FCC Getting Better at Collecting Fines, Resolving NALs Quickly, Enforcement Bureau Chief Says
The FCC has gotten better at bringing proposed fines to conclusion over the past two years, either through settlements or by issuing a final fine, Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc said in a blog Wednesday. Politico recently cited what it…
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called a "disconnect" between fines announced by agencies and amounts actually collected. LeBlanc said that EB collected 86 percent of the fines it imposed over the past two years, "a substantial increase over previous years," and that during each of the past three years it collected more than 80 percent of the money owed in imposed fines. "By comparison, in 2011, just 54.9 percent of the money owed in issued fines was collected," he said. So far this year, EB has collected $98 million in fines, he said. Resolution of cases also is faster, LeBlanc said, as notices of apparent liability averaged eight months be to be resolved via forfeiture order last year, compared with an average of 19 months in 2011. "There are, of course, special cases that take more time because they require coordination with other government entities," LeBlanc said, saying some proposed Lifeline-related fines are being reviewed by the agency's Office of Inspector General. Proposed fines against a Chinese company for selling illegal jammers -- presumably the $34.9 million fine faced by Chinese company C.T.S. Technology (see [Ref:1406230041]), though LeBlanc didn't specify -- requires complying with international treaties that govern legal processes, he said. "The Commission is actively working with the Chinese and U.S. governments to resolve this matter as expeditiously as possible," he said.