TV Incentive Auction Over; Results to Be Released in Coming Weeks

of the Incentive Auction Task Force. “Today’s conclusion of the assignment phase formally brings all bidding activity in this multi-phase auction to a close,” Epstein said in an emailed statement. “The incentive auction has required unprecedented commitment from bidders as well as Commission staff, who from the moment that broadcasters made their initial commitments to the final bids processed this afternoon have worked each day to assist bidders and ensure a fair and successful auction. We are excited to share the results of the reverse and forward auctions and extensive information about the post-auction transition in the next few weeks.” The agency reminded bidders they remain under a quiet period. Before the end of the day Friday, “a document specifying the formats of the reverse and forward auction results files that will be publicly available after release of the Incentive Auction Closing and Channel Reassignment Public Notice will be available under the Data section of both the Auction 1001 and the Auction 1002 websites,” the FCC said. “An online tutorial on the immediate post-auction process for the forward auction will be available under the Education section of the Auction 1002 website.” The auction started in May and was the longest by far in commission history. “Today is the closing of an historic effort,” former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler emailed. “Beginning with the National Broadband Plan and the subsequent enactment of broadcast incentive auction legislation by the Congress, the FCC set out to do something that had never been done before: manage a two-sided spectrum auction. But the challenge was more than the buy-sell of the actual auction, the auction itself was proceeded by multiple FCC decisions related to the other various users of the spectrum in question, as well as the need to establish the rules for the auction itself -- rules that had never been tested before.” Wheeler said Epstein and his team deserve the credit for making the auction work. NAB is "eager to work with the Commission to ensure a smooth repacking transition that protects consumer access to local news, weather, community service and lifeline emergency programming,” the group said. “We look forward to working on a bipartisan basis with policymakers on a seamless transition."