REGULATORY FEES FACT SHEET Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 September 6, 2017 WHAT YOU OWE – MEDIA SERVICES LICENSEES FOR FY 2017 On September 5, 2017, the Commission released Assessment of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FY 2017 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 2017 regulatory fees. While FY 2017 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 2017 regulatory fees. Regulatory fee payments MUST BE RECEIVED 1 by the Commission no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on September 26, 2017. Commission licensees and regulatees should consult the 2017 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 2017 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 (in FY 2015, broadcast auxiliary fees were eliminated from being assessed regulatory fees). Media licensees and permit holders owe regulatory fees for each license or permit held as of October 1, 2016, even if the license or permit expired after October 1, 2016. In instances where a license or permit is transferred or assigned after October 1, 2016, 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, and holders of construction permits for new AM and FM stations, provided that such licenses or permits were granted on or before October 1, 2016, even if the license or permit expired after October 1, 2016. Beginning in FY 2015 and thereafter, licensees that hold broadcast auxiliary licenses (e.g. remote pickup stations, aural broadcast STLs, intercity relay stations, and low power auxiliary stations) no longer have to pay regulatory fees on their broadcast auxiliaries; the regulatory fee for broadcast auxiliary licenses was eliminated. AM Expanded Radio Stations No Longer Exempt: In FY 2014, the Commission lifted the exemption 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, AM Expanded Band radio stations will be 1 The Commission has instituted a mandatory electronic payment policy, which means that licensees will not 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 2017 regulatory fees. 2assessed 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, 2016. Fee amounts for AM/FM radio stations are indicated on a 48-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, or (202) 418-1995. 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, 2016, owe $555 (AM) and $980 (FM), for each construction permit held, regardless of station class or population served. Licensees who hold broadcast auxiliaries do not have to pay a regulatory fee for these licenses. Payment Type Codes and Payment Amounts For FY 2017 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 1717 $895 1723 $640 1729 $555 1735 $610 1741 $980 1747 $1,100 25,001 - 75,000 1718 $1,350 1724 $955 1730 $830 1736 $915 1742 $1,475 1748 $1,650 75,001 - 150,000 1719 $2,375 1725 $1,700 1731 $1,475 1737 $1,600 1743 $2,600 1749 $2,925 150,001 - 500,000 1720 $3,550 1726 $2,525 1732 $2,200 1738 $2,425 1744 $3,875 1750 $4,400 500,001 - 1,200,000 1721 $5,325 1727 $3,800 1733 $3,300 1739 $3,625 1745 $5,825 1751 $6,575 1,200,001 - 3,000,000 1722 $7,975 1728 $5,700 1734 $4,950 1740 $5,425 1746 $8,750 1752 $9,875 3,000,001 – 6,000,000 1779 $11,950 1780 $8,550 1781 $7,400 1782 $8,150 1783 $13,100 1784 $14,800 >6,000,000 1793 $17,950 1794 $12,825 1795 $11,100 1796 $12,225 1797 $19,650 1798 $22,225 Regulatory Fee Group or Category Regulatory Fee Payment Type Code 3Construction Permit for New AM Station $555 1715 Construction Permit for New FM Station $980 1716 Broadcast Auxiliary Station License No Fee VHF/UHF/Satellite TV Stations Who Must Pay: Licensees of commercial VHF, UHF (“Digital TV Stations) and satellite television stations, and holders of construction permits for new stations, provided that such licenses or permits were granted on or before October 1, 2016, even if the license or permit expired after October 1, 2016. (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, 2016, owe $4,925 for Digital Television construction permits, and $1,725 for Satellite TV licenses, regardless of market size. Finally, licensees no longer owe a regulatory fee for broadcast auxiliary licenses. Digital Television: An FY 2017 regulatory fee will be assessed on all full-service television stations that are licensed as of October 1, 2016. The digital-only exemption is no longer applicable. 3 Commercial Digital Stations: Regulatory Fee Payment Type Code Markets 1-10 $59,750 1753 Markets 11-25 $45,025 1754 Markets 26-50 $30,050 1755 Markets 51-100 $14,975 1756 Remaining Markets $4,925 1757 Construction Permit for New VHF Station $4,925 1758 Broadcast Auxiliary Station No Fee 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 $1,725 1765 Construction Permit for New Satellite Station No Fee Note: Beginning in FY 2013 and thereafter, the Digital Television fee category (UHF/VHF) and SATELLITE TV fee categories are 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, 2016, should pay the LPTV fee of $430 for FY 2017. 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 future transition date. 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, 2016, even if the license expired after October 1, 2016. 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 $430 1767 FM Translator/FM Booster $430 1768 . 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 2017 at http://www.fcc.gov/regfees. Documentation must be received by the due date of September 26, 2017. 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 will not be accepted. 6 In making a wire transfer, please fax the “Wire Transfer Instructions” from Fee Filer to the Federal Communications Commission at (202) 418-2843 at least one hour before initiating the wire transfer (but on the same business day) so as not to delay crediting their account. These Wire Transfer Instructions contain valuable information (e.g. FRN, Voucher Number, Payer Name, and the Amount of the Wire) that will help to post the payment more quickly, and avoid costly delays that could result in penalties and interest for missing the payment due date. Please note that most wire transfers initiated after 6:00 p.m. (EDT) will be credited the next business day. LIMITATIONS ON CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS In accordance with U.S. Treasury Announcement No. A-2014-04 (July 2014), the amount that can be charged on a credit card for transactions with federal agencies has been reduced to $24,999.99. 7 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 no longer be accepted. 7 Customers who owe an amount on a bill, debt, or other obligation due to the federal government are prohibited from splitting the total amount due into multiple payments. Splitting an amount owed into several payment transactions violates the credit card network and Fiscal Service rules. An amount owed that exceeds the Fiscal Service maximum 6Previously, the credit card limit was $49,999.99. This lower transaction amount is effective June 1, 2015. Transactions greater than $24,999.99 will be rejected. This limit applies to single payments or bundled payments of more than one bill. Multiple transactions to a single agency in one day may be aggregated and treated as a single transaction subject to the $24,999.99 limit. Customers who wish to pay an amount greater than $24,999.99 should consider available electronic alternatives such as Visa or MasterCard debit cards, ACH debits from a bank account, and wire transfers. Each of these payment options is available after filing regulatory fee information in Fee Filer. Further details will be provided regarding payment methods and procedures at the time of FY 2017 regulatory fee collection in Fact Sheets, available at https://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. DE MINIMIS REGULATORY FEE LEVEL Regulatees whose total FY 2017 annual regulatory fee liability, including all categories of fees for which payment is due, is $1,000 or less are exempt from payment of FY 2017 regulatory fees. The de minimis threshold applies only to filers of annual regulatory fees (not regulatory fees paid through multi-year wireless filings), and it is not a permanent exemption. Rather, each regulate will need to reevaluate their total fee liability each fiscal year to determine whether they meet the de minimis exemption. Regulatees are responsible for calculating their own total fee obligation to determine whether they qualify for this de minimis exemption. The Commission reserves the right to request documentation that supports a de minimis exemption claim. Important Note: If the sum total of all FY 2017 regulatory fees is $1,000 or less, you are considered de minimis and do not have to pay FY 2017 regulatory fees. If you are de minimis, you will not need to report this exemption to the Commission. - FCC- dollar amount, $24,999.99, may not be split into two or more payment transactions in the same day by using one or multiple cards. Also, an amount owed that exceeds the Fiscal Service maximum dollar amount may not be split into two or more transactions over multiple days by using one or more cards.