The next FM construction permit auction is set for July.
Auction 98 is set to begin on July 23. Some 131 CPs will be up for grabs, more than half of them in Texas.
Overall, the lowest minimum bid set by the agency is $500; that’s for three Texas CPs: a Class A in Guthrie, another Class A in Memphis and a Class C2 in Sanderson. The highest opening bids are $75,000 for a Class C2 in Columbia, Mo., another C2 in Longview, Texas, and a Class C in Toquerville, Utah.
Eighteen of the allocations either didn’t receive bids in previous auctions or the winners defaulted on the payments.
The Media Bureau has put a “freeze” in place on applications to modify any of the vacant nonreserved band FM allotments slated for the auction as well as on petitions to change the channel, class, community or reference coordinates for them as well. The bureau will kick out any applications, petitions and counterproposals that don’t protect Auction 98 allotments.
The FCC is asking for public comment on the competitive bidding procedures for this auction (to AU Docket 15-3) by April 1.
