The FCC Media Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics rejected two applications for Auction 109’s parceling out of radio construction permits, after discovering apparent conflicts of interest with other applicants and “inconsistencies” in their applications, said letters to applicants Sonic Staffing and Paul Alexander posted in docket 21-39 Thursday. Paul Alexander applied as new entrant, but the agency discovered he was also a principal of fellow applicant Scott Communications. Alexander oversees advertising sales, his father is Scott’s CEO and his mother the company secretary, the letter said. Alexander didn’t disclose his connections with Scott until after the agency raised the matter in connection with his short-form application, and the letter said his steps to resolve the conflict and limit information sharing with SCI were insufficient. Sonic Staffing’s Auction 109 applications from Sonic and Ekklesia of Texas both identified Ekklesia Vice President and sole Sonic shareholder Christopher Maynard as their point of contact. “Sonic has not provided us with any information that could allow us to conclude that Mr. Maynard’s role at Ekklesia does not put both companies in violation of the prohibited communications rule,” said the letter. Alexander, Sonic and Scott Communications didn’t comment.114 applicants were qualified to bid in Auction 109 on the four AM construction permits and 135 FM construction permits on offer, said the Media Bureau in a public notice Thursday. Forty-four applicants didn’t qualify. Bidding in the auction begins July 27.

Five Little Rock TV stations began broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 on Wednesday. Stations are KATV (ABC), KTHV (CBS), KARK-TV (NBC), KLRT-TV (Fox), and KARZ-TV (MyNet). NextGenTV service is on the air in more than 25 U.S. cities. Antenna viewers can get instructions here on rescans.

Comments to refresh the record for the 2018 quadrennial review are due Aug. 2, replies Aug. 30, says Thursday’s Federal Register. The FCC called for the additional comments after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the previous FCC’s relaxation of ownership rules (see 2106070048). The Media Bureau's formal reinstatement of the restored rule changes took effect Wednesday, said that day's FR.

Comments are due July 30, replies Aug.16, on VPM Media’s request to substitute Channel 15 for 11 for its station WVPT Staunton, Virginia, the Federal Register said Wednesday. The FCC Media Bureau’s grant of Sinclair’s request to change WCYB-TV Bristol, Virginia’s Channel 5 to 35 takes effect Thursday, says that day's FR.

The FCC Media Bureau fined low-power FM owner Provision Ministry $1,125 for filing a late renewal application for WPMR-LP, Russellville, Alabama, said a forfeiture order Tuesday. The application was due Dec. 2, 2019, but not filed until March 2020, the order said. Provision Ministry asked that the fine be waived, blaming the late filing on losing track of the station’s renewal status and misplacing its FCC registration number. The bureau reduced the fine from $1,500.

The FCC Media Bureau should reject a channel substitution petition from Scripps Broadcasting to swap its station KTNV-TV Las Vegas from Channel 13 to 26, said King Kong Broadcasting, which owns the low-power station currently using Channel 26. Granting the petition would force King Kong’s KGNG-LD Las Vegas off the channel, said the comments in docket 21-221. “King Kong recognizes that, generally, full-power stations have priority over LPTV stations in terms of channel allotments,” said the filing. “However, because Scripps’ proposal would not serve the public interest, convenience and necessity, the Commission cannot grant such proposal,” King Kong said. Many of KGNG’s 11 digital channels “are targeted towards the ever-growing and traditionally underserved ethnic minority populations in the Las Vegas area,” the opposition filing said. The FCC should instead allow Scripps to move to another UHF channel, or open Channel 26 as a new vacant allotment in Las Vegas, King Kong said.

Comments are due July 26, replies Aug. 9, on Corridor Television’s request to swap KCWX Fredericksburg, Texas, from Channel 5 to 8, said the Federal Register Friday about FCC docket 21-254. The Media Bureau approved Gray Television’s request to allot Channel 9 to Freeport, Illinois, the FR said.

The correct call letters KHQA Licensee requested a channel swap for is KHQA-TV Hannibal, Missouri, said an FCC correction in Friday's Federal Register (see 2106150081).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied TV broadcaster PMCM’s appeal of the FCC's grant of a two-sided distributed transmission license to Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s WEDW Stamford, said (in Pacer) an unpublished order Friday in docket 20-1334. “The panel fully considered the issues and determined that a published opinion is unnecessary,” said the order from Judges David Tatel, Judith Rogers and Justin Walker. PMCM argued the FCC shouldn’t have allowed Connecticut Public Broadcasting to use a defunct station as an example of the largest coverage area in the market in its application, or allowed the reference point for the application to be moved without a formal request. It said granting the public broadcaster’s application amounts to relocating its license from Connecticut to New York City. “Given that western Connecticut viewers would receive better service, PMCM’s assertion is ‘wholly conjectural,’” the opinion said. “PMCM’s appeal lacks merit.” PMCM didn’t comment.

New House legislation would levy a performance royalty on radio stations playing music on terrestrial radio. The American Music Fairness Act, from Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Darrell Issa, R-Calif. responds to the Local Radio Freedom Act. Supported by NAB, the latter would oppose any such royalty bill. NAB opposes Thursday’s introduction, said CEO Gordon Smith.