FCC OKs More Auction Winner Applications

The FCC has published the list of the latest forward auction winning bidders in the broadcast incentive auction whose applications have been deemed complete and accepted for filing, which also means they have paid up their winning bids.

A few more applications remain to be deemed complete—or not—though the FCC did not say when those would be ready.

The latest winning bidders whose applications were approved are Carolina West Wireless, Cellular South, Chariton Valley Telephone, CT Cube, East Kentucky Network, Inland Cellular, NE Colorado Cellular, Northeast Nebraska Telephone, Northern Valley Communications, Nsight Spectrum, Pine Cellular Phones, SAL Spectrum LLC, Spotlight Media, Alaska Wireless Network and Triangle Communications.

Petitions to deny this latest round for winner license applications are due no later than July 3, with oppositions due July 11 and replies to those due July 18.

But all the monetary heavy lifting out of the broadcast incentive auction is already complete.

Earlier this month, the FCC, having earlier deemed their applications complete, granted licenses to T-Mobile, Dish, Comcast, U.S. Cellular and AT&T. T-Mobile's winning bids, totaling $8 billion, and Dish's $6.2 billion were enough by themselves to assure that broadcasters got their $10 billion payout and the repack fund of $1.75 billion was funded.

Broadcasters could start getting their payouts as early as mid-July.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.