[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27546-27548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13656]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the
Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested
June 2, 2009.
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general
public and other Federal agencies to comment on the following
information collection(s). Comments are requested concerning (a)
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including
whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy
of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on the
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for
failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act that does not display a valid OMB control
number.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before August 10,
2009. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice,
you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: You may submit all PRA comments by email or U.S. post mail.
To submit your comments by email, send them to PRA@fcc.gov. To submit
your comments by U.S. mail, mark them to the attention of Cathy
Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918 or
send an email to PRA@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-1115.
Title: DTV Consumer Education Initiative; Section 73.674; FCC Form
388.
Form Number: FCC Form 388.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; not-for-profit
institutions; State, local or tribal governments.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 200 respondents; 1,800
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.50 hour-85 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Quarterly
reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain benefits. The statutory
authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections
4(i), 303(r), 335, and 336 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 303(r), 335, and 336.
Total Annual Burden: 10,940 hours.
Total Annual Cost: None.
Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality required with this
collection of information.
Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Needs and Uses: After the nationwide DTV transition date of June
12, 2009, full-power television broadcast stations must transmit only
digital signals, and may no longer transmit analog signals, except for
limited analog ``nightlight'' service. The DTV Delay Act directs the
Commission to take any actions ``necessary or appropriate to implement
the provisions, and carry out the purposes'' of the DTV Delay Act, and
to do so within 30 days. Congress extended the transition date in order
to permit analog service to continue until consumers have had
additional time to prepare. But Congress also directed the Commission
to provide flexibility for stations wanting to transition prior to the
new date. Stations may have made extensive preparations for a February
17 digital transition and some may have difficulty altering their
commitments at this time. The Commission's challenge is to provide
opportunities for some stations to end analog broadcasting early
without sacrificing the goal of giving consumers additional time to
prepare.
Therefore, Commission is revising this information collection to
eliminate most of the requirements after June 30, 2009; however,
broadcasters must continue to comply with the consumer education
information collection requirements until they have completed, and are
operating, their final, full-authorized post-transition (DTV) facility.
The information collection requirements that will remain in the
collection are as follows:
[[Page 27547]]
Broadcaster Education and Reporting (47 CFR 73.674)
(a) On-Air Education. Broadcasters must provide on-air DTV
Transition consumer education information (e.g., via Public Service
Announcements (PSAs), information crawls, snipes or tickers) to their
viewers. Broadcasters must comply with one of three alternative sets of
rules as provided in the Report and Order. Stations must also provide
the following additional information: (1) Geographically specific
information detailing areas that are covered by the Grade B analog
contour but are not predicted to receive digital service; (2)
educational information describing areas where analog signal strength
is generally sufficient for viewers to rely on an indoor antenna but
where it is likely that they will need an outdoor antenna to receive
the digital signal; (3) information to consumers about the need to
periodically ``rescan'' when using over-the-air digital reception
equipment, particularly through the end of the transition; (4) stations
that are changing their broadcast frequency from VHF to UHF (or vice
versa), information to consumers about the need for additional or
different equipment to avoid loss of service. Stations may include this
information to satisfy part of their existing PSA requirements. In
addition, if applicable, stations must provide specific notice to
analog viewers who are likely to lose over-the-air service from the
station due to changes in the geographic coverage area or population
served by the station during or after the transition. Broadcasters must
continue to provide on air education to their viewers until they
complete their transition to digital-only operations and are operating
their final, full-authorized post-transition (DTV) facility. In most
cases, stations will be operating at full-authorized post-transition
(DTV) facilities no later than the June 12, 2009 nationwide transition
deadline, but, in some cases, stations will not have completed
construction of their final, fully-authorized DTV facility by June 12
and, therefore, must continue to provide on-air DTV Transition consumer
education information to their viewers.
(b) DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Activity Report, FCC Form 388.
Broadcasters must electronically file a report about its DTV Transition
consumer education efforts to the Commission on a quarterly basis.
Broadcasters must begin filing these quarterly reports no later than
April 10, 2008. In addition, if the broadcaster has a public Web site,
they must post these reports on that Web site. Broadcasters must
complete these filings every quarter until they complete their
transition to digital-only operations and are operating their final,
full-authorized post-transition (DTV) facility.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0386.
