Attorney Richard Hayes, who works with radio stations who go before the FCC, has sent a letter to Senator Susan Collins asking Congress to eliminate the 2020 regulatory fees due to the drop in revenue from the coronavirus pandemic.
Regulatory fees will be due in September and Hayes says given the current crisis these fees could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many stations. Non-payment of these fees have resulted in a few stations losing their licenses.
Hayes says an amendment to the Communications Act needs to be considered to eliminate the requirement to pay the 2020 Regulatory fees. “The relief would enable stations to continue to serve their communities, without interruption.
He points out how costly the fees are, and with revenue nearly at a standstill, every penny counts. “An AM station in Portland, Maine would pay as much as $4800 while an FM station would pay $5,325.according to MM Docket 19-105, Report and Order and Notice of Further Proposed Rulemaking, August 27, 2019. According to that same FCC document, a tiny AM station in Presque Isle would pay $950! An FM station in the same town would be required to pay over $1000! Many stations simply cannot afford to make these payments, this year.”
The NAB should get behind this effort!