2023-08125. Information Collection 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before June 20, 2023. 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:

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 (202) 418–2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060–0075.

Title: Form 2100, Schedule 345—Application for Consent to Assign Construction Permit or License for TV or FM Translator Station or Low Power Television Station or to Transfer Control of Entity Holding TV or FM Translator or Low Power Television Station.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not for profit institutions; Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,700 respondents; 3,900 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.075–1.25 hours.

Frequency of Response: Third party disclosure requirement and on occasion reporting requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 3,013 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $3,943,979.

Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 154(i) and 310 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Needs and Uses: Filing of Schedule 345 is required when applying for authority for assignment of license or permit, or for consent to transfer of control of a corporate licensee or permittee for an FM or TV translator station, or low power TV station.

This collection also includes the third-party disclosure requirement of 47 CFR 73.3580 (OMB approval was received for Section 73.3580 under OMB Control Number 3060–0031). Section 73.3580, as amended in the Commission's 2020 Public Notice Second Report and Order, discussed below, requires local public notice of the filing of all applications to assign or transfer control of a broadcast station authorization, including those of an FM or TV translator or booster station or LPTV station. Notice is given by an applicant posting notice of the application filing on its station website, its licensee website, its parent entity website, or on a publicly accessible, locally targeted website, for 30 consecutive days beginning within five business days of acceptance of the application for filing. The online notice must link to a copy of the application *36405 as filed in the Commission's LMS licensing database. Applicants for assignment or transfer of control of a low-power television (LPTV) station that locally originates programming must also make a total of six on-air announcements giving notice that their applications have been accepted for filing.

On May 12, 2020, the Commission adopted Amendment of Section 73.3580 of the Commission's Rules Regarding Public Notice of the Filing of Applications; Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative; Revision of the Public Notice Requirements of Section 73.3580, Second Report and Order, MB Docