 Mexican stations operate on virtual channels other than would be expected. In Tijuana, only