FCC Adopts Annual Regulatory Fees Order

On Thursday, August 27, 2026 the FCC adopted an order setting the annual regulatory fees that will be due in September. The various FCC bureaus, including the Media Bureau, will now issue public notices on payment procedures, along with the deadline for remitting the annual fees.  All commercial broadcast stations, unless exempt, must remit fees through the FCC’s CORES system. The de minimis amount remains $1,000 for this year, so if a licensee’s total regulatory fees are $1,000 or less, no payment need be made.

As in the past, missing a regulatory fee payment deadline results in an automatic penalty equal to 25% of the total amount of fees due.

Early this week, the Media Bureau will set the September deadline for remitting filing fees and publish a Fee Filing Guide providing guidance and procedures on how to remit regulatory fees. We will be contacting clients with commercial stations once the Media Bureau’s fees are populated in CORES.