By: wzeiders

The FCC released its Report and Order setting its annual regulatory fees for 2025.  The FCC increased TV station fees by approximately 1.2% from last year, while slightly decreasing fees for most radio stations. 

The FCC also released a Public Notice announcing that fees must be paid by September 25. 

In addition, the FCC and its Bureaus released the following guides and fact sheets providing details for filing and paying 2025 regulatory fees: Media Bureau Fact Sheet (providing a link to the fee lookup database where radio broadcasters can determine what they owe), Space Bureau Fact Sheet (for earth stations), Payment Methods and Procedures Public Notice (providing details on the required use of the CORES database to initiate payment, and instructions for the use of wire transfers, ACH payments, or credits cards – checks and money orders can no longer be used to pay fees), Waiver, Reduction, Deferral, and Installment Payment Requests Public Notice (setting out the procedures to ask for a waiver or deferral of the fees on financial hardship grounds), and Regulatory Fee Exemptions Public Notice (noting those exempt from fees, including the de minimis exemption for entities with total liabilities of less than $1000 and exemptions for noncommercial educational station operators). 

 

Find more on broadcasters’ 2025 regulatory fees on the Broadcast Law Blog here.