FCC Announces Procedures and Deadlines for Upcoming Auction of Full Power TV Construction Permits

The FCC announced this week that Auction 112, an auction of 27 construction permits for full power TV stations, is set to begin on June 7, 2022. The auction procedures were set forth in a Public Notice, and participation will require certification that the applicant has read the public notice adopting procedures for the auction and that it has familiarized itself both with the auction procedures and with the requirements for obtaining a construction permit for a television broadcast station."

The filing window for Short-Form Applications (on FCC Form 175) will open on March 17th at 12:00 pm EST and close at 6:00 pm on March 30th. If you participate in the auction, remember that the FCC's prohibited communications rule kicks in after the deadline for filing a Short-Form Application. Under this rule, applicants are prohibited from cooperating or collaborating with each other regarding, communicating about, or disclosing the substance of an applicant's bids or bidding strategies, and may not discuss or negotiate settlement agreements with each other until after the down payment deadline. Upfront payments with a complete Remittance Advice Form (FCC Form 159) must be submitted by May 6th at 6:00 pm. A practice mock" auction will be held on June 3rd.

After bidding closes, winning bidders will be required to file in LMS a more detailed, Long-Form Application for Media Bureau Video Service Authorization to construct the new commercial TV station (on FCC Form 2100, Schedule A).

The auction is targeted to commence on June 7th. Detailed application instructions will be made available in the Education section of the Auction 112 website. But, as always, contact us at Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth if you have any questions or if you would like assistance participating in the auction.