As broadcasters weigh in on the FCC’s proposed 2025 regulatory fees, SiriusXM is pushing for adjustments. In a formal filing, the company is asking the Commission to remove two of its satellites from the draft list of assessed assets.
In a filing, SiriusXM says the Commission’s current database and draft fee schedule erroneously include XM-3 and XM-4, despite their retirement under previously approved post-mission disposal plans.
The company says XM-3 began its disposal process in February, with operations now limited to telemetry, tracking, and command functions solely for disposal purposes. XM-4, meanwhile, was decommissioned in October 2023, with SiriusXM requesting license termination at that time.
The filing cites the FCC’s Third Report and Order for Fiscal Year 2024 regulatory fees, which exempts satellites already in post-mission disposal at the time of the order’s release. SiriusXM argues XM-3 clearly qualifies under that rule, while XM-4 was retired well before that date.
The company also renewed broader concerns about the FCC’s decision to assess fees on all authorized satellites, regardless of whether they are operational. SiriusXM says this policy may distort decision-making by adding cost complexity to determinations around satellite retirement, authorization, and service deployment.
On the terrestrial side, the NAB is backing the FCC’s proposed fiscal year 2025 regulatory fee structure, while calling for continued modernization of how fees are assessed, particularly through the expansion of who pays.
NAB emphasized that while broadcasters support the new refinements, they remain concerned about the narrow pool of entities currently funding the FCC’s regulatory operations. The association said it is time for the Commission to move beyond its legacy base of licensees and broaden the payor pool to include unlicensed spectrum users, broadband providers, equipment authorization holders, and major technology companies.
