PUBLIC NOTICE DA 16-199 February 25, 2016 INITIAL COMMITMENT AND ONLINE TUTORIAL INFORMATION FOR BROADCAST INCENTIVE AUCTION SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON MARCH 29, 2016 AU Docket No. 14-252 GN Docket No. 12-268 WT Docket No. 12-269 I. INTRODUCTION 1. By this Public Notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) and the Incentive Auction Task Force provide further information regarding the process for reverse auction applicants with complete applications to make initial commitments, as described in the Auction 1000 Application Procedures Public Notice:1 Initial Commitment Window. Initial commitments must be submitted during a window that will open at 10:00 am Eastern Time (ET) on March 28, 2016, and close, as previously announced, at 6:00 pm ET on March 29, 2016. Initial Commitment Preview Period. The initial commitment module of the Auction System will be available during a preview period that will open at 10:00 am ET on March 24, 2016, and remain open until the initial commitment window opens at 10:00 am ET on March 28, 2016. Online Tutorial. An online tutorial regarding initial commitments will be available on February 29, 2016, as well as a user guide for the initial commitment module of the Auction System. 2. Similar educational materials for the clock rounds of the reverse auction (Auction 1001), and the clock and assignment phases of the forward auction (Auction 1002) will be available in coming weeks. These materials will cover information relating to the bidding and immediate post-auction processes of the incentive auction. We will provide these materials sufficiently in advance of the applicable phases of the auction so that participants have adequate time to become familiar with them before the beginning of each phase. II. AVAILABILITY OF THE INITIAL COMMITMENT MODULE 3. Each applicant whose FCC Form 177 application and at least one selected station have been deemed “complete” in its Second Confidential Status Letter will be permitted to participate in the next step of Auction 1001, making an initial commitment.2 A reverse auction applicant must make an 1 See Application Procedures for Broadcast Incentive Auction Scheduled to Begin on March 29, 2016; Technical Formulas for Competitive Bidding, AU Docket No. 14-252, GN Docket No. 12-268, WT Docket No. 12-269, Public Notice, 30 FCC Rcd 11034 (2015) (Auction 1000 Application Procedures Public Notice). 2 See Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Incentive Auction Task Force Announce Resubmission Window for Reverse Auction Applications, AU Docket No. 14-252, GN Docket No. 12-268, WT Docket No. 12-269, Public Notice, DA 16-152 (WTB Feb. 12, 2016). Each such applicant will receive instructions on how to submit an initial commitment and SecurID® tokens. For additional information regarding the confidential status letters and SecurID® (continued) Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information: 202-418-0500 Internet: www.fcc.gov TTY: 888-835-5322 Federal Communications Commission DA 16-199 2 initial commitment for each of the stations for which it wishes to become qualified to bid in the clock rounds of the reverse auction.3 The window for making initial commitments opens at 10:00 am ET on March 28, 2016 and closes at 6:00 pm ET on March 29, 2016. Initial commitments must be submitted prior to 6:00 pm ET on March 29, 2016. Late initial commitments will not be accepted. 4. Before the initial commitment window opens, the initial commitment module of the Auction System will be available during a preview period. During this preview period, applicants will be able to log in and view the list of stations for which they may make initial commitments and each station’s associated relinquishment options. The initial commitment module preview period commences at 10:00 am ET on March 24, 2016. We recommend that users log in to the initial commitment module during the preview period to verify that they are able to access the system. FCC Auctions Technical Support is available at (877) 480-3201, option nine; (202) 414-1250; or (202) 414- 1255 (text telephone (TTY)); hours of service are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm ET.4 III. AVAILABILITY OF ONLINE TUTORIAL AND USER GUIDE FOR INITIAL COMMITMENT MODULE 5. The Bureau will make available an online tutorial for the initial commitment module on February 29, 2016, as well as a user guide. Both the user guide and online tutorial are designed to assist applicants in navigating the initial commitment module and making an initial commitment. The user guide also offers suggested troubleshooting tips. The initial commitment module user guide and online tutorial will be accessible from the Commission’s Auction 1001 web page at http://www.fcc.gov/auctions/1001 through a link in the “Education” section. Once posted, the user guide and tutorial will remain available and accessible on the Auction 1001 web page anytime for reference. IV. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 6. For general auction questions, contact Linda Sanderson, Linda.Sanderson@fcc.gov, (717) 338-2868. For reverse auction legal questions, contact Erin Griffith, Erin.Griffith@fcc.gov, (202) 418- 0660, or Kathryn Hinton, Kathryn.Hinton@fcc.gov, (202) 418-0660. Press contact: Charles Meisch, Charles.Meisch@fcc.gov, (202) 418-2943. Additional information for potential Broadcast Incentive Auction participants is available at the Auction 1000 web page (http://www.fcc.gov/auctions/1000). - FCC - (continued from previous page) tokens, see Application Procedures for Broadcast Incentive Auction Scheduled to Begin on March 29, 2016; Updates and Other Supplemental Information, AU Docket No. 14-252, GN Docket No. 12-268, WT Docket No. 12- 269, Public Notice, DA 15-1428, at 2-3, para. 6 (WTB Dec. 21, 2015). 3 Auction 1000 Application Procedures Public Notice, 30 FCC Rcd at 11056, para. 66. 4 All calls to Technical Support are recorded.