Commercial radio stations in the United States would see their annual regulatory fees go up by about 5% in September, under the FCC’s planned schedule for fiscal 2026. Such an increase might not seem notable, but it stands out because U.S. radio station fees have declined in each of the three previous years. The commission has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking and has invited comments. Fiscal 2026 ends on Sept. 30 of this year. The FCC must collect about $416 million in fees, equal to its salaries and expenses appropriation for the year. Revenue from AM and FM radio station fees would total around $28.1 million. [Read the NPRM.] Proposed rates range from $395 for Class D AM stations in the smallest markets, to about $25,000 for the biggest of the big-market FM signals. The chart at the bottom of this story shows the proposed fees. They generally are about 5% more than the current year. Regulatory fees must be paid for broadcast licenses granted on or before Oct. 1, 2025 and for initial construction permits granted on or before that date for AM/FM stations, full-power VHF/UHF broadcast television stations and satellite TV stations. Noncommercial radio and television stations are exempt. Comments in the NPRM are due by May 28 and replies by June 12. Comment at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/ and put 26-94 in the Proceeding field. The chart below shows the proposed rates: The chart shows the FCC’s proposed rates. The post Radio FCC Fees to Go Up 5% Under Proposal appeared first on Radio World. [TheTopNews] Read More.
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