PUBLIC NOTICE

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION    News Media Information: (202) 418-0500
445 12th STREET, S.W.                         Fax-On-Demand: (202) 418-2830
WASHINGTON, D.C.  20554                        Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
                                                    ftp.fcc.gov

                                                               
                                                      DA 01-118
                                               January 19, 2001
                                
               FM Minor Change Application Freeze
                                
Notice Regarding Freeze on the Acceptance of Commercial and Noncommercial
Educational FM Minor Change Construction Permit Applications from March 7, 2001 to
                         March 19, 2001
                                
The Mass Media Bureau announces that it will not accept applications for construction permits
for minor changes in authorized commercial and noncommercial educational FM facilities from March 7,
2001 to March 19, 2001.  This short-term freeze is designed to ensure that conflicts will not arise
between Auction No. 37 participants that specify preferred sites and FM minor change applicants. 

In Auction No. 37, scheduled to begin on May 9, 2001, the Mass Media and Wireless
Telecommunications Bureaus will make available through competitive bidding procedures 355 vacant
non-reserved band allotments in the FM broadcast service.  FM facility applications, which can now be
filed on a first-come first-served basis, must protect the reference coordinates of each of these allotments. 
As part of the pre-auction procedures, an auction participant must file Form 175, Application to
Participate in an FCC Auction, between March 7, 2001 and March 19, 2001.   In conjunction with its
Form 175 submission, an auction participant also may specify preferred site coordinates, and thereby
gain protection for a potential transmitter site.   However, absent a freeze during the Form 175 filing
period, an existing station could file a minor change proposal that would be mutually exclusive with an
auction applicant's new station proposal at its preferred site, thereby subjecting the minor change
application to auction procedures.   

In the Broadcast First Report and Order, the Commission delegated to staff the authority to
announce application filing freezes to facilitate orderly auction procedures.   The temporary freeze on
minor change applications is designed to ensure that conflicts do not occur between minor change and
preferred auction site proposals, a result that could add uncertainty and delay to the auction process. 
This freeze will also apply to reserved band minor change applications because conflicts between such
applications and preferred site coordinates are also possible.  

This Public Notice will provide existing FM stations with ample time to file minor change
applications prior to the temporary freeze.  Minor change applications filed during the freeze will be
returned without further consideration.

For additional information, contact Brian Butler or James Bradshaw at the Audio Services
Division, Mass Media Bureau at (202) 418-2700.