How much radio station this fall in annual regulatory fees is yet to be decided, but in an indication of which way things are headed the Federal Communications Commission is planning to spend less in the coming year. In its formal request to Congress, the FCC is seeking $398,342,000 in budget authority in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. If approved by lawmakers, that would represent $17.77 million, or 4.3%, less than its $416 million budget for the current year.
The Commission says it is “creating a lean, accountable, and efficient” operation that will be enable it to trim its overall spending through shrinking its workforce. The FCC proposes to have 110 fewer full-time employees next year. The current plan is to have 1,294 full-times on the payroll in the coming year, down from the current level of 1,404.
Some of those cuts will come from the Media Bureau. The Bureau with the most impact on radio has had 112 full-time employees the past two years. Under Carr’s plan, it will drop to 103 next year. That will save the FCC about $1.4 million. The Enforcement Bureau will also lose 13 full-timers, while the Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau would give up eight. And across all other bureaus and offices, there would be similar small reductions in full-time staffing levels. Carr also proposes to pullback on the number of contract employees in the coming year.
thedesk.net
