WHARTON — Wharton could eventually receive a new full-power FM radio station after the Federal Communications Commission finalized the schedule and procedures for an upcoming auction of broadcast construction permits.

The FCC’s official Auction 114 permit list identifies Wharton as permit MM-FM1361-C2, operating on Channel 277, which corresponds to 103.3 FM. The Class C2 permit carries a minimum opening bid and required upfront payment of $30,000.

Bidding is scheduled to begin Feb. 2, 2027.

Applications Open in September

Individuals, companies and other organizations interested in the Wharton permit must first submit a short-form application, known as FCC Form 175.

The application window will open at 11 a.m. Central Time on Sept. 14, 2026, and close at 5 p.m. Central Time on Sept. 30.

Qualified applicants will be required to make an upfront payment by Dec. 3. A mock auction is scheduled for Jan. 29 before actual bidding begins.

If more than one qualified applicant seeks the Wharton permit, they will compete through multiple rounds of bidding. The $30,000 amount is only the minimum opening bid, meaning the final price could be higher.

Winning the auction would provide the successful bidder with a construction permit—not an operating radio station. The permit holder would still need to secure a transmitter site, construct the facility and receive final FCC approval before broadcasting.

Station Would Be Licensed to Wharton

The proposed station would be licensed specifically to Wharton and operate on 103.3 FM.

The FCC describes the proposed station as Wharton’s second local broadcast service and first primary FM service because KANI 1500 AM is currently the only radio station licensed specifically to Wharton.

KULP 1390 AM and its 106.7 FM translator are also local Wharton County radio services. However, KULP is licensed to El Campo rather than Wharton, and the 106.7 FM signal is a translator of the AM station rather than a separate full-power FM station.

The proposed Class C2 station could operate with up to 50,000 watts, depending on the final technical plans approved by the FCC. The original allotment included a reference location approximately 1.3 miles west of Wharton.

The FCC added the Wharton frequency to its official FM allotment table in 2023 after a petition was submitted by 7430 Technologies LLC. The company previously told the FCC it intended to participate in the auction and construct the station if it secured the permit. However, the upcoming auction is open to other qualified applicants.

Industry reports have identified Wharton as a potentially valuable permit because of its location southwest of the Houston metropolitan area.

Temporary Filing Freeze Announced

To prevent conflicts with auction applications, the FCC will temporarily stop accepting certain minor-change applications from existing commercial and noncommercial FM stations between Sept. 14 and Sept. 30.

The freeze is intended to protect the technical availability of the frequencies and proposed transmitter locations involved in the auction.

The auction does not guarantee that a new Wharton station will be built. That will depend on whether an applicant bids on the permit, completes the required payments and successfully constructs the station after receiving FCC approval.

Sources: FCC Auction 114 procedures and timeline, FCC Auction 114 permit list naming Wharton, and FCC’s 2023 Wharton allotment order