The President/CEO of the NAB is applauding the FCC following the release of final FY2023 regulatory fees, saluting the agency “for its hard work to ensure that its regulatory fee process allocates fees in a more fair and equitable way.”
In his view, Curtis LeGeyt says this year’s order “is a significant step toward ensuring all parties that benefit from the FCC’s work pay their fair share.”
This year’s regulatory fee order addresses a longstanding concern of both the NAB and state broadcasters’ associations that the regulatory fee methodology “unfairly forces broadcasters to subsidize Commission work performed in its indirect bureaus and offices on behalf of other industries,” the NAB says.
Now, it adds, the FCC has started to “remedy this disparity” by reallocating a portion of these costs to the industries that benefit directly from the work performed, resulting in a significantly lower cost burden for broadcasters.
In a statement released late Friday, LeGeyt gave thanks on behalf of the NAB to Deena Shetler for leading the FCC staff effort that studied the best manner to modernize the Commission’s approach. “We appreciate the Commission’s efforts and look forward to working closely with the FCC in future years to continue to refine the regulatory fee process,” LeGeyt said.
As RBR+TVBR reported on August 11, the FCC agreed to reduce regulatory fees for small radio broadcasters serving populations of less than 10,000. As a result, the broadcast industry’s share of regulatory fees was reduced by 12% compared to FY 2022 and individual broadcasters will see a 5%-7% decrease in regulatory fees compared to FY 2022.
