FCC Proposes FY 2003 Regulatory Fees

The FCC intends to collect $269,000,000 in regulatory fees for fiscal year 2003. The fees are mandated by Congress and recover costs associated with the commission’s enforcement, policy and rulemaking, etc. The agency has proposed expanding the radio categories…taking into account “the trend toward more powerful stations, and increases in the overall population.”
The commission is proposing a fee category for stations that serve populations of 3 million or more people. Currently the categories stop at stations that serve a million or more listeners. Proposed FY 2003 fees range from $600 for a Class A AM serving a population of 25,000 or less to $8,125 for most classes of FMs serving a population of 3 million or more. Comments on the proposed fees are due April 25 (MM Docket 03-83).