For broadcasters, however, the bigger impact lies in how those costs are allocated \u2014 specifically through the FCC\u2019s long-standing system of assigning fees based on full-time staff workload. While similar reallocations in recent years helped ease pressure on broadcasters by shifting costs away from Media Bureau-regulated services, the 2026 proposal moves in a different direction. By increasing the number of employees counted as directly supporting core bureau activity \u2014 including Media Bureau functions \u2014 the FCC is effectively increasing the share of its budget that must be recovered from industries like radio.<\/p>\n
Just as notable for broadcasters is what the FCC isn\u2019t proposing. The agency again stops short of expanding the base of fee payors beyond traditionally regulated industries. While the 2025 proceeding considered \u2014 and ultimately rejected \u2014 adding new categories such as large technology companies, the 2026 proposal similarly focuses on adjustments within the existing structure, rather than broadening who pays into the system.<\/p>\n
The result is a familiar dynamic for radio. Fees continue to be determined by internal FCC cost allocations rather than the competitive realities of the audio marketplace, where broadcasters face growing competition from digital platforms that are not subject to the same regulatory fee structure.<\/p>\n
The result is the proposal will require Class B, C, C0, C1 or C2 FMs serving more than 6 million people to pay $20,510 in annual fees. That is up about 5.3% from $19,485 last year. Smaller FMs would also see increases. Across mid-tier and smaller FM categories, fees are also set to rise by roughly 5% year over year.<\/p>\n
On the AM side, the increases are similar at the top of the market. Class As in the largest markets would pay $16,405, a 5.5% increase from $15,550 last year. At the low end, a Class D AMs serving fewer than 10,000 people would pay $395, down from $545 last year \u2014 one of the only categories to see a decrease.<\/p>\n
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Beyond annual station regulatory fees, radio operators would also see higher costs for a range of application-based fees under the 2026 proposal. The FCC wants to increase the fee for AM construction permits to $600, up from $585, and FM construction permits to $1,050, up from $1,025. Those increases are modest in dollar terms, but they continue the same upward trend seen in the annual station fees.<\/p>\n
Fees tied to auxiliary broadcast services are also moving higher. The Commission proposes a $265 fee for FM translators and FM boosters, up from $245 last year. While relatively small on a per-license basis, those charges can add up for operators with multiple translators or boosters.<\/p>\n