Copyright Forms and Fees Due August 29, 2012

Cable operators must file with the U.S. Copyright Office their Statement of Accounts (Form SA1-2 or SA3) and pay any royalty fees due for the January 2012 – June 2012 accounting period byAugust 29, 2012. The following forms apply:

• SA1-2 Short Form. For use by cable television systems with semiannual gross receipts of less than $527,600.
• SA3 Long Form. For use by cable television systems with semiannual gross receipts of $527,600 or more.

Copyright royalty fees must be remitted by electronic payment. If you have any questions about copyright forms or fees, please contact Chris Cinnamon at (312) 372-3930 or cccinnamon@cm-chi.com.

FCC Form 477 Due September 4, 2012

The next Form 477 filing is due September 4, 2012 (reporting data as of June 30, 2012).  For this filing, the FCC’s electronic system will only recognize 2010 Census tract codes.  Further information about the Form 477 and 2010 Census tracts is available online:

• Census Tract Information, Filing Instructions, and a Link to File Form 477:                         http://transition.fcc.gov/form477
• 2010 Census Tract Reference Maps:http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/pl10_map_suite/tract.html
• 2010 Census Tract Relationship Files:http://www.census.gov/geo/www/2010census/tract_rel/tract_rel.html

For more information about filing Form 477, please contact Scott Friedman at (312) 372-3930 orsfriedman@cm-chi.com.

FCC Fiscal Year 2012 Cable Regulatory Fees

On July 19, 2012, the FCC issued an order establishing its FY 2012 Regulatory Fees:

• 2012 cable regulatory fee: Cable television systems operating on October 1, 2011 must pay $0.95 per subscriber, a $0.02 increase from 2011.
• CARS licenses and permits: CARS facilities operating on October 1, 2011 must pay$475.00, a $105 increase from 2011, even if the facility’s license expired after October 1, 2011.
• Interconnected VoIP regulatory fee: $0.00375 for each dollar of interstate and international telecommunications revenue that a provider reports on its Form 499-A.

The FCC will collect these fees during a filing window in September 2012.  All licensees must use their FRN and password to access the Fee Filer System, and review, create, update, or change the fees owed.  Then, each licensee may decide on a payment method – online payment with a credit card, online payment from a bank account, mailing a check, or sending a wire transfer.  The Fee Filer System will print a Form 159-E for users who do not wish to pay online.

If you have any questions about regulatory fee payments, please contact Adriana Kissel at (312) 372-3930 or akissel@cm-chi.com.