As the FCC begins shaping its fee structure for Fiscal Year 2026, broadcasters are getting another opportunity to weigh in on how much they’ll pay. The Commission’s proposed budget hints at stable regulatory costs for the coming year, but final decisions will depend in part on industry feedback during the public comment process.
The FCC’s latest Notice of Proposed Rulemaking details how fees for FY 2025 were calculated. A key shift in cost allocation—reassigning certain overhead and personnel expenses away from broadcasters—resulted in lower fees across most radio license categories. The radio industry saw an average reduction of about 6% last year, continuing a downward trend from the previous cycle.
For example, AM Class A stations in major markets with populations over 6 million experienced a fee drop from $20,025 in FY 2024 to $19,550 in FY 2025. FM Class B stations in smaller markets under 25,000 people saw their fees decline from $760 to $740. These reductions followed a 5% industry-wide drop in FY 2024, signaling a favorable trend for radio operators.
However, while annual regulatory fees have decreased, application-related costs have gone up. The FCC implemented a 17.41% increase in its Schedule of Application Fees, reflecting the required biennial inflation adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index from April 2021 to April 2024. That increase affects a range of services, including license renewals and technical filings.
Although no FY 2026 fee schedule has been proposed yet, the Commission’s budget language suggests there will be no major cost increases for broadcasters, which may offer some predictability heading into the next fiscal year. Still, final rates won’t be set until further rulemaking is completed.
Broadcasters have until July 7 to submit formal comments on the FY 2025 fee structure, with reply comments due by July 21. The FCC’s final decisions will take those inputs into account before locking in next year’s rates.
For radio operators and industry advocates, the current window provides a chance to continue pushing for fair and sustainable fees—especially as stations adapt to economic and regulatory pressures while serving local communities.