REGULATORY FEES FACT SHEETFederal Communications Commission445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 September 5, 2014 WHAT YOU OWE – MEDIA SERVICES LICENSEES FOR FY 2014 On August 29, 2014, the Commission released Assessment of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FY 2014 Regulatory Fees Report and Order). This document is available for viewing at http://www.fcc.gov/regfees. The Commission’s automated filing and payment system (“Fee Filer”) is available for filing and viewing of FY 2014 regulatory fees. While FY 2014 regulatory fees will not become effective until the rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, regulatees at their own discretion, may submit payments at any time before the effective due date of FY 2014 regulatory fees. Regulatory fee payments must be RECEIVED 1 by the Commission no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on September 23, 2014. Commission licensees and regulatees should consult the 2014 Regulatory Fees Report and Order for specific information concerning regulatory fee payment obligations, the regulatory fee process, and regulatory fee requirements for payment. The Commission also publishes industry-specific guidance in Who Owes Fees & What Is My FY 2014 Fee, which can be found on the Commission website at http://www.fcc.gov/regfees. This Fact Sheet applies to licensees of media services such as: commercial AM & FM radio stations, FM translators and boosters, commercial television stations, satellite TV stations, low power television (LPTV) stations, TV translators and boosters and broadcast auxiliary stations. Media licensees and permit holders owe regulatory fees for each license or permit held as of October 1, 2013, even if the license or permit expired after October 1, 2013. In instances where a license or permit is transferred or assigned after October 1, 2013, the fee must be paid by the party that is the licensee or holder of the permit on the date that the fee payment is due. Commercial AM/FM Radio Stations Who Must Pay: Licensees of commercial AM and FM radio stations, holders of construction permits for new AM and FM stations, and licensees who hold auxiliary broadcast service licenses for stations operated in conjunction with the main station (e.g., remote pickup stations, aural broadcast STLs, intercity relay stations and low power auxiliary stations), provided that such licenses or permits were granted on or before October 1, 2013, even if the license or permit expired after October 1, 2013. AM Expanded Radio Stations No Longer Exempt: Beginning in FY 2014, the Commission will lift the 1 The Commission has instituted a mandatory electronic payment policy, which means that licensees will no longer be able to make regulatory fee payments by check, money order, or cashier’s check. Only credit card, ACH, and wire transfer payments will be accepted. Please make sure that your electronic fee payment is made and the transaction is complete by the due date of FY 2014 regulatory fees. 2exemption on AM Expanded Band radio stations (1605-1705 kHz), thereby assessing regulatory fees on these radio stations on the same basis as AM standard band licensees. After providing the exemption for nearly two decades to reduce interference in the standard band, the Commission has determined that there is no longer a reason to provide this regulatory fee exemption to AM broadcasters. Consequently, in FY 2014 and thereafter, AM Expanded Band radio stations will be assessed a regulatory fee on the same basis as standard band licensees. Additional Media Regulatory Fee Information: In addition to regulatory fee information located at the Commission’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/regfees, additional media regulatory fee data can be viewed at the website: www.fccfees.com. Fee Requirement: Fees for AM and FM radio station licensees are based upon class of station and population served. A station’s class is based upon the station's most recent license that was granted on or before October 1, 2013. Fee amounts for AM/FM radio stations are indicated on a 42-block table, as shown below. Fee amounts for individual stations may be obtained by accessing the FCC's internet website at (http://www.fcc.gov/regfees). If you have a commercial AM and FM radio station that is not listed, please contact the FCC Help Desk at (877) 480-3201, Option 4. Holders of construction permits (CPs) for new AM and FM stations for which a license to cover the construction permit had not been granted as of October 1, 2013, owe $590 (AM) and $750 (FM), for each construction permit held, regardless of station class or population served. Licensees also owe $10 for each broadcast auxiliary license held. Payment Type Codes and Payment Amounts For FY 2014 Radio Station Regulatory Fees Population Served AM Class A AM Class B AM Class C AM Class D FM Classes A, B1 & C3 FM Classes B, C, C0, C1 & C2 <=25,000 1417 $775 1423 $645 1429 $590 1435 $670 1441 $750 1447 $925 25,001 - 75,000 1418 $1,550 1424 $1,300 1430 $900 1436 $1,000 1442 $1,500 1448 $1,625 75,001 - 150,000 1419 $2,325 1425 $1,625 1431 $1,200 1437 $1,675 143 $2,050 1449 $3,000 150,001 - 500,000 1420 $3,475 1426 $2,750 1432 $1,800 1438 $2,025 1444 $3,175 1450 $3,925 500,001 - 1,200,000 1421 $5,025 1427 $4,225 1433 $3,000 1439 $3,375 1445 $5,050 1451 $5,775 1,200,001 - 3,000,000 1422 $7,750 1428 $6,500 1434 $4,500 1440 $5,400 1446 $8,250 1452 $9,250 >3,000,000 1479 $9,300 1480 $7,800 1481 $5,700 1482 $6,750 1483 $10,500 1484 $12,025 3Regulatory Fee Group or Category Regulatory Fee Payment Type Code Construction Permit for New AM Station $590 1415 Construction Permit for New FM Station $750 1416 Broadcast Auxiliary Station License $10 1469 VHF/UHF/Satellite TV Stations Who Must Pay: Licensees of commercial VHF, UHF and satellite television stations, holders of construction permits for new stations, and licensees who hold auxiliary broadcast service licenses for stations operated in conjunction with the main station (e.g., remote pickup stations, intercity relay stations), provided that such licenses or permits were granted on or before October 1, 2013, even if the license or permit expired after October 1, 2013. In FY 2013, effective in FY 2014, the Commission consolidated the UHF and VHF Television stations into a single Digital Television Stations fee category, by market size, for purposes of paying regulatory fees.2 Fee Requirement: Fees for commercial television stations are based upon the size of the Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA), as indicated in the chart below. Holders of construction permits (CPs) for new television stations for which a license had not been granted as of October 1, 2013, owe $4,750 for Digital Television construction permits, and $1,300 for Satellite TV construction permits for each permit held, regardless of market size. Finally, licensees also owe $10 for each broadcast auxiliary license held. Digital Television: FY 2014 regulatory fees will be assessed on all full-service television stations that are licensed as of October 1, 2013. The digital-only exemption is no longer applicable.3 Commercial Digital Stations: Regulatory Fee Payment Type Code Markets 1-10 $44,650 1453 Markets 11-25 $42,100 1454 Markets 26-50 $26,975 1455 Markets 51-100 $15,600 1456 Remaining Markets $4,750 1457 Construction Permit for New VHF Station $4,750 1458 Broadcast Auxiliary Station $10 1469 2 Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2013, MD Docket No. 08-65, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 12351, 12361-62, paras 29-31 (2013) (FY 2013 Report and Order). 3 See Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2010, Report and Order, 75 FR 41932 at ¶ 16 (July 19, 2010). 4Satellite TV Stations: Regulatory Fee Payment Type Code All Markets $1,550 1465 Construction Permit for New Satellite Station $1,300 1466 Note: Beginning in FY 2013 and thereafter, the Digital Television fee category (UHF/VHF) and SATELLITE TV fee categories will be assigned bill numbers.4 LPTV, TV Translators & TV Boosters, FM Translators & FM Boosters Important Note: After the digital conversion in 2009, a number of special TV translators (known as DTV replacement translators) were licensed to full service television stations to cover a part of the primary station’s contour that was left unprotected. These translators did not extend the protected contour of the primary station, but operated within the same protected contour and provided the same programming as the primary station. Therefore, these TV translators were granted licenses under the same facility number and the same facility call sign as the primary station. Because these TV translators do not extend the coverage of the primary station, but operate solely within the primary station’s protected contour, these special TV Translators are deemed to be “replacement translators” and are not assessed a separate TV Translator regulatory fee. The Commission has established a category of “Class A TV” into which some Low Power TV (LPTV) stations were re-classified.5 Therefore, LPTV stations that were re-classified as Class A TV as of October 1, 2000, as well as existing LPTV stations operating as of October 1, 2013, should pay the LPTV fee of $410 for FY 2014. The digital transition to full-service television stations was completed on June 12, 2009, but the digital transition for Low Power, Class A, and TV Translators/Boosters still remains voluntary with a transition date of September 1, 2015. In the context of regulatory fees, the digital transition was considered applicable to full- service television stations, and not to Low Power, Class A, and TV Translators/Boosters. Because the digital transition for these services is still voluntary, some of these facilities may transition from analog to digital service more rapidly than others. During this period of transition, licensees of Low Power, Class A, and TV Translator/Booster facilities may be operating in analog mode, in digital mode, or in an analog and digital simulcast mode. Therefore, for regulatory fee purposes, a fee will be assessed for each facility operating either in an analog or digital mode. In instances in which a licensee is simulcasting in both analog and digital modes, a single regulatory fee will be assessed for the analog facility and its corresponding digital component, but not for both facilities. As greater numbers of facilities convert to digital mode, the Commission will provide revised instructions on how regulatory fees will be assessed. Who Must Pay: Holders of LPTV, TV translator and booster licenses, and FM translator and booster licenses whose license was granted on or before October 1, 2013, even if the license expired after October 1, 2013. 