The FCC has scheduled its latest auction of vacant FM allotments for Jan. 10, 2007. In order to participate in this auction, potential bidders will need to file an electronic “short form” FCC Form 175 by 6 p.m. Eastern time on Nov. 13, 2006. No filing fee or engineering will be required at that time. However, the “upfront payment/minimum bid amount” for each station desired will have to be wired to the FCC by Dec. 11, 2006. During the auction, bids will be accepted electronically or by telephone.
A “new entrant bidding credit” will be given to those who have three or fewer other media interests (full power broadcast stations, cable systems, daily newspapers or DBS transponders), so long as none of those media interests serve the same area as the FM station on which the owner is bidding. The bidding credit is 35 percent for those who have no other media interests, and 25 percent for those who have an ownership interest in one, two or three other non-local mass media facilities.
In separate but related matters, the FCC will not be accepting minor change applications for any FM stations during the auction application filing window, from Nov. 6, 2006 through Nov. 13, 2006, or any counter-proposals that would affect the allotments on Schedule A. These short-term freezes will avoid potential conflicts with the vacant allotments.
The Commission is planning to auction 124 additional FM construction permits in March 2007. Details of that auction will be provided at a later date.
Please contact us if you would like more information regarding the available allotments or the application/auction process.