The FCC has winnowed the participants in the upcoming AM auction to 17.
The online auction for 22 construction permits is slated to begin May 6.
Auction 84 will resolve pending groups of mutually exclusive applications for AM construction permits stemming from a 2003 application window.
Of the qualified bidders, the highest upfront payment came from Royce International Broadcasting Co. and the Levine/Schwab partnership for $25,000 each for a new 1500 AM in the Los Angeles area.
Twenty-eight applicants were deemed not qualified to bid.
Qualified bidders have been automatically registered for the auction. Each bidder can participate either online or over the phone. The agency plans five rounds of bidding.
