FCC Clarifies Upcoming Windows for Construction Permits for New

[davideduardo]

David Oxenford's blog covers the next window for station applications:

FCC Clarifies Upcoming Windows for Construction Permits for New Commercial and Noncommercial FM Stations (and a Few AMs Too)

At the end of last week, the FCC released several orders clarifying the rules for upcoming windows where construction permits for new FM channels will be

www.broadcastlawblog.com

"At the end of last week, the FCC released several orders clarifying the rules for upcoming windows where construction permits for new FM channels will be made available to parties interested in starting new radio stations, and a few AM construction permits will also be auctioned off. "

Links to lists of available locations and frequencies are in the article.

 

[xmtrland]

Are those AM opening bids a misprint? $50,000 for a daytimer.

Then again some opportunity to have a hobby FM in Wyoming, Texas and one in California only $750. Even the $1500 allocations might make a nice hobby station of you like the town and have money to throw at it.

 

[Kelly A]

The writing was clearly on the wall for this. The Commission has been gradually evolving from a coordination and regulatory agency, into an organization tasked with finding income for government coffers, or for a revenue source to support the agency. Their attempts to auction spectrum have had highs and lows. What they don't realize, is that nobody is going to pay rates for broadcast spectrum anywhere like the cell/PCS companies. Certainly not mom and pop operations.

 

[b-turner]

Those AM stations might not be too bad. These are St. Louis stations that had been around for years. They should have tower sites, et. al. Pretty much, less equipment, it would seem to be about like buying an existing station, or as close as you could get to doing so.

 

[fybush]

Those AM stations might not be too bad. These are St. Louis stations that had been around for years. They should have tower sites, et. al. Pretty much, less equipment, it would seem to be about like buying an existing station, or as close as you could get to doing so.

Except all you're buying in the auction is the CP - or rather the right to apply for the CP. Whatever equipment and land were owned by the previous licensees isn't included in the auction, so you'd have to go out and make a separate deal with those previous licensees (or whoever actually owned the equipment and land) for those assets, and you'd be negotiating from a place of weakness, wouldn't you?

 

[b-turner]

Agreed, however you wouldn't be starting from scratch since you'd have a chance to negotiate at the previous tower site. You would have to strike a deal and it would be a place of weakness but then again you can bluff that your engineer has already found a better site but if a favorable deal could be struck you might reconsider. I figure it would not be as pricey as starting from no potential site whatsoever given all the regulations and zoning.

 

[Kelly A]

Those AM stations might not be too bad. These are St. Louis stations that had been around for years. They should have tower sites, et. al. Pretty much, less equipment, it would seem to be about like buying an existing station, or as close as you could get to doing so.

Honestly these days? Someone trying to build an AM CP from scratch is either a wreckless trust fund baby, or an idiot.

 

[kwthom]

A quick review of that list certainly seems to be a golden opportunity for a few that pontificate about the 'radio biz' to ante up and actually be in the biz.

 

[Delete My Account]

In many of those locales, there's not enough "business" to stay in business.

 

[TheBigA]

In many of those locales, there's not enough "business" to stay in business.

Exactly, which is why those CPs are available at this time. Even NCEs will have trouble in those areas, unless they have a dedicated fan base who will support them financially.

 

[kwthom]

A simple quick perusal of those just in my state agrees with those sentiments.

I noted a few locations on the list either had no viable bidder -or- the bidder had financial issues and the deal fell thru. Just wondering aloud if that list of failures gets bigger once this auction is concluded.

Basically, the market just isn't there in some large percentage of those locations.

 

[Kent]

Those AM stations might not be too bad. These are St. Louis stations that had been around for years. They should have tower sites, et. al. Pretty much, less equipment, it would seem to be about like buying an existing station, or as close as you could get to doing so.

I don't remember any of them other than 1430, the old WIL, as being worth much. The old WESL 1490 would cover much of the core of St. Louis on a good car radio or home stereo, but it really didn't cover much. It was local channel in an area that needs regional coverage.

I don't know too much about 1190. I seem to remember it was alright on paper and was upgraded after being a DeSoto station for many years. I never listened to Romanik's stations. So, I don't know how it actually did in the real world.

1510 out of Highland was the daytimer, and it covered the regional terribly. I don't think I'd build it if the FCC gave me $50,000!