FCC: No Change to Hardship Waiver Process for Regulatory Fees

The Federal Communications Commission has decided not to change its hardship waiver process for annual regulatory fees assessed on TV and radio stations, saying it was unnecessary to add layoffs and furloughs to the list and opting for "predictability" over what it said could potentially be a "limitless variety of showings." That was part of the FCC's notice Friday of the new regulatory fee schedule, which includes a 9.6% hike in order to collect the necessary $341,875,000 "required by Congress." Radio fees range from a few hundred dollars in the smallest markets to more than $8,000. TV fees range from $5,950 in markets above 100 to $77,575 in a top-10 market and $60,550 in markets 11-25. Midsized markets (51-100) have to pay $22,950. State broadcast associations had asked the FCC to loosen its waiver standard for financial hardship. They argued that the current economic crisis was "crippling" stations nationwide.