Post-Auction Repack Clocks Are Ticking

We’re just shy of two months into a 39-month post-television auction repack of all television stations between channels 2 and 36. Every affected station knows its assigned transition phase, and the various deadlines to get there. Next up is June 12, 2017, the deadline for stations that cannot build its post-auction facilities to ask for more time to file for a construction permit. July 12, 2017 is the deadline for all repacked and voluntarily relocating stations to file a construction permit application for their allotted facilities. And any repacked station must also file a Form 399 reimbursement expenses estimate by July 12, 2017 so the FCC can allocate funds for station channel change build outs.

By October 10, 2017, the FCC will want television stations being reimbursed for a channel change – and now, also those stations that accepted auction funds to voluntarily relocate – to begin filing quarterly transition progress reports so the FCC can keep tabs on how everyone is doing. And for stations being reimbursed, there’s always that Form 1876, the original of which has to be signed, notarized and submitted at some point so that a station bank account can ultimately be tethered to the US Treasury allocation for reimbursement proceeds. Oddly, there’s no deadline for that one. Just get it done in time to pay your first vendor.

And we never thought summer could be this fun, now did we? Need help? We’ve got that. Let us know.