NAB: Suspend Regulatory Fee Increases or Offer Payment Plan

The FCC should “at the very least” suspend regulatory fee increases for broadcasters or allow them to pay their fees in installments, said NAB in comments Thursday in docket 20-105. “Given the uncertainty on the duration of the pandemic, there is no telling when broadcast operating revenues will return to previous levels.” Broadcasters face a regulatory fee increase despite the unchanged FCC budget, the filing said. The agency should broaden the range of entities it collects regulatory fees from, and provide justification for the fee increase, the filing said: “Given that the FCC is requiring broadcasters (and other licensees) to pay for the privilege of being regulated, it must do far more to ensure these payments are reasonable, equitable and, at the very least, adequately explained.”