D/I Fee

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PRSS® Fees

Annual Fee Rates

The D/I Fee rates are set on a calendar-year basis for the period January-through-December of each year. D/I Fee invoices are issued to stations each October, and contain a blended charge based on three months (October – December) at the current year’s rate plus nine months ( January – September) at the new rate.
 
The D/I Fee rates for calendar year 2012 are as follows:

    • Maximum Income Requirement: $235,000

The following chart illustrates one example of the October 2011 invoice calculated against the 2012 rates:
   
 
   2011 Calendar Year Rate
 
  $7,625

  Oct. 2011 – Dec. 2011
 
  $1,906
 
  2012 Calendar Year Rate		 
  $8,000		 
  Jan. 2012 – Sept. 2012
  $6,000
  Blended Charge: FY 2012 D/I Fee Invoice

  Oct. 2011 – Sept. 2012
 
  $7,906

         Note: The corresponding Internet Access Fee would be 50% of the above example.


Participating Stations pay the full D/I Fee rate and share full financial responsibility for the satellite system; they are entitled to vote on system governance issues and are the collective beneficiaries of the Public Radio Satellite Interconnection System Charitable Trust.

Public radio stations with less than $235,000 annual income are eligible for interconnection as Contributing Stations. A station that qualifies for contributing status may choose to pay a reduced D/I Fee rate based on a pro-rated formula, while giving up certain benefits of full Participating Station status. The minimum fee, regardless of the formula, is $500.

Please note that Contributing Stations forego the following benefits of full participating status:

  • Voting in interconnection system affairs, except in the ballot to confirm non-Board members of the D/I Committee
  • Being a beneficiary under the Public Radio Satellite Interconnection System Charitable Trust
  • Receiving any reimbursements given to stations from revenue-generated dividends.
  • Both Participating and Contributing Stations that become interconnected for the first time receive a 50% discount on their first year's D/I fee (12 months from date of interconnection), and a 25% discount on their second year's fee. The full fee will apply in all subsequent years.

For further information on the D/I fee, contact Customer Development at 202.513.2618 or via email at  prssbusiness@npr.org.