4 A bill is considered an account receivable in the Commission’s accounting system. Bills reflect the amount owed and have a payment due date of the last day of the regulatory fee payment window. Consequently, if a bill is not paid by the due date, it becomes delinquent and is subject to our debt collection procedures. See also 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1161(c), 1.1164(f)(5), and 1.1910. 5 (See Establishment of a Class A TV Service, 65 FR 29985, MM Docket No. 00-10 (May 10, 2000). 5Fee Requirement: Fees are owed on a per-license basis as follows: Type of License Regulatory Fee Payment Type Code Low Power Television Station, TV Translator/TV Booster $410 1467 FM Translator/FM Booster $410 1468 . REPORTING OF BROADCAST AUXILIARIES Broadcast auxiliary licenses, often known as remote pickup stations, aural broadcast STLs, intercity relay stations, and low power auxiliary stations, generally operate in conjunction with a main station. When paying regulatory fees for broadcast auxiliaries, the Facility ID of the main station linked to the auxiliary should be reported in the FCC Code 1 field in Fee Filer. Also, to reduce the volume of line items in a single transaction, Fee Filer will combine broadcast auxiliary fees when the number of line items exceeds 250 lines. Each resulting line item will show the Facility ID, the number of call signs associated with the Facility ID, and the combined fee amount. The number of call signs will appear in the Quantity field. The individual call signs, however, will no longer appear in Fee Filer. For those reporting line items of less than 250 lines, there will be no change in the manner of how the broadcast auxiliary fees are reported in Fee Filer. CLAIMING AN EXEMPTION The FCC will no longer accept fee exemption claims at the website www.fccfees.com. Exempt facilities are required to submit to the Commission a copy of the documentation that proves their fee-exempt status. Acceptable documentation may include a copy of an IRS determination letter showing the IRS section 501(c) tax exemption status, state or government certifications, or proof of the station’s noncommercial educational ((NCE) broadcast status at the Commission. For additional information on exemptions, please see, Fact Sheet: Regulatory Fee Exemptions – FY 2014 at http://www.fcc.gov/regfees. Documentation must be received by the due date of September 23, 2014. To claim a fee exemption: E-mail your documentation to the FCC at ARINQUIRIES@fcc.gov, or Fax your documentation to the FCC at (202) 418-7869, or Mail your documentation to: FCC, Office of the Managing Director, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 1-A625, Washington, DC, 20554 MANDATORY USE OF FEE FILER The use of the online Fee Filer system for filing regulatory fees has not changed since the process was first initiated in FY 2009: licensees and regulatees must first enter the Commission’s Fee Filer system with a valid FRN and password, and follow the online prompts to review their data and submit an electronic fee payment. Use of the online Fee Filer system is mandatory, and payments in the form of checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks are no longer accepted. 6 A Form 159-E voucher will only be accepted when the regulatee 6 Payors should note that this change will mean that entities that have previously paid both regulatory fees and application fees at the same time by paper check will no longer be able to do so because regulatory fees payments by paper check will 6is making a wire transfer payment. Instructions on the use and submission of Form 159-E vouchers are available on the Commission’s website. For wire transfers, a Form 159-E should be transmitted via FAX ((314) 418-4232)) to U.S. Bank so that the Commission can associate the wire payment with the corresponding regulatory fee payment. LIMITATIONS ON CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS The U.S Treasury will not process credit card transactions greater than $49,999.99. Treasury Financial Manual (TFM) No. A-2012-02 (February 2012) directs agencies to limit credit card collections amounts not to exceed $49,999.99. The revised policy, effective June 30, 2012, lowers the maximum dollar amount for a credit card transaction from $99,999.99 to $49,999.99, and eliminates the maximum dollar limit for a debit card transaction. In addition, the U.S. Treasury will reject multiple credit card transactions from a single credit card in a single day that total more than $49,999.99. The system will also reject transactions charged to a credit card on that day that exceed the total daily dollar limit of $49,999.99. The FCC policy will conform to the U.S. Treasury policy. Fee payors needing to remit amounts of $50,000.00 or greater must use alternative methods of payment: debit card, ACH or FedWire. The FCC will post warnings on FCC websites to remind licensees of the U.S. Treasury policy. Additional information can be found at http://www.fcc.gov/regfees. Regulatory fee payments that exceed the U.S. Treasury limit and are rejected by Treasury, causing a payment not to meet the required payment deadline, will be subject to interest, fees, and a 25% late payment penalty. - FCC- no longer be accepted.