WASHINGTON, D.C.—The FCC has released a budgetary request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 that asks for $448,075,000 in budget authority from regulatory fee offsetting collections. This request represents an increase of $57,883,000 or 14.8 percent from the FY 2024 Annualized Continuing Appropriations Act level of $390,192,000.
If enacted by Congress, that could lead to higher fees for broadcasters, though the FCC has not explained how it would achieve the regulatory fee increases.
The FCC also requests $139,000,000 in budget authority for the Spectrum Auctions program. Last year Congress allowed the FCC’s authority to conduct auctions to expire and the FCC is currently pushing Congress to renew the authority. As of December 31, 2023 the Commission’s spectrum auctions program has generated over $233.5 billion for government use; at the same time, the total cost of the spectrum auctions program has been less than $2.5 billion or 1.1 percent of the total auctions’ revenue, the FCC said.
In terms of staffing, the FCC’s budgetary request noted that “in creating a lean, accountable, and efficient Commission that works for the American people, the Commission requests 1,600 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) funded by budget authority from S&E, Spectrum Auctions program, and other budget authorities provided by the President and Congress. This FTE level is the same level as the FY 2023 appropriated and enacted level and the FY 2024 Congressional request level. With this FTE level, the Commission will meet its mission demands in FY 2025.”
The FY 2025 budget request calls for spending for the Enforcement Bureau to increase from $44,816,000 in the Annualized Level - Continuing Appropriations Act for FY 2024 to $49,340,000 in FY 2025. Staffing would remain the same with the equivalent of 204 full time staffers.
The Media Bureau would see increases from $28,545,000 in FY 2024 to $29,739,000 in FY 2025. Staffing would remain the same with 35 staffers.
The full request and the FCC’s discussion of its goals for FY 2025 are available here.
