FCC sets opening incentive auction bid prices

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Mr. Jones
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FCC sets opening incentive auction bid prices

Post by Mr. Jones »

Locally, WVAH has the highest value in Charleston-Huntington, with WOWK as the lowest.

WLFB takes the high crown in Beckley, WNPB in Clarksburg, WTOV in Wheeling.

Full listings are here: http://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/p ... Prices.pdf

http://www.commlawcenter.com/2015/10/sc ... indow.html

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/8926 ... bs-is-900m
The commission today set opening incentive auction bid prices for the majority of U.S. TV stations. WCBS New York is the most valuable. Combined with the auction application information the FCC released yesterday, the agency says broadcasters have all of information they need to decide whether to participate in the auction.
TVNewsCheck, October 16, 2015 12:27 PM EDT

The FCC today released the final opening bid prices for TV stations eligible to participate in next year’s reverse spectrum auction.

A flat $900 million for CBS O&O WCBS New York is the top number nationwide and is slightly higher than the estimate released earlier by the commission. The increase is due to the commission updating the data that it used to calculate the prices, according to a senior FCC official.

ABC’s WLS is the most valuable station in Chicago at $632 million. In Los Angeles, the top spot goes to noncommercial KVCR at $629 million.

The actual prices that the FCC will pay for the stations are expected to be considerably lower and will depend on how much spectrum the FCC decides it wants to buy in the reverse auction, how many stations participate and how the bidding goes.

The information released today provides prices for each of the possible options available to stations:

The option for a station to relinquish its license if full.
The options for a UHF station move to either a high or low VHF channel.
The option for a high VHF channel to low VHF channel.

Many stations are identified as “not needed” and some markets are completely shut out: They include El Paso, Texas; Las Vegas; Yakima, Wash.; Anchorage, Alaska; Idaho Falls; Missoula, Mont.; Billings, Mont; Grand Junction, Colo.; Butte, Mont.; Bend Ore.; Great Falls, Mont.; Casper, Wyo.; Helena, Mont.; Presque Isle, Maine; Juno, Alaska; and Boise, Idaho.

Each price was calculated by a formula adopted by the commission in August and also using the final baseline information released yesterday in an auction procedures public notice.

The official said that the combination of yesterday’s information with today’s data means broadcasters have all of the information they need to decide whether to participate in the auction.

To participate, a full-power station will have to file an application from noon ET on Dec. 1 to 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 18. After Dec 18, no station will be able to enter the auction.

Stations who wish to participate must make a binding commitment by March 29, 2016, senior officials said. Shortly thereafter, the reverse auction in which the FCC will buy spectrum will take place over 52 rounds. That will be followed by the forward auction of the recovered spectrum to wireless carriers, they said. The entire process should be wrapped by the late second or early third quarter of the year, they said.

"For potential Incentive Auction participants, today is a watershed moment," said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in a statement. "For all practical purposes, we’ve fired the starting gun: the release of final opening bid prices — combined with the detailed application procedures and other data released yesterday — provides broadcasters with all of the information they need to decide whether to apply to participate in the auction. Stations that miss the December 18th deadline will not be able to participate in this historic auction. Commission staff stand ready to educate and assist applicants as they prepare.”
Tom Taggart
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Re: FCC sets opening incentive auction bid prices

Post by Tom Taggart »

This will get interesting. Under this "auction" the stations offer to sell their channel to the FCC (who will then auction off that chunk of spectrum to the telcos).
Alternatives are to be "repacked" either on a low or high VHF channel.

The amounts set forth are for the maximum amount the FCC will pay for each channel or for the repacking option (and I don't see any guarantee of coverage if repacked--100 watts on Ch. 2 anyone?). Maximum as in they could pay less. As in this is an election year--which side are you on?

Glad I am in radio
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