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Fresno / Central Valley Auction 114 Allotments in California
- Thread starter RF101
- Start date
Here's the list of allotments throughout the US from Radio Insight. Most of these are in areas with little population. I'm not sure who would take the financial risk of building a new facility in these areas. The Kettleman City allotment in CA is a good example of this.
radioinsight.com
FCC To Hold FM Auction In February 2027
The FCC has announced plans today to hold an auction of vacant commercial FM allocations in February 2027. Auction 114
radioinsight.com
The CP for a class A in Visalia could have potential but the rest are ridiculous, particularly the Class A in Tecopa. This is a one-time mining camp at the edge of Death Valley. Current pop count is 120 if you don't include the rattlesnakes and prairie dogs and nothing around for miles.
I saw that. What was the opening bid, $750? Absurd. IMO, the only way a station in a location like that works is if the tower is nearby I-15 and they superserved Las Vegas visitors coming up from SoCal with traffic reports, Vegas weather forecasts and other visitor-specific info, and targeted the Vegas hotel and casino operators (and similar businesses) for advertising. Trying to superserve the snakes and prairie dogs might be Chairman Brandon's idea of public interest, but they don't generally own radios.
This auction isn't coming from Carr. He probably doesn't even know it's happening.
Each of these allocations exists because at some point, someone applied for it for whatever reason. In most cases, these were added to the table of allocations quite a few years ago, long before Carr was chairman.
The FCC is required by law to try to auction these. Nobody out there in the free market is required to bid on them if they don't think they're going to be able to build them profitably. If nobody bids on these this time around, I believe the FCC can delete them from the table. It's really the free market at work.
Each of these allocations exists because at some point, someone applied for it for whatever reason. In most cases, these were added to the table of allocations quite a few years ago, long before Carr was chairman.
The FCC is required by law to try to auction these. Nobody out there in the free market is required to bid on them if they don't think they're going to be able to build them profitably. If nobody bids on these this time around, I believe the FCC can delete them from the table. It's really the free market at work.
While I was unable to read the list with my screenreader, the comments about an allotment in Tecopa made me first laugh and then remember that there was once a radio station licensed to Cartago, not too far from there. It seems the 94.5 mHz FM listed in Cartago couldn't find enough advertisers to stay afloat and I expect that to be the same issue with any commercially licensed station in Tecopa.
Cartago...gateway to Olancha. Kind of a tourist area, particularly with Owens Lake nearby. But I can't see a station surviving there unless the owner has other business interests. I used to trek up to Lone Pine on occasions on the 395. Cartago is on the way.
I can see someone grabbing up the Class C1 at 106.5 FM Leupp, AZ (35 miles from Flagstaff). This one has value...
if they find a tower anywhere near the reference coordinates on the navajo nation itll be a rimshot at best to flagstaff from 40 miles away. because while a c1 can do 100kw, you arent going to find a 1000 ft tower out there (there reference coordinates absolutely bfe nowhere north of leupp, which is already kinda BFE. . it doesnt look like theres much at all out that .. you'd have to modify it in someway ..
Theres a 106.1 licensed to Munds Park that almsot city grades Leup.... 106.1 would prevent 106.5 from city grading flagstaff, i think
Even if Leupp some how works getting into Flagstaff, by the time it's constructed the build out cost will vastly exceed what it would be worth.
That's not even taking into account the Flagstaff area is already over radioed. Plus since it's a rimshot the power bill will always be higher than other stations in town.
That's not even taking into account the Flagstaff area is already over radioed. Plus since it's a rimshot the power bill will always be higher than other stations in town.
I could see the owners of KTNN (660 kHz) going after the 106.5 mHz frequency to give *that* station an FM signal on the western half of the Navajo reservation; otherwise, I also think that allocation may be a lost cause.
My conclusion about the list as well. Your post caused me to look into 96.1 Visalia, and I was able to find the old CP engineering from years ago. My read is that it functions more like a Porterville / eastern Tulare County signal than a full-market Visalia-Tulare-Hanford signal.
It may still have value, especially as a complementary signal for someone already covering the area, but it doesn’t appear to cover more than a portion of the market. I’m curious if anyone sees the engineering differently.
The problem is Hits 106 Munds Park, would prevent 106.5 Leeup from city grading flagstaff.
(that hits 106 is flagstaff is how i ended up doing commercials for the Great Circle Media stations in Press-kit/flagstaff.. GSM Was up in Laramie bringing her son to college here, saw our hits 106 sign and stopped in to introduce herself years ago....)
It has to put a city grade signal over Visalia.
96.1 has been used before in Visalia, it was KSLK, an Adult Standard format, not sure what happened to it, What ever happened to 103.3 that was licensed to Lindsay?, it was known as Kings radio also an Adult Standard format.
KSLK’s licensed was cancelled in 2013 for some reason. Probably for being dark too long. It was apparently running a Spanish language sports format.
KZPO 103.3 ended up having its license cancelled after a failure to transfer from the estate of the licensee. It was something about some legal issues. It ran for a few years, unlicensed while the cancellation was being appealed.
Alleged Deception Costs FM Broadcasters Their License - Radio World
FCC judge ruled parties do not possess basic qualifications to remain a licensee
www.radioworld.com
I bet the Visalia Radio Group that has KVMI My 97.5 will try to get it to upgrade their AC/ Classic Hits station.
Here is another problem, to get anywhere you have to be on Mazurka Peak, SBE is the only commercial buildings up there and no AC power.