The Federal Communications Commission may consider an auction of FM broadcast construction permits soon.
In sending its budget request for fiscal 2027 to Congress, it wrote that an initial public notice announcing an FM auction would list specific vacant allotments for which it would offer CPs.
It also may consider an auction of commercial FM translator stations in 2027. (The commission already plans a translator filing window for the noncommercial band later this year.)
The fiscal year starts in October of 2026.
The mentions of these possible actions were brief. The FCC told Congress that plans are pending the development of its overall schedule of upcoming auctions.
It said it also may auction mutually exclusive TV station construction permits. “The Media Bureau may provide an opportunity for existing Class A, LPTV and TV Translator stations to file major modification applications. The Media Bureau may also accept applications for new LPTV and TV translator stations. If such applications are mutually exclusive, after an opportunity for applicants to settle, an auction will be required to resolve the mutual exclusivity.”
Budget estimates
The commission’s budget estimates call for $398.3 million in spending authority from regulatory fee revenue, which would be down 4.3% from $416.1 million in FY 2026.
The FCC expects spending on salaries and expenses to fall to $531 million, down from $548.8 million in 2026.
It reported that the number of “full-time equivalent” employees will drop to 1,294, down from 1,404 this year. The FCC expects to achieve the reductions through “planned and early retirements and other attrition.”
In addition, it requested $132.7 million in budget authority for its spectrum auctions program, which would be the same as the 2026 enacted level.
In making the request, the agency reminded Congress that its spectrum auctions have generated over $233.5 billion for government use and that the cost of the program has been less than $2.8 billion or 1.2 percent of its revenue.
The agency did not provide a detailed breakdown of regulatory fees or how the decline in revenue might affect fees on TV and radio broadcasters. Those specifics are typically released mid-year.
The budget justification document is available here.
George Winslow of TV Tech contributed to this story.
