Radio fees rise as FCC rejects broadcasters’ relief bids

Two years of falling FCC bills are ending for AM and FM broadcasters. The agency officially rejected requests from the NAB and dozens of state associations to soften a coming fee increase for AM and FM stations, following a jump in the agency’s operating budget.

The Report and Order sets a total FY 2026 regulatory fee collection of $416,112,000, up 6.6% from the $390,192,000 the FCC collected in FY 2025. Congress sets that total through the annual appropriations process, and the Commission has no discretion over the overall amount, only over how the burden is divided among fee payors.

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