The FCC’s Auction 109 finished Aug. 5 and raised $12,344,110 from 67 bidders for 97 AM and FM construction permits, said a public notice listed in Thursday’s Daily Digest. Down payments are due Aug. 26, final payments deadline and long-form applications must be in Sept. 13, the PN said.

The FCC Media Bureau proposed a $1,500 forfeiture for Radio by Grace over a late-filed renewal application for W257DF(FM) Atlanta but will renew the station’s license, said a notice of apparent liability and order listed in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. The renewal application was due March 1 but filed July 19, just before the license’s July 22 expiration date. Radio by Grace didn’t provide an explanation to the bureau or comment to us.

Comments are due Sept. 8, replies Sept. 23, in docket 21-130 on KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting’s request to swap the channel of KPTV Portland, Oregon, from Channel 12 to 21, said Monday’s Federal Register.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit should reconsider a June ruling denying broadcaster PMCM’s appeal of the FCC's grant of a two-sided distributed transmission license to Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s WEDW Stamford (see 2106250042, said PMCM in a petition for rehearing filed Monday (in Pacer) in docket 20-1334. “Several elements of the Judgment were based on basic misapprehensions of the FCC’s action” and PMCM’s arguments, the petition said. The court based its decision on an action the Media Bureau discussed but never took, and misunderstood a decision reached by the full FCC, the petition said. “Perhaps because the case was not presented for oral argument,” the court’s decision “effectively failed to review the FCC application that was challenged,” PMCM said, offering to participate in oral argument if the case is reheard. The FCC didn’t comment.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau sent the second batch of equal employment opportunity audit letters for 2021 Friday, said a public notice. Each year, about 5% of stations are selected for EEO audits.

The FCC Media Bureau proposed a $20,000 fine for Prism Broadcasting over violations of FCC public file rules by WANN-CD Atlanta, said a notice of apparent liability Friday. Staff said the station’s filings of quarterly TV issues/programs lists were filed late for 21 quarters, the NAL said. The broadcaster said the late filing was due to small staff size and unfamiliarity with the rules and procedures, per the NAL, which said “Employee acts or omissions, such as clerical errors in failing to file required forms, do not excuse violations.” WANN’s license renewal application will be granted at the conclusion of this proceeding, the bureau said. The bureau also proposed a $15,000 forfeiture for Bethany Church for similar public file violations at WLFT-CD Baton Rouge. WLFT filed late quarterly TV issues/programs lists for 16 quarters, and blamed the error on staffing and flooding in 2016, said another NAL listed in Friday’s Daily Digest.

Comments are due Sept. 7, replies Sept. 20 on an FCC NPRM on technical changes to some radio rules, says Friday’s Federal Register on docket 21-263. The NPRM proposes changing some minor rules to delete outdated wording or harmonize them with other regulations. It was approved 4-0 (see 2107070062).

The public can comment by Oct. 4 on DOJ’s proposed final judgment against Gray Television’s buy of Quincy Media’s stations, said Thursday’s Federal Register. The judgment requires divestiture of 10 stations to Allen Media, as proposed by Gray earlier this year (see 2107280060). Gray has closed the Quincy transaction (see 2108020064).

NAB told the FCC it should allocate the costs of implementing the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act to bureaus associated with broadband mapping instead of raising regulatory fees for broadcasters. President Gordon Smith spoke with acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Monday, per a filing posted in docket 21-90 Thursday: The proposed regulatory fee increase would lead to broadcasters subsidizing 16% of the costs of the mapping effort. The increase is “not only unfair and contrary to the statute, but extremely difficult for radio broadcasters in particular to absorb” with the pandemic, the filing said. NAB asked the FCC to remove the Media Bureau from its calculation of the cost of the mapping effort and distribute the costs to licensees associated with the International, Wireless and Wireline bureaus.

The FCC Media Bureau's grant of Gray Television’s request to allot Channel 26 to Eagle River, Wisconsin, takes effect Thursday, says that day’s Federal Register. Comments on KVVU Broadcasting’s request to swap the channel of KVVU-TV Henderson, Nevada, from 9 to 24 are due Sept. 3, replies Sept. 20, per Wednesday’s FR.