The FCC has locked in a hard payment date and penalty structure for the Fiscal Year 2026 fee hike it finalized last month, opening its online payment system with a concrete deadline and real consequences for broadcasters to plan around.
11:59p ET on September 24 is the deadline for FY 2026 regulatory fee payments, according to a Public Notice. The fees apply to any feeable authorization granted on or before October 1, 2025, and follow the Commission’s Report and Order in August, which raised AM and FM station fees between 2.19% and 3.32%, rejecting broadcaster requests for relief.
Payments must be made electronically through the Commission’s CORES system. Broadcasters who miss the deadline face an automatic 25% penalty on top of the fee owed, plus interest and collection charges. Unpaid balances can also trigger red light status, blocking a station from filing other applications with the Commission until the debt clears.
Requests citing financial hardship must include supporting documentation and are due by the same September 24 deadline. Late or unsupported filings are generally denied.
This week underscored those stakes: the Commission revoked the license of KBOQ in Lima, MT, over more than $6,700 in delinquent regulatory fees, a reminder of how quickly an unpaid balance can escalate.
