After 51 rounds of bidding, the FCC’s Auction 98 has come to a close.
Of the 131 allocations available, 102 of them have provisionally winning bidders resulting in a total of $5,083,700 in gross revenue for the FCC.
The highest bid of $714,000 was made by The Erie Radio Company for 100.9 in Westfield, NY. Erie Radio Company outbid Connoisseur Media and Westfield Broadcasting for the the allocation to create a sister for CHR “Happi 92.7” WEHP Lawrence Park/Erie, PA. The 100.9 allocation will become available once Connoisseur Media completes its move of “Rocket 101” 100.9 WRKT North East, PA to 104.9.
Joseph Uzoaru’s Iris Media won a Class C2 on 98.3 in Columbia, MO for $421,000. Uzoaru owns a Commercial Real Estate firm and serves on the Cape Girardeau, MO city council with no broadcast holdings. It is noted that his company and Zimmer Media share headquarters locations in that city.
A Class C3 on 99.1 in Harper, TX was the result of a bidding war between Alpha Media and Township Media with Alpha ending up the winner for $408,000. The station will serve the area northwest of San Antonio near Fredericksburg and Kerrville.
Alpha also won two other allocations. A Class C2 in Longview, TX on 107.9 for $83,000 to join its existing five station cluster in the Tyler/Longview market. A Class A on 103.3 in Pearsall, TX will serve the area south of San Antonio for a $8300 bid.
Township Media did win a Class C3 on 96.3 in Llano,TX over Entercom for $231,000 and a C2 on 104.1 in Mason for $32,000. Township currently operates Americana “Sun Radio” 100.1 K261DW Austin whose programming originates on 103.1 KDRP-LP Dripping Springs.
Audion Communications won a CP for a Class C on 104.3 in Touquerville, UT serving the St. George market for $370,000.
Red River Radio won a Class C3 on 101.9 in Heber Springs, AR for $306,000.
Waco Entertainment Group won five Class A allocations. 101.1 in Mertzon, TX near San Angelo went for $91,000. 99.1 in Moody, TX near Waco and 101.9 in Hawley near Abilene went for $60,000 each. 106.7 in Early, TX for $15,000 and 98.5 in Lometa, TX for $2500.
In Auction 94, the Phoenix based Black Entrepreneurs Assocation led by Arthur Mobley and Therman Stewart won a Class C3 on 93.7 in Wickenburg for $98,000. That group never paid and the allocation went back in to this auction. It was won this time around by Dorrana Stewart for $158,000. Dorrana Stewart is also a member of the aforementioned Black Entrepreneurs Association and appears to be related to Therman Stewart.
Mekaddesh Group Corporation won the quantity with eight allocations across Texas for a mere $12,720.
Some of the allocations with the highest starting bids went unclaimed. A Class A on 100.9 in Maysville, GA, Class A on 92.1 Cottonwood, CA, and Class A on 97.9 Englewood, TN were among those going without a bid attached.
Full results of the auction can be seen here.