. . . but you’re STILL required to pay reg fees for them, or else
Reminder to all you DIY reg fee filers: The FCC’s handy “Look-up Website” is not so handy when it comes to broadcast auxiliary licenses (licenses for, e.g., studio-transmitter links, remote pickups, etc.). When you query the “Look-up” for the fees you owe, it does not include records for auxiliaries. This can be problematic because Fee Filer will not necessarily pull up your auxiliary licenses when you punch in your FRN, either. (Our Fee Filer experience on that score has been at best hit-and-miss.)
There is a $10 reg fee for each auxiliary license that the FCC has you down for. In other words, if the FCC thinks you have an auxiliary, you owe the fee for it, even if it turns out that you don’t use that particular auxiliary and might even have forgotten about it. Because of that, it’s always a good idea to check both your records and the Commission’s, to make sure you have an accurate handle on just what licenses (auxiliary and otherwise) you’re on the hook for. And then, of course, you should be sure to include those licenses when paying your fees.
Failure to pay the fee for auxiliaries can end up being costly down the road. The late fee (25% on each late $10 auxiliary reg fee) is probably not going to kill you, as long as the lateness is limited to auxiliaries. But failure to pay any reg fee can trigger the FCC’s Red Light Rule, which can in turn have unpleasant, and possibly dire, consequences down the line.
