Agencies and Commissions December 5, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This is a notice of an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration for the State of Maine, dated 12/01/2008. Incident: Northeast Harbor Fire. Incident Period: 07/29/2008.

In this document, the Commission adopts rules for the use of distributed transmission system (``DTS'') technologies in the digital television (``DTV'') service. The rules adopted in this Report and Order will allow DTV station licensees and permittees to use DTS technologies where feasible in place of a single transmitter to provide service as authorized. We find that these rules will improve some DTV stations' ability to serve more of their viewers within their service areas. For example, we expect that DTS will be especially useful in mountainous areas where single transmitters have been unable to reach viewers in valleys or those blocked by elevated terrain. Furthermore, DTS may be a useful tool for stations to prevent some loss of service to existing analog viewers resulting from changes to the station's service area in the transition to digital service. These rules will apply to post-transition operations (i.e., operations after February 17, 2009). DTS proposals related to pre-transition operations will continue to be evaluated under the Commission's interim policy.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA''). The Commission is seeking public comments on its proposal to conduct consumer research on parental use of the Motion Picture Association of America (``MPAA'') movie rating information as it appears on DVD packaging for home video releases of rated motion pictures. The Commission is also seeking comment on a related proposal to conduct consumer research on parental attitudes toward the marketing of unrated DVD versions of rated motion pictures. To examine both issues, the Commission intends to conduct surveys of parents who have one or more children ages 7 to 16, and who have bought or rented a movie on DVD within the past year.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will convene a teleconference meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on December 18, 2008, to discuss infiltrations of fluorine-18 and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals as medical events; and the training and experience requirements for the medical use of NeoVista, Inc.'s Epi-Rad90 strontium-90 ophthalmic system. A copy of the agenda for the meeting will be available at https:// www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/acmui/agenda or by contacting Ms. Ashley Tull using the information below.

The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service request to add Inbound Express Mail International (EMS) Originating from Foreign Posts to the Competitive Product List. The Postal Service has also filed one related contract. This notice addresses procedural steps associated with these filings.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing proposed regulations that allow agencies to noncompetitively appoint certain military spouses to positions in the competitive service. These regulations implement Executive Order 13473, 73 FR 56703 (Sept. 28, 2008), which authorizes noncompetitive appointments in the Civil Service for spouses of certain members of the armed forces. These regulations facilitate the entry of military spouses into the Federal civil service as part of an effort to recruit and retain skilled and experienced members of the armed forces and to recognize and honor the service of members injured, disabled, or killed in connection with their service.