Expecting Money From The FCC Post-Incentive Auction?

If you're the owner of a full-power or Class A broadcast television station or are a multichannel video program distributor, and anticipate receiving a winning bid or seeking reimbursement funds from the Commission post-incentive auction, how will you get your money? The FCC has created an online tutorial to explain how this will work.

To see the tutorial, go to the Auction 1001 website and click on the "Education" tab.

All entities doing business with the FCC must update their information in the Commission Registration System (CORES), so the agency has the appropriate point of contact for payment and banking questions. The tutorial describes how to make changes in the updated version of CORES.

Those who expect to receive FCC payment(s) after the incentive auction must also submit additional data, including bank account information, after taking these initial steps to update their records. The changes to the system are designed to strengthen the security of records, improve the system's usability and improve the Commission's compliance with various statutes that govern debt collection and the collection of personal information, according to the FCC's Incentive Auction Task Force.

These required changes and updates include: (1) designating specific FCC Usernames to access FCC Registration Numbers (FRNs) and related records (multiple usernames for each FRN with different levels of access are permitted); (2) requiring valid email addresses for online access to the system; and (3) establishing password-recovery security questions specific to each Username.

Those who watch the online tutorial will learn how to update their FRN point of contact information as well as how to register for a new FCC Username Account; register for a new FRN; associate a Username to an existing FRN; reset a Username-Password; approve or reject an FRN Association Request; update FRN information; and administer a View FRN Financial Info Permission in CORES and the new FCC User Registration System. The agency says it's critical that it have complete and accurate CORES information for everyone who expects to receive an auction-related payment. Those who do should follow the procedures in the tutorial; the Commission plans to hold an additional webinar on post-auction payment processes in the future.