FCC Gives All-Clear to Radio Stations Waiting to Pay Regulatory Fees

posted on 9.16.2024

- Database Glitches Resolved, Payments Due Sept. 26

TAB's FCC legal counsel has confirmed that the FCC's CORES database has been updated with revised AM and FM Radio station fee codes and amounts for payment of 2024 regulatory fees which are due by 10:59 Central Daylight Time on Sept. 26. Late payments will be subject to penalties and interest.

Radio broadcasters were urged last week to hold off on paying those fees after several licensees discovered inconsistencies between the database listing what fees were owed and another database facilitating payment.

Scott Flick and his fellow attorneys at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman say that licensees can now log into the CORES system to see their revised fee codes and fee amounts.

Many should find that the fees are lower than what stations are currently paying, a reduction stemming in part from a multi-year effort by TAB, our state counterparts and the NAB to press the Commission to update its methodology for allocating regulatory fees - which they've done to a great extent.

They have yet to expand the pool of industries that should be charged regulatory fees which the groups also have pressed the Commission to do.

FCC Reviewing Payments Made

The FCC said in a statement Sept. 17 that they will be evaluating all payments that were made by AM or FM broadcasters between Sept. 10, when CORES first opened, and today, when revised fee amounts became available for viewing.

Commission staff will take action to reconcile the payments that have already been made and will try to contact affected broadcasters.

LPFM stations are not subject to regulatory fees and the FCC noted they will be removing LP call signs from the CORES database or flagging them shortly as "not feeable."

Licensees can contact the Commission's Financial Operations help desk with inquiries regarding regulatory fees at (877) 480-3201, Option 6, or email inquiries to [email protected].

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.