Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, 38482-38484 [2021-15503]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38482-38484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15503]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0174 and 3060-0214; FR ID 38261]


Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the 
general public

[[Page 38483]]

and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection(s). Comments are requested concerning: 
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; the accuracy of 
the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information collected; 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; and ways to further reduce the information collection 
burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
    The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for 
failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA 
that does not display a valid OMB control number.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before September 20, 
2021. 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 contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact [insert PERM's analyst name and phone 
number].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0174.
    Title: Sections 73.1212, 76.1615, and 76.1715, Sponsorship 
Identification.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Individuals or 
households.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 22,900 respondents; 1,886,524 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .0011 to .2011 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, Third party 
disclosure requirement, On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 258,567 Hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $448,923.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection is contained in sections 4(i), 
317 and 507 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The FCC is preparing a system 
of records, FCC/MB-2, ``Broadcast Station Public Inspection Files,'' to 
cover the personally identifiable information (PII) that may be 
included in the broadcast station public inspection files. Respondents 
may request materials or information submitted to the Commission be 
withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: There are two systems of records 
relevant to this collection: FCC/MB-2, ``Broadcast Station Public 
Inspection Files,'' and FCC/IB-1, ``International Bureau Filing System 
(IBFS).'' The Commission has published a system of records notice 
(SORN) for FCC/MB-2 and will modify it as necessary to include any 
personally identifiable information (PII) that will be added to the 
Online Public Inspection Files system as part of this collection. The 
Commission is also preparing a SORN for FCC/IBFS-1 to cover any PII 
that will be added to IBFS as part of this collection. The Commission 
is preparing Privacy Impact Assessments for both systems.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements that are 
approved under this collection are as follows:
    47 CFR 73.1212 requires a broadcast station to identify at the time 
of broadcast the sponsor of any matter for which consideration is 
provided. For advertising commercial products or services, generally 
the mention of the name of the product or service constitutes 
sponsorship identification. In the case of television political 
advertisements concerning candidates for public office, the sponsor 
shall be identified with letters equal to or greater than four (4) 
percent of the vertical height of the television screen that airs for 
no less than four (4) seconds. In addition, when an entity rather than 
an individual sponsors the broadcast of matter that is of a political 
or controversial nature, licensee is required to retain a list of the 
executive officers, or board of directors, or executive committee, 
etc., of the organization paying for such matter. Sponsorship 
announcements are waived with respect to the broadcast of ``want ads'' 
sponsored by an individual but the licensee shall maintain a list 
showing the name, address and telephone number of each such advertiser. 
These lists shall be made available for public inspection.
    47 CFR 73.1212(e) states that, when an entity rather than an 
individual sponsors the broadcast of matter that is of a political or 
controversial nature, the licensee is required to retain a list of the 
executive officers, or board of directors, or executive committee, 
etc., of the organization paying for such matter in its public file. 
Pursuant to the changes contained in 47 CFR 73.1212(e) and 47 CFR 
73.3526(e)(19), this list, which could contain personally identifiable 
information, would be located in a public inspection file to be located 
on the Commission's website instead of being maintained in the public 
file at the station. Burden estimates for this change are included in 
OMB Control Number 3060-0214.
    47 CFR 76.1615 states that, when a cable operator engaged in 
origination cablecasting presents any matter for which money, service 
or other valuable consideration is provided to such cable television 
system operator, the cable television system operator, at the time of 
the telecast, shall identify the sponsor. Under this rule section, when 
advertising commercial products or services, an announcement stating 
the sponsor's corporate or trade name, or the name of the sponsor's 
product is sufficient when it is clear that the mention of the name of 
the product constitutes a sponsorship identification. In the case of 
television political advertisements concerning candidates for public 
office, the sponsor shall be identified with letters equal to or 
greater than four (4) percent of the vertical height of the television 
screen that airs for no less than four (4) seconds.
    47 CFR 76.1715 state that, with respect to sponsorship 
announcements that are waived when the broadcast/origination cablecast 
of ``want ads'' sponsored by an individual, the licensee/operator shall 
maintain a list showing the name, address and telephone number of each 
such advertiser. These lists shall be made available for public 
inspection.
    This information collection is being revised to reflect the burden 
associated with the foreign sponsorship identification disclosure 
requirements adopted in the Sponsorship Identification Requirements for 
Foreign Government-Provided Programming (86 FR 32221, June 17, 2021, 
FCC 21-42, rel. Apr. 22, 2021). The collection requires broadcast 
television and radio stations, as well as 325(c) permit holders, to 
make a specific disclosure at the time of broadcast if material aired 
pursuant to the lease of time on the station has been sponsored, paid 
for, or

