|
FCC Establishes FY 2010 Regulatory Fees Payments Due August 31, 2010 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The FCC is required by
Congress to recover $335,794,000 in regulatory fees for fiscal year
2010. Regulatory fee payments are due no later than August 31,
2010, and must be initiated through “Fee Filer,” the FCC’s electronic
filing and payment system available at http://www.fcc.gov/fees/feefiler.html.
Late payments will be subject to a 25% late fee. The FCC has adopted a schedule of annual regulatory fees
for FY 2010 that is set forth in the table at the end of this
memorandum. Fee ranges for radio stations are contained in a separate table.
FY 2010 regulatory fees apply to facilities authorized as of October 1, 2009,
and cover the period between that date and September 30, 2010.
Government and non-profit entities are exempt from regulatory fees. Fees for broadcasters are based on the population served
by stations. General information for media licensees is available at http://www.fccfees.com/. Specific
fees for each broadcast station can be determined at http://www.fccfees.com/request_all.htm. With the conversion to all-digital full-service
television broadcasting on June 12, 2009, regulatory fees are now assessed
for all full-service digital television facilities, including those operating
under Special Temporary Authority. For FY 2010, the FCC has retained
the distinction between VHF and UHF fee categories, but with some adjustments
that reflect the shift in stations from VHF to UHF due to the digital
transition. The FCC has indicated that it is moving toward a combined
fee category for full-service television stations. Low Power, Class A
and TV translator/booster station fees will be assessed for each facility
operating either in digital or analog mode. The FCC has sent fee assessment advisories to broadcast
station licensees. These notices should be examined carefully as they
may not be complete. Also, letters to broadcast station licensees do
not include the annual fees that are owed for auxiliary facilities, such as
remote pick-up stations and STL operations. The FCC is no longer sending regulatory fee pre-bills to
satellite space station and earth station licensees. Pre-bill
information for these licensees is instead available on Fee Filer. Licensees required to pay annual regulatory fees must
make their FY 2010 payments no later than 11:59 PM on August 31, 2010.
All licensees are required to initiate payment of regulatory fees using Fee
Filer. Even licensees who prefer, or are required, to pay their
regulatory fees by check, wire transfer, or other alternate method must
nonetheless initiate fee filings using Fee Filer. Accessing Fee Filer
requires a valid FCC Registration Number (FRN) and password. If you have any questions concerning the fee payment
procedures, have received an assessment notice with incorrect information, or
would like our assistance in preparing the payment documentation, please
contact us. FY 2010 Schedule of Regulatory Fees – General Regulatory
fees for the categories shaded in gray are collected by the Commission in
advance to cover the term of the license and are submitted along with the
application at the time the application is filed.
FY 2010 Schedule of Regulatory Fees – Radio Specific
August 6, 2010
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This memorandum is intended only as a general discussion of these issues and should not be regarded as legal advice. We would be pleased to provide additional details or advice about specific situations if desired. Copyright © 2010, Lerman Senter PLLC 2000 K Street NW,
Suite 600 | Washington, DC 20006-1809 To Unsubscribe: Unsubscribe | To Update Client Info: Update Client Info |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
