FCC Regulatory Fee Deadline Expected to Be Announced Soon; Form 395-B Filing Deadline Delayed

Please contact Reid Avett at reid.avett@wbd-us.com or Stephen Sharbaugh at stephen.sharbaugh@wbd-us.com for more information.

As of the distribution of this alert, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has not yet announced the deadline for this year’s regulatory fee payments. However, as the Commission has a statutory obligation to collect regulatory fee payments by September 30 of each year, entities subject to regulatory fee payments should expect to have less time than usual to make arrangements for payment this year. As such, entities subject to regulatory fee payments should consult with counsel as soon as possible to make any necessary arrangements and preparations for their regulatory fee payment. In addition, we will follow up once the Commission has released additional information on this year’s regulatory fee payment process.

Furthermore, the FCC has indefinitely delayed the deadline for submissions of Form 395-B, which was initially scheduled for September 30. The Commission had reinstated the Form 395-B data collection, which collects information concerning employee’s gender, race, and ethnicity, for broadcast licensees in February of this year. As the FCC’s Media Bureau has not yet issued a Public Notice describing the filing details for Form 395-B, it has delayed the deadline for submission until further notice. Please note that this delay is not directly related to the various legal challenges made against the FCC’s reinstatement of the Form 395-B.

If you have questions or seek assistance with payment of regulatory fees or the filing of Form 395-B, please let us know.