Comments Sought on Cross-Service FM Translator Auction 100 Proposed Procedures

Posted on October 31st, 2018 by

The FCC has released an October 19, 2018 public notice seeking comment on its proposed auction procedures and listing all twenty-seven remaining mutually exclusive applications that are subject to the auction, and their proposed upfront payment amounts. The applications are part of 13 mutually exclusive groups.

Not surprisingly, the rules look a lot like the last few FM translator auctions, including the requirement that even if an applicant does not qualify to bid in the auction by failing to file a Form 175 by the required deadline, the other applicant (in a two-applicant group) must bid in the first round of the auction to receive the permit.

The actual dates for Auction 100, including important deadlines, are not proposed in the public notice but will be announced after the FCC concludes this proceeding. Given that comment deadlines for the proposed procedures are November 15th (initial comments) and November 28th (reply comments), we suspect that Auction 100 will be conducted sometime in January 2019.