2024-07921. 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 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 June 14, 2024. 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 [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: 3060-0216.

Title: Section 73.3538, Application to Make Changes in an Existing Station; section 73.1690(e), Modification of Transmission Systems.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, Not-for-profit institutions.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 650 respondents; 650 responses.

Estimated Hours per Response: 0.50-3 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Recordkeeping requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 1,100 hours.

Annual Burden Cost: No cost.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in Sections 154(i), 303 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements contained in section 73.3538(b)(1) of the Commission's rules requires a broadcast station to file an informal application to modify or discontinue the obstruction marking or lighting of an antenna supporting structure.

The information collection requirements contained in section 73.1690(e) of the Commission's rules requires AM, FM and TV station licensees to prepare an informal statement or diagram describing any electrical and mechanical modification to authorized transmitting equipment that can be made without prior Commission approval provided that equipment performance measurements are made to ensure compliance with FCC rules. This informal statement or diagram must be retained at the transmitter site as long as the equipment is in use.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0788.

Title: DTV Showings/Interference Agreements.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, Not-for-profit institutions.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 300 respondents; 300 responses.

Estimated Hours per Response: 5 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, Third Party Disclosure requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 1,500 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $3,900,000.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in sections 154(i), 303 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements contained in 47 CFR 73.623 requires applicants to submit a technical showing to establish that their proposed facilities will not result in additional interference to TV broadcast operations. The Commission permits broadcasters to agree to proposed TV facilities that do not conform to the allotted parameters, even though they might be affected by potential new interference. The Commission will consider granting applications on the basis of interference agreements if it finds that such grants will serve the public interest. These agreements must be signed by all parties to the agreement. In addition, the Commission needs the following information to enable such public interest determinations: A list of parties predicted to receive additional interference from the proposed facility; a showing as to why a grant based on the agreements would serve the public interest; and technical studies depicting the additional interference. The technical showings and interference agreements will be used by FCC staff to determine if the public interest would be served by the grant of the application and to ensure that the proposed facilities will not result in additional interference.

OMB Control No.: 3060-1218.

Title: Carriage of Digital Television Broadcast Signals: Amendment to Part 76 of the Commission's Rules.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 11 respondents and 11 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.25 hours (15 minutes).

Frequency of Response: Third party disclosure requirement and recordkeeping requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 3 hours.

Total Annual Cost Burden: No cost.

Obligation to Respond: Required in order to monitor regulatory compliance. The statutory authority for this information collection is contained in sections 4, 303, 614, and 615 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Needs and Uses: The information collection imposes a notification requirement on certain small cable systems that become ineligible for exemption from the requirement to carry high definition broadcast signals in HD (adopted in FCC 15-65). In particular, the information collection requires that, beginning December 12, 2016, at the time a small cable system utilizing the HD carriage exemption offers any programming in HD, the system must give notice that it is offering HD programming to all broadcast stations in its market that are carried on its system. Cable operators also must keep records of such notification. This information collection requirement allows affected broadcast stations to monitor compliance with the requirement that cable operators transmit high definition broadcast signals in HD.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.