MBA joins reply comments on FCC Regulatory Fees

In the Matter of Review of the Commission’s Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2025, MD Docket No. 25-190.

The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association, in combination with the state broadcasters associations of 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, filed Joint Reply Comments with the FCC in the FY2025 Regulatory Fee proceeding.

The state broadcasters comments:

  • Supported the FCC’s efforts to more precisely delineate which agency employees work on non-broadcast matters and to ensure that the cost of those employees, as well as associated overhead costs of the FCC, are covered by the regulatory fees paid by the non-broadcast entities benefiting from those employees’ work rather than by broadcaster.
  • Urged the FCC to annually review the fee categorization of its employees agency-wide prior to issuing proposed regulatory fees to ensure that broadcasters’ regulatory fees are not paying for non-broadcaster FCC services.
  • Urged the Commission, as required by the RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018, to expand its base of regulatory fee payors so that the costs of operating the FCC are spread across all entities that benefit from the Commission’s activities, and not just those that hold an FCC license issued by one the bureaus the FCC deems “core.”

The MBA thanks counsel Scott Flick of Pillsbury Law as well as each of the other participating state broadcasters associations for continuing to advocate for fair regulatory fee structures for its radio and television members.