[[Page 38484]]

furnished by a foreign governmental entity that indicates the specific 
entity and country involved. Licensees of each broadcast station and 
325(c) permit holders also are required to exercise reasonable 
diligence to ascertain whether the foreign sponsorship disclosure 
requirements apply at the time of the lease agreement and at any 
renewal thereof.
    This information collection requirements will provide the 
Commission and the public with increased transparency and will ensure 
that audiences of broadcast stations are aware when a foreign 
government, or its representatives, are seeking to persuade the 
American public. The information collection requirements will also 
enable interested parties to monitor the extent of such efforts to 
persuade the American public.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0214.
    Title: Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection Files; 
Sections 73.1212, 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not for profit 
institutions; State, Local or Tribal government; Individuals or 
households.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 23,984 respondents; 62,839 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-52 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, 
Recordkeeping requirement, Third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority that covers this information collection is 
contained in Sections 151, 152, 154(i), 303, 307 and 308 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,047,805 Hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: There are two systems of records 
relevant to this collection: FCC/MB-2, ``Broadcast Station Public 
Inspection Files,'' and FCC/IB-1, ``International Bureau Filing System 
(IBFS).'' The Commission has published a system of records notice 
(SORN) for FCC/MB-2 and will modify it as necessary to include any 
personally identifiable information (PII) that will be added to the 
Online Public Inspection Files system as part of this collection. The 
Commission is also preparing a SORN for FCC/IBFS-1 to cover any PII 
that will be added to IBFS as part of this collection. The Commission 
is preparing Privacy Impact Assessments for both systems.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Most of the documents 
comprising the public file consist of materials that are not of a 
confidential nature. Respondents complying with the information 
collection requirements may request that the information they submit be 
withheld from disclosure. If confidentiality is requested, such 
requests will be processed in accordance with the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR 0.459.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements included 
under this OMB Control Number 3060-0214, requires broadcast stations to 
maintain for public inspection a file containing the material set forth 
in 47 CFR 73.3526 and 73.3527.
    This collection is being revised to reflect the burden associated 
with the foreign sponsorship identification disclosure requirements 
adopted in the Sponsorship Identification Requirements for Foreign 
Government-Provided Programming (86 FR 32221, June 17, 2021, FCC 21-42, 
rel. Apr. 22, 2021). The collection requires broadcast television and 
radio stations to place copies of foreign sponsorship identification 
disclosures required by 47 CFR 73.1212(j) and the name of the program 
to which the disclosures were appended in its online public inspection 
file on a quarterly basis in a standalone folder marked as ``Foreign 
Government-Provided Programming Disclosures.'' The collection requires 
325(c) permit holders to place copies of foreign sponsorship 
identification disclosures required by 47 CFR 73.1212(j) and the name 
of the program to which the disclosures were appended in its 
International Bureau Filing System record on a quarterly basis. The 
filing must state the date and time the program aired. In the case of 
repeat airings of the program, those additional dates and times should 
also be included. Where an aural announcement was made, its contents 
must be reduced to writing and placed in the online public inspection 
file in the same manner.
    This information collection requirement will provide the Commission 
and the public with increased transparency and will ensure that 
audiences of broadcast stations are aware when a foreign government, or 
its representatives, are seeking to persuade the American public. The 
information collection requirements will also enable interested parties 
to monitor the extent of such efforts to persuade the American public.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-15503 Filed 7-20-21; 8:45 am]
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