FCC Plans Auction for New FM Radio Station Permits
Published Date: 5/15/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FCC is gearing up to auction off FM radio construction permits on February 2, 2027, giving broadcasters a chance to grab new spots on the dial. They want your thoughts on starting bid prices and auction rules by June 9, 2026. This is a big deal for anyone wanting to build or expand FM stations, with money and timing on the line!
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Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 6 costs, 0 mixed.
Upfront Payments and Bidding Units
To qualify to bid, you must submit an upfront payment (a refundable deposit) that establishes your bidding eligibility in bidding units. The FCC proposes one bidding unit per dollar of the upfront payment and gives example upfront payments of $25,000 (25,000 bidding units) and $10,000 (10,000 bidding units).
Number of Permits Offered
The FCC will offer 132 FM construction permits in Auction 114, including 33 permits that were previously offered but not sold or were defaulted upon in prior auctions. This is the pool of permits you could bid to acquire on February 2, 2027.
Minimum Opening Bids Established
The FCC proposes to set specific minimum opening bid amounts for each construction permit in Auction 114 (listed in Attachment A on the Auction 114 website). The Commission does not propose reserve prices for these permits.
20% Additional Default Payment
If you win a permit and then default or are disqualified after the auction, the FCC proposes an additional default payment equal to 20% of the relevant bid (in addition to any deficiency payment).
100% Activity Rule and Three Waivers
The FCC proposes an activity rule that requires bidders to be active on 100% of their bidding eligibility each round; each bidder would receive three activity rule waivers to preserve eligibility if they cannot meet the activity requirement. If you fail to meet the requirement and have no waivers, your eligibility will be permanently reduced.
Auction Date and Comment Deadlines
You should know the FCC plans to start bidding on February 2, 2027. If you want to comment on the auction rules, your comments must be filed by June 9, 2026, and reply comments by June 24, 2026.
Short‑Form Certification Requirement
Any party seeking to participate must certify in its short-form application (FCC Form 175), under penalty of perjury, that it has read the auction public notice and familiarized itself with the auction procedures; failing to make this certification by the filing deadline will render the application unacceptable and dismissed with prejudice.
Anonymous Bidding and Limited Public Info
The FCC proposes anonymous bidding so it will not identify bidders placing particular bids during the auction, and it will not make public until after bidding closes the permits selected by applicants, upfront payment amounts, bidding eligibility, or other bidder-specific bidding information. Bidders will still be able to see increased information about their own bids via the FCC bidding system.
Bid Increment Rules (10% / 5%)
The FCC proposes a minimum acceptable bid increment percentage of 10% (so the minimum acceptable bid will be ~10% above the provisionally winning bid) and a 5% additional bid increment for calculating up to eight additional acceptable bid amounts, for a total of up to nine acceptable bid options per permit.
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