[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 196 (Thursday, October 9, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61045-61046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24203]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 73
[GN Docket No. 12-268; DA 14-1395]
Media Bureau Seeks Comment on Draft TV Broadcaster Relocation
Fund Reimbursement Form
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In this Document, the Media Bureau of the Federal
Communications Commission (``Commission'') seeks comment on a draft TV
Broadcaster Relocation Fund Reimbursement Form (``Reimbursement
Form''), which broadcasters that are reassigned to new channels
following the Incentive Auction and MVPDs will submit to provide
information needed to obtain expense reimbursement. The Media Bureau
also seeks comment on whether any information submitted on the
Reimbursement Form should be kept confidential.
DATES: Comments are due on October 27, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by GN Docket No. 12-268,
by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Federal Communications Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery,
by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S.
Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission,
445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. Commercial overnight mail
(other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be
sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal
Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to
445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Gallant, Media Bureau, Video
Division at 202-418-0614.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the FCC's document, GN
Docket No. 12-268, DA 14-1395 (released September 25, 2014). The full
text of this document is available for inspection and copying during
normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room CY-A257), 445
12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. The complete text of this
document also may be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor
Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402,
Washington, DC, 20554. The full text may also be downloaded at:
www.fcc.gov.
Summary
In this document (Public Notice available at http://www.fcc.gov/document/media-bureau-seeks-comment-incentive-auction-reimbursement-form), the Media Bureau seeks comment on a draft Reimbursement Form,
which broadcasters and MVPDs will use to submit: Information needed to
establish an account with the Department of Treasury for payment
purposes; an estimate of their eligible relocation costs; actual cost
documentation throughout the construction period, as they incur
expenses; and their total expenses incurred. In order to ensure
fairness, efficiency, and transparency of process for reimbursing
broadcasters for relocation costs related to the Incentive Auction, and
the associated costs of MVPDs, we are providing the opportunity for
stakeholders to comment on a draft Reimbursement Form and instructions
well in advance of the commencement of the Incentive Auction. The
comments we receive will assist us in designing a form that facilitates
the reimbursement process for all parties while also ensuring that we
are efficient stewards of limited reimbursement funds, and guardians
against waste, fraud and abuse. Consistent with the process set out in
the Incentive Auction Order, broadcasters and MVPDs will file the
Reimbursement Form no later than three months following the release of
the Channel Reassignment Public Notice, at which time they will submit
their overall estimate of the cost of completing their transition. At
that time, broadcasters and MVPDs will indicate whether they plan to
modify current
[[Page 61046]]
equipment or purchase new equipment and will identify the existing
equipment that must be modified or replaced. The Commission's
reimbursement process provides for an initial allocation of funds based
on broadcasters' and MVPDs' estimated costs. Prior to the deadline for
filing cost estimates, broadcasters and MVPDs will need to establish a
U.S. Treasury account for receiving payment from the TV Broadcaster
Relocation Fund. Submitting this information via the Reimbursement Form
before the deadline for filing estimated costs will allow entities to
start the process of establishing an account well before they receive
their initial allocation of funds.
Once an initial amount is allocated for each entity, and
broadcasters and MVPDs begin purchasing equipment and services, they
will submit an updated Reimbursement Form along with cost documentation
demonstrating their actual costs each time they seek reimbursement for
an expense against their allocation. This process will allow
broadcasters and MPVDs to use federal funds to pay their expenses as
they are incurred. Finally, all entities that receive an allocation
must submit a final Reimbursement Form showing their total expenses
upon completing construction or by a specific deadline prior to the end
of the three-year reimbursement period to be announced by the Media
Bureau, whichever is earlier. Some stations with longer construction
deadlines and some MVPDs might still have outstanding expenses by that
deadline; these entities must provide a final accounting of expenses on
the Reimbursement Form upon completing the transition, even if this
occurs after the end of the reimbursement period. Entities need
complete and submit only the relevant sections of the form as they
proceed through each phase of the reimbursement process.
As contemplated by the Incentive Auction Order, the Media Bureau
will make public the amounts distributed from the Reimbursement Fund to
each broadcaster and MVPD. However, we seek specific comment on whether
any of the other data submitted on the Reimbursement Form should be
considered confidential or not subject to public disclosure. Although
the Incentive Auction Order states that entities can submit a request
for confidential treatment of data submitted on the Reimbursement Form
pursuant to Sec. 0.459 of the Commission's rules, we seek comment on
whether the Media Bureau should automatically treat certain specific
information provided on the Reimbursement Form as confidential. If so,
we invite parties to specify which information fields should be deemed
confidential and which provision of the Commission's rules permits such
a blanket non-disclosure presumption.
Release of a draft Reimbursement Form (Attachment A) (available at
http://www.fcc.gov/article/da-14-1395a2) and instructions (Attachment
B) (available at http://www.fcc.gov/article/da-14-1395a3) well in
advance of the commencement of the Incentive Auction is an important
first step in the process of designing a form with the input of
stakeholders that promotes fairness, efficiency and transparency of
process. The draft form is a representation of the data fields to be
included in the electronic form and illustrates the information to be
collected. The public will have additional opportunity to comment on
this data collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, after it is submitted to the Office of Management and Budget.
Federal Communications Commission.
William T. Lake,
Chief, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2014-24203 Filed 10-8-14; 8:45 am]
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