The Federal Communications Commission has locked in the ground rules for what will be the agency’s first FM broadcast auction in several years, setting a detailed timetable that gives prospective bidders two months to prepare for Auction 114 before applications open this fall.
In a pair of public notices released Friday (AU Docket No. 26-105), the FCC finalized the procedures for the auction of 132 FM construction permits and established the filing deadlines that will culminate with bidding in February 2027. The agency also announced a temporary freeze on certain FM modification applications to prevent conflicts with the auction inventory.
The timetable calls for the short-form application (FCC Form 175) filing window to open Sept. 14 and close Sept. 30. Upfront payments are due Dec. 3, followed by a mock auction on Jan. 29, 2027 before bidding begins on Feb. 2, 2027.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr sees the auction as part of the FCC’s responsibility to ensure that spectrum is put to its highest and best use. “This FM auction is another step toward expanding opportunities for new voices and strengthening competition in the radio marketplace,” FCC Carr said. “We’re pleased to open the door to additional growth and innovation—and to deliver real value for taxpayers through a strong auction process.”
The auction will offer 132 new FM allotments, including 33 construction permits that were offered in previous auctions but either failed to sell or were returned to the Commission. As Inside Radio reported earlier, while most of the available permits are in smaller communities, several are located near fast-growing metropolitan areas that could attract heightened interest. Among them are a Class C2 allotment in Wharton, TX, southwest of Houston; a Class C3 permit in Wickenburg, AZ, on the outer edge of the Phoenix growth corridor; a Class C3 in Calhan, CO, east of Colorado Springs; and two Central Valley California allotments in Visalia and Firebaugh. Oak Harbor, WA, also stands out because of its ties to the broader Seattle-Tacoma region through Whidbey Island. The minimum opening bids for those permits range from $10,000 to $30,000.
The FCC estimates Auction 114 could draw between 130 and 260 applicants based on participation in previous FM auctions. Bidders will use the Commission’s simultaneous multiple-round auction format, with all permits available at the same time until no new bids are placed.
The procedures largely mirror those proposed in May, including anonymous bidding, upfront payment requirements, and a 20% default penalty for winning bidders that fail to complete the licensing process. The Commission also retained a new certification requiring applicants to acknowledge they understand the auction procedures and FM licensing requirements before participating.
The Commission has also rejected several requests to expand the auction inventory. Some commenters had urged the FCC to add additional vacant allotments in Utah, California, Oregon and Michigan, as well as dozens of other channels. The agency declined, saying some allotments were not yet legally available while others contained engineering defects or had not completed the rulemaking process.
“Due to practical and technical limitations, including staff resources, we are unable to offer every vacant FM channel designated…each time an auction of FM construction permits is announced,” it said. The FCC said many of the requested channels are expected to appear in future FM auctions.
Separately, the Media Bureau announced it will freeze the filing of FM minor change applications during the September 14-30 Form 175 filing window. The Bureau says the temporary freeze is intended to prevent new engineering proposals from becoming mutually exclusive with auction applicants’ preferred transmitter sites and to promote a more certain and speedy auction process.
This will be the first media auction conducted using the FCC’s new application and bidding systems. In January, the agency launched its new Auction Application System to improve auction efficiency and security.
See the list of FMs up for grabs HERE.