Title: Special Temporary Authorization (STA) Requests;
Notifications; and Informal Filings; Sections 1.5, 73.1615, 73.1635 and
73.1740; CDBS Informal Forms.
Form Number: Not applicable.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; not-for-profit
institutions.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,650 respondents; 2,650
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.50 hour-4 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The
statutory authority for this information collection is contained in
Sections 1, 4(i) and (j), 7, 301, 302, 303, 307, 308, 309, 312, 316,
318, 319, 324, 325, 336, and 337 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended.
Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality required with this
collection of information.
Total Annual Burden: 2,860.
Total Annual Costs: $539,660.
Privacy Impact Assessment(s): No impact(s).
Needs and Uses: The Commission is revising this information
collection to eliminate the information collection requirements
necessitated by the DTV transition. After the June 12, 2009 nationwide
transition deadline, there will be no further need for these DTV
transition-related collections. In addition, the Commission is revising
this collection to update the specific Informal Application filing
forms that may be filed electronically through the Commission's
Consolidated Database System (``CDBS'').
The following information collection requirements are contained in
this collection:
Special Temporary Authority (STA) Requests (47 CFR 73.1635).
Broadcast stations (AM, FM, TV, Class A TV or LPTV licensees or
permittees) may file a request for STA approval to permit a station to
operate a broadcast facility for a limited period at a specified
variance from the terms of the station's authorization or requirements
of the FCC rules. Stations may file a request for STA approval for a
variety of reasons. The request must describe the operating modes and
facilities to be used. Types of STA requests include Engineering and
Legal STAs.
Change in Official Mailing Address for Broadcast Station (47 CFR
1.5). Broadcast stations may file this form to report any changes in
the station's mailing address, but cannot use this form to correct or
change the name of the licensee.
Consummation Notice. Broadcast stations may file this form to
notify the Commission when an assignment of license or transfer of
control is consummated. The form also may be used by the station to
request an extension of time to consummate.
Silent Notifications (47 CFR 73.1740). Broadcast stations (AM, FM,
TV or Class A TV licensees) may file this form to notify the Commission
of the station's suspension of broadcast operations pursuant to 47 CFR
73.1740. Broadcast stations also may use this form to request a silent
STA or extension thereof. Types of Silent Notifications include Silent
STA, Notification of Suspension, Resumption of Operations, and
Extension of Silent STA Request.
Section 73.1615 notifications (47 CFR Sec. 73.1615). Broadcast
stations (AM, FM, TV or Class A TV licensees) must file a notification
under 47 CFR 73.1615(c) when such a station is in the process of
modifying existing facilities as authorized by a construction permit
and determines it is necessary to either discontinue operation or to
operate with temporary facilities to continue program service for a
period not more than 30 days. Licensees or permittees of directional or
nondirectional FM, TV or Class A TV or nondirectional AM must file a
notification and comply with 47 CFR 73.1615(a). Licensees or permittees
of a directional AM station whose modification does not involve a
change in operating frequency must file a notification and comply with
47 CFR 73.1615(b). Licensees or permittees of a directional AM station
whose modification does involve a change in frequency and determines it
is necessary to discontinue operation for a period not more than 30
days must file a notification and comply with 47 CFR 73.1615(d)(2).
Section 73.1615 informal letter requests (47 CFR 73.1615).
Broadcast stations (AM, FM, TV or Class A TV licensees or permittees)
must file an informal letter request under 47 CFR 73.1615(c)(1) when
such a station is in the process of modifying existing facilities
pursuant to 47 CFR 73.1615(a) or (b) and determines it is necessary to
either discontinue operation or to operate with temporary facilities to
continue program service for a period of more than 30 days. Licensees
or permittees that filed notifications under 47 CFR 73.1615(d)(2) but
which
[[Page 27548]]
determine that it is necessary to discontinue operation for a period
more than 30 days must file an informal letter request and comply with
47 CFR 73.1615(d)(1) and (2).
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-13656 Filed 6-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P