Notice of Public Information Collections Approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 58590-58591 [E8-23752]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58590-58591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23752]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collections Approved by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB)

September 30, 2008.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public 
information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). An agency may not conduct or sponsor a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number, and no person is required to respond to a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 
Comments concerning the accuracy of the burden estimates and any 
suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to the person 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For additional information contact 
Cathy Williams, via the Internet at PRA@fcc.gov or on (202) 418-2918.
    Commission at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control No.: 3060-1115.
    OMB Approval Date: 9/24/2008.
    Expiration Date: 9/30/2011.
    Title: Sections 15.124, 27.20, 54.418, 73.674, 76.1630, DTV 
Consumer Education Initiative; FCC Form 388.
    Form No.: FCC Form 388.
    Number of Respondents/Responses: 11,022 respondents; 70,026 
responses.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 0.5 to 85 hours
    Total Annual Burden: 155,646 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain benefits--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. Sections 154(i), 303(r), 335, and 336.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality 
required with this information collection.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission adopted on April 23, 2008, an Order 
of Reconsideration, In the Matter of DTV Consumer Education Initiative, 
MB Docket 07-148, FCC 08-119. In this Order, we modify our requirements 
regarding the timing, scope, and content of manufacturer notices and 
the method of delivery of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETC) 
notices, and clarify other manufacturer requirements. The revised 
requirements that were approved by OMB on an

[[Page 58591]]

emergency basis on May 22, 2008 for a six month time period are as 
follows:
    (1). Consumer Electronics Manufacturer Notices (47 CFR 15.124).
    The ``responsible party,'' as defined the Commission's rules, has 
to include a notice about the digital television (DTV) transition on 
television receivers and related devices manufactured between May 30, 
2008 and March 31, 2009. The notices themselves must include the 
Commission's contact information (rather than the manufacturer's), 
convey information about the DTV transition, and must be included with 
covered devices.
    (2). Eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) Federal Universal 
Service Low-Income Program Participant Notices (47 CFR 54.418). ETCs 
that receive federal universal service funds shall provide their 
Lifeline or Link-up customers (low-income customers) with notices about 
the transition for over-the-air full power broadcasting from analog to 
digital service (the ``DTV Transition'') in monthly bills, bill 
notices, or as a monthly stand-alone mailer (e.g., postcard, brochure), 
beginning May 30, 2008 through March 31, 2009.
    The following requirements also have been approved by OMB:
    (1) 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.
    (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 website, 
they must post these reports on that website.
    (2) Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) Customer Bill 
Notices (47 CFR 76.1630). MVPDs must provide monthly notices about the 
DTV transition in their customer billing statements. They include (but 
are not limited to), for example: cable operators, direct broadcast 
satellite (DBS) carriers, open video system operators, and private 
cable operators.
    (3) DTV.gov Partner Consumer Education Reporting. DTV.gov 
Transition Partners must report their consumer education efforts, as a 
condition of continuing Partner status. They must begin filing these 
quarterly reports no later than April 10, 2008.
    (4) 700 MHz Wireless Service Licensee/Permitees Consumer Education 
Reporting (47 CFR 27.20). Winners of the 700 MHz spectrum auction must 
report their consumer education efforts to the Commission on a 
quarterly basis. These parties must file the first by the tenth day of 
the first calendar quarter following the initial grant of the license 
authorization that the entity holds.
    The Commission received the full three year OMB approval for all of 
the requirements contained in information collection 3060-1115 on 
September 24, 2008.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-1117.
    OMB Approval Date: 9/24/2008.
    Expiration Date: 9/30/2011.
    Title: Viewer Notification Requirements in the Third DTV Periodic 
Report and Order, FCC 07-228.
    Form No.: Not applicable.
    Number of Respondents/Responses: 1,050 respondents; 174,000 
responses.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 0.01-0.33 hours
    Total Annual Burden: 12,015 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $210,000.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
Section 154(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality 
required with this information collection.
    Needs and Uses: Congress has mandated that after February 17, 2009, 
full-power television broadcast stations must transmit only in digital 
signals, and may no longer transmit analog signals. On December 22, 
2007, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, In the Matter of the 
Third Periodic Review of the Commission's Rules and Policies Affecting 
the Conversion to Digital Television, MB Docket No. 07-91, FCC 07-228 
to establish the rules, policies and procedures necessary to complete 
the nation's transition to DTV. In the Report and Order, the Commission 
adopted rules to ensure that, by the February 17, 2009 transition date, 
all full-power television broadcast stations (1) cease analog 
broadcasting and (2) complete construction of, and begin operations on, 
their final, full-authorized post-transition (DTV) facility. The 
Commission recognized that broadcasters may need regulatory flexibility 
in order to achieve these goals. Accordingly, the Commission affords 
broadcasters the opportunity for regulatory flexibility, if necessary, 
to meet their DTV construction deadlines. The Commission, however, must 
also ensure that no consumers are left behind in the DTV transition. 
Therefore, the Commission requires broadcasters that choose to reduce 
or terminate TV service to comply with viewer notification 
requirements.
    Specifically, as a result of the Third DTV Periodic Report and 
Order, stations must comply with a viewer notification requirement 
(i.e., stations must notify viewers about their planned service 
reduction or termination) if:
    (1) The station will permanently reduce or terminate analog or pre-
transition digital service before the transition date; or
    (2) The station will not serve at least the same population that 
receives their current analog TV and DTV service after the transition 
date.
    Viewer notifications must occur every day on-air at least four 
times a day including at least once in primetime for the 30/60-days 
prior to the station's termination of full, authorized analog service. 
These notifications must include: (1) The station's call sign and 
community of license; (2) the fact that the station must delay the 
construction and operation of its post-transition (DTV) service or the 
fact that the station is planning to or has reduced or terminated its 
analog or digital operations before the transition date; (3) 
information about the nature, scope, and anticipated duration of the 
station's post-transition service limitations; (4) what viewers can do 
to continue to receive the station, i.e., how and when the station's 
digital signal can be received; (5) information about the availability 
of digital-to-analog converter boxes in their service area; and (6) the 
street address, email address (if available), and phone number of the 
station where viewers may register comments or request information.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-23752 Filed 10-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P