FCC regulatory fees for broadcasters are due by the end of day on September 24, capping a fee increase that ends two years of relief for AM and FM stations.
By 11:59pm Eastern, must receive payments through the Commission’s CORES system. Submissions even one day late trigger a 25% penalty.
The deadline follows last month’s Report and Order, setting total FY 2026 fee collections at $416,112,000, up 6.6% from FY 2025. AM and FM station fees rise between 2.19% and 3.32% depending on class and market size, reversing two straight years of declining fees.
The FCC rejected requests from the NAB and dozens of state broadcasters associations to soften the increase, including a bid to raise the $1,000 de minimis exemption threshold to offset rising costs.
Fees are owed based on authorizations held as of October 1, 2025, regardless of a station’s current status, and licensees who took over a station after that date are responsible for payment. Licensees owing $1,000 or less in total FY 2026 fees are exempt, as are nonprofit entities with a valid IRS determination letter on file.
