2018-21599. Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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 and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. 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 December 3, 2018. 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: [e-mail] and to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0170.

Title: Section 73.1030, Notifications Concerning Interference to Radio Astronomy, Research and Receiving Installations.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 57 respondents; 57 responses.

Estimated Hours per Response: 0.5 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.

Total Annual Cost: $14,250.

Total Annual Burden: 29 hours.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in Section 154(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is need for confidentiality required with this collection of information.

Privacy Impact Assessment(s): No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements contained in 47 CFR 73.1030 state in order to minimize harmful interference at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory site located at Green, Pocahontas County, West Virginia, and at the Naval Radio Research Observatory at Sugar Grove, Pendleton County, West Virginia, a licensee proposing to operate a short-term broadcast auxiliary station pursuant to § 74.24, and any applicant for authority to construct a new broadcast station, or for authority to make changes in the frequency, power, antenna height, or antenna directivity of an existing station within the area bounded by 39°15′ N on the north, 78°30′ W on the east, 37°30′ N on the south, and 80°30′ W on the west, shall notify the Interference Office, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 2, Green Bank, West Virginia 24944. Telephone: [phone]. The notification shall be in writing and set forth the particulars of the proposed station, including the geographical coordinates of the antenna, antenna height, antenna directivity if any, proposed frequency, type of emission and power. The notification shall be made prior to, or simultaneously with, the filing of the application with the Commission. After receipt of such applications, the FCC will allow a period of 20 days for comments or objections in response to the notifications indicated. If an objection to the proposed operation is received during the 20-day period from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory for itself, or on behalf of the Naval Radio Research Observatory, the FCC will consider all aspects of the problem and take whatever action is deemed appropriate.

(2) Any applicant for a new permanent base or fixed station authorization to be located on the islands of Puerto Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, and Culebra, or for a modification of an existing authorization which would change the frequency, power, antenna height, directivity, or location of a station on these islands and would increase the likelihood of the authorized facility causing interference, shall notify the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612, in writing or electronically, of the technical parameters of the proposal. Applicants may wish to consult interference guidelines, which will be provided by Cornell University. Applicants who choose to transmit information electronically should email to: [e-mail].

(i) The notification to the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory shall be made prior to, or simultaneously with, the filing of the application with the Commission. The notification shall state the geographical coordinates of the antenna (NAD-83 datum), antenna height above ground, ground elevation at the antenna, antenna directivity and gain, proposed frequency and FCC Rule Part, type of emission, and effective radiated power.

(ii) After receipt of such applications, the Commission will allow the Arecibo Observatory a period of 20 days for comments or objections in response to the notification indicated. The applicant will be required to make reasonable efforts to resolve or mitigate any potential interference problem with the Arecibo Observatory and to file either an amendment to the application or a modification application, as appropriate. The Commission shall determine whether an applicant has satisfied its responsibility to make reasonable efforts to protect the Observatory from interference.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0546.

Title: Section 76.59 Definition of Markets for Purposes of the Cable Television Mandatory Television Broadcast Signal Carriage Rules.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 180 respondents and 200 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 to 40 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement; Recordkeeping requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 1,486 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $1,387,950.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 303(r), 338 and 534.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality with this collection of information.

Privacy Impact Assessment(s): No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: Market modification allows the Commission to modify the local television market of a particular commercial television broadcast station to enable commercial television stations, cable operators and satellite carriers to better serve the interests of local communities. Market modification provides a means to avoid rigid adherence to DMA designations and to promote consumer access to in-state and other relevant television programming. Section 338(l) of the Communications Act (the satellite market modification provision) and Section 614(h)(1)(C) of the Communications Act (the corresponding cable provision) permit the Commission to add communities to or delete communities from a station's local television market following a written request. Furthermore, the Commission may determine that particular communities are part of more than one television market.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1034.

Title: Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems and their Impact on the Terrestrial Radio Broadcast Service; Digital Notification Form, FCC Form 335.

Form Number: FCC Form 335.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for profit.

Number of Respondents and responses: 250 respondents, 250 responses.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain benefits—Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 154(i), 303, 310 and 533 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour-8 hours.

Total Annual Burden: 450 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $192,000.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality with this collection of information.

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: On January 29, 2010, the Commission released the Order, Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems and Their Impact on the Terrestrial Radio Broadcast Service (Order), DA 10-208, MM Docket 99-325. The Order allowed: (1) Eligible authorized FM stations to commence operation of FM digital facilities with digital effective radiated power (ERP) up to-14 dBc upon notice to the Commission on Form 335 (the licensee of a super-powered FM station must file an informal request for any increase in the station's FM Digital ERP). (2) Licensees to submit an application to the Media Bureau, in the form of an informal request, for any increase in FM Digital ERP beyond 6 dB. (3) Licensees submitting such a request must use a simplified method set forth in the Order to determine the proponent station's maximum permissible FM Digital ERP. (4) In situations where the simplified method is not applicable due to unusual terrain or other environmental or technical considerations or when it produces anomalous FM Digital ERP results, the Bureau will accept applications for FM Digital ERP in excess of -14 dBc on a case-by-case basis when accompanied by a detailed showing containing a complete explanation of the prediction methodology used as well as data, maps and sample calculations. These information collection requirements have not changed since they were last approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These information collection requirements are also a part of this collection and remain unchanged:

47 CFR 73.404(b) states in situations where interference to other stations is anticipated or actually occurs, AM licensees may, upon notification to the Commission, reduce the power of the primary Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) sidebands by up to 6 dB. Any greater reduction of sideband power requires prior authority from the Commission via the filing of a request for special temporary authority or an informal letter request for modification of license.

47 CFR 73.404(e) states licensees (commercial and noncommercial AM and FM radio stations) must provide notification to the Commission in Washington, DC, within 10 days of commencing in-band, on channel (IBOC) digital operation. The notification must include the following information: (1) Call sign and facility identification number of the station; (2) date on which IBOC operation commenced; (3) certification that the IBOC DAB facilities conform to permissible hybrid specifications; (4) name and telephone number of a technical representative the Commission can call in the event of interference; (5) FM digital effective radiated power used and certification that the FM analog effective radiated power remains as authorized; (6) transmitter power output; if separate analog and digital transmitters are used, the power output for each transmitter; (7) if applicable, any reduction in an AM station's primary digital carriers; (8) if applicable, the geographic coordinates, elevation data, and license file number of the auxiliary antenna employed by an FM station as a separate digital antenna; (9) if applicable, for FM systems employing interleaved antenna bays, a certification that adequate filtering and/or isolation equipment has been installed to prevent spurious emissions in excess of the limits specified in § 73.317; (10) a certification that the operation will not cause human exposure to levels of radio frequency radiation in excess of the limits specified in § 1.1310 of the Commission's rules and is therefore categorically excluded from environmental processing pursuant to § 1.1306(b). Any station that cannot certify compliance must submit an environmental assessment (“EA”) pursuant to § 1.1311 and may not commence IBOC operation until such EA is ruled upon by the Commission.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary.