If you’ve ever wanted your own radio station, you have another chance to get one – as long as it’s in one of the small or unrated markets up for auction.
The FCC has set July 27 as the tentative start date for FCC Auction 109, which will include 136 FM allotments nationwide and four AM frequencies in the St. Louis area. Most of the FM allotments are in unrated and small markets and were to have been included in an auction last year that was canceled due to the pandemic.
Regionally, they include:
- Dunkerton, IA: 103.9, class A (6kW/100m), $60,000 opening bid. Potential Waterloo coverage.
- Rockford, IA: 92.9, class A (6kW/100m), $25,000 opening bid. Potential Mason City coverage.
- Carney, MI: 99.9, class A (6kW/100m), $5,000 opening bid. Potential Escanaba coverage.
- Houghton, MI: 96.3, class C1 (100kW/299m), $25,000 opening bid.
- Grand Marais, MN: 96.9, class C3 (25kW/100m), $1,500 opening bid. This allotment was originally for class C1 (100kW/299m) at Grand Portage.
- Gackle, ND: 99.1, class C1 (100kW/299m), $15,000 opening bid. Potential Jamestown coverage.
- Bayard, NE: 98.1, class A (6kW/100m), $15,000 opening bid. Potential Scottsbluff coverage.
- Crandon, WI: 103.1, class A (6kW/100m), $1,500 opening bid. Potential Rhinelander coverage.
- Tomahawk, WI: 100.9, class C3 (25kW/100m), $10,000 opening bid. Potential Rhinelander coverage.
(Here is the full list of allotments up for auction nationwide.)
The FCC is accepting comments on the proposed bidding procedures through March 15.
The commission has also frozen applications from existing stations that would require changes to the allotments that are scheduled for auction.