Despite the NAB’s efforts to get your FCC fees reduced or frozen, the Commission is moving forward with its planned increase for 2020. The NAB argued that the fee increase did not reflect the number of full-time Media Bureau employees which would be providing services to the industry.
The FCC countered that the radio industry just doesn’t understand the methodology. “The radio broadcasters’ arguments, however, reflect an incomplete understanding of the methodology that the Commission has used for years. The long-standing methodology for assessing regulatory fees involves multiple factors besides the amount of appropriation to be recovered and the number of direct full-time employees.” The Commission says the methodology used to calculate the fees includes other benefits to the radio industry which are reflected in the numerous proceedings the Commission conducted in 2020.
Overall, there will be a net increase in the amount broadcasters pay to the FCC. However, the Commission did admit it make a “computational error” in its unit numbers and have corrected it by increasing the number of units used in their calculation from 9,636 to 9,831. That will result in a lower fee increase than what was originally proposed.
Broadcast attorney Frank Montero tells Radio Ink there were several smaller wins for radio in the FCC’s ruling yesterday:
- A simplified filing procedures for financial hardship waivers and requests for deferments;
- Simplified process with no hurdles for installment payment plans;
- Reduction of the interest rate charged for installments plans and elimination of the large down payment requirement;
- Elimination of administrative fees charged for late payments and for installments plans;
- A temporary lift of red lights to allow for filing of waiver requests (which were previously blocked if someone owed money).
This illustrates how tone deaf the bureaucrats at the FCC are. Our revenues are down 60% or so and have been since March. However, government employees don’t get laid off and don’t have to take pay cuts. Life goes on.
And why are we surprised at any of this?
The other shoe is about to drop. Did anyone see the proposed changes in application fees in an NPRM recently issued by the FCC? Under the so-called “RAY BAUM’S” Act, Congress is requiring the FCC to set fees according to the cost to the Commission of processing applications, even those that are processed by automation, such as General Mobile Radio Service and amateur radio applications. Never mind that the Amateur Radio Service is by international treaty strictly noncommercial and is a hobby, not a business. Amateur applications go from no fee to $50, Experimental Radio Service applications go from $70 to $125, and there are assorted changes proposed in the fees for various broadcast services. Go to arrl.org for a link to the NPRM.
“Pay your fee and shut up…” that’s basically what they said. No one cares if you just had a blood bath of a year, from government imposed covid crap!
“I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” — President Reagan, on the utter lack of sensibility of government in our lives.
It sounds to me like it’s the government regulating body that, as usual, is the one who doesn’t understand.
When the government makes mistakes, they do the easiest way out; raise taxes and/or implement fees for their undoing.