The upcoming FCC auction in March will offer 119 FM construction permits. A list of completed short-form applications out this week gives an idea of who may be most active in the bidding.

The Wireless Telecommunications and Media Bureaus received 145 short-form applications for Auction 93. A list (PDF) shows the 111 applications considered complete so far, including the CPs sought by each, as well as any claimed bidding credits. The FCC now will look for upfront payments from these individuals and organizations. (If an applicant wins a given bid, it must later send in a long-form application to demonstrate its qualifications and eligibility for bidding credits.)

Some organizations submitted for all or most of the 119 CPs. These include Agnus Dei Communications, Bakken Beacon Media, Educational Media Foundation, George S. Flinn Jr., Glendive Broadcasting Corp., Hispanic Target Media, JER Licenses, Kacey Investments, Kona Coast Radio, Mehvs LLC, Red Wolf Broadcasting, RF Services Inc., John Smith, Star Point Broadcasting, Sunnylands Broadcasting and Bill Wolfenbarger.

Many other applicants selected fewer permits to seek, in some cases only one.

The FCC also reminded everyone involved that applicants for any of the same geographic areas are prohibited right now from communicating with each other about bids, strategies or settlements unless they have identified each other properly on their short-form applications. In a footnote it reminded auctionees of a 2004 case in which the FCC issued a $100,000 fine for violation of this rule (later reduced to $75,000), even though that applicant had never made an upfront payment for the auction and was not listed as a qualified bidder.

Some submitted forms for this auction are still considered incomplete; the FCC is asking for more information. Two applicants were dismissed because they sought NCE stations but are mutually exclusive with applications for commercial broadcast stations.

Details of the Auction Process