On Friday, we wrote about the auction that the FCC is planning for next April for construction permits for 130 new FM stations. As we noted in that article, the FCC will usually announce a freeze on FM applications or proposed allotments that could affect any of those channels. Later Friday, the FCC announced that it was imposing that freeze – effective immediately. That freeze prohibits any application that would limit applications at the reference points of any channel included in the auction. The freeze also prohibits any rulemaking or proposed allotment that would limit applications at those reference points, as well as any change in the channel or reference points for any of the proposed new stations. So, until long-form applications are filed by winning applicants after the auction, at which point the freeze will lift, all FM applications and rulemakings need to protect these 130 channels. Watch for more information about the proposed auction in the coming months.