The FCC has changed some of its baseline data for the upcoming incentive auction, related to coverage area and population served for each television station to be protected in the repack.
The revised data will be used to determine channel assignments.
The stations with corrected information are WNJU, Linden, New Jersey (new geographic location and parameters); KOHD, Bend, Oregon (channel 51 move); KPXE-TV, Kansas City, Missouri (channel 51 move); WPXA-TV, Rome, Georgia (channel 51 move); KWSU-TV, Pullman, Washington (antenna height change); and KEMO-TV, Santa Rosa, California (discrepancy between station’s DTS facilities and information in Commission databases).
In addition, WAZE, Madisonville, Kentucky submitted a request to voluntary downgrade from Class A to low power status on October 16, 2015, which the commission confirmed on October 19, 2015. The agency noted that the correction of WNJU’s geographic location to One World Trade Center will make it the UHF station with the highest volume (i.e., combination of interference-free population and constraints) and, therefore, the highest opening bid price. That change will also affect the population data of the largest number of other stations.
The Incentive Auction Task Force also released revised opening bid prices that were recalculated with the updated information.
Because of all the changes, in order to give broadcast owners at least 60 days to decide whether to take part in the reverse auction, the agency moved back the filing deadlines. The reverse auction application form (177) window opens at noon Eastern on Dec. 8 ad closes at 6 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 12, 2016.
The forward auction application form (175) window opens at noon Eastern on Jan. 26 and closes at 6 p.m. on Feb. 9.
