It is time for all commercial operators to pay your annual regulatory fees. Each year, broadcasters (and other entities regulated by the FCC) are required to pay fees that are used to fund the FCC. These fees are due each year before the October 1 start of the new federal government fiscal year. This week, the FCC announced that 2026 Regulatory Fees must be received by the FCC no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on September 24, 2026. All regulatory fees must be paid using the CORES platform. That platform is now open for the payment of these fees. Be sure to pay on time, as if you pay late, you will be assessed a 25% penalty, interest may accrue on the balance after the due dates, and the FCC can withhold action on and even dismiss applications filed by a licensee that did not timey pay their fees.
The Media Bureau’s Fact Sheet provides a detailed reference for the calculation of fees for different broadcast services (including the fees for construction permits) and the process by which payments can be made. Licensees may find that some station fees have been preloaded into CORES, but radio licensees can always check the FCC’s regulatory fee look-up website, http://fccfees.com/, before paying to confirm the amount due for each station. This site will also inform the payee of the relevant codes needed to input into CORES for any station fees that are manually uploaded. Full-power television stations will find their fees in the chart found in Appendix F of the Report & Order. As in prior years, the FCC has set a de minimis threshold of $1,000. If the total amount owed by a licensee is $1,000 or less, that licensee does not owe any regulatory fees. Broadcasters who are also the licensees of earth stations should review the Fact Sheet from the Space Bureau about those fees. Broadcasters who have other nonbroadcast private radio licenses should review the Fact Sheet from the Wireless Bureau.
Broadcasters who cannot afford to make the payments required by the FCC can ask for a deferral or reduction of the fees, or they can ask for an installment payment plan, or they can even ask to be entirely excused from the requirement to pay the fees. The FCC released another Public Notice explaining the procedures for these fee waivers. These requests must be filed by September 24 and must contain a full explanation, with detailed documentation (including documentation such as tax returns, financial statements, wage information, financial projections) to demonstrate that the applicant cannot pay the fees without sacrificing service to the public. No supplements or clarifications will be accepted, so the initial waiver request must be very detailed and completely documented.
All broadcasters should carefully review these public notices and fact sheets to determine what they owe and how to make their payments. Remember, the September 24th deadline is a hard deadline with substantial penalties for those who miss that deadline. So, get ready to make those payments now!