The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed regulatory fees for fiscal year 2010. Congress has mandated that the FCC collect $335,794,000 in regulatory fees for 2010, to recover the regulatory costs associated with the FCC’s enforcement, policy and rulemaking, user information and international activities. This total represents an overall decrease of 1.8 percent from fiscal year 2009.

With the completion of the digital television (DTV) transition on June 12, 2009, beginning this fiscal year, the FCC has eliminated the distinction between digital and analog full-power television stations, and will assess regulatory fees only on digital broadcast operations. Stations still operating under Special Temporary Authority until their digital license is issued will be treated as fully operational licensed facilities for purposes of regulatory fees, and will be required to pay the same regulatory fee as a licensed full-power DTV station.

The FCC intends to continue its practice of mailing fee assessment postcards to broadcast licensees on a per-facility basis for fiscal year 2010, but intends to eliminate this practice starting in fiscal year 2011 as part of its effort to become more electronic and less paper-oriented. The FCC will accept comment on this proposal until September 30, 2010, and intends to raise the issue again next year when it announces proposed regulatory fees for fiscal year 2011. See pages 6-8 of the FCC's Regulatory Fees Notice for more information and directions on how to submit your comments on this coming change.

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