Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested, 27546-27548 [E9-13656]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[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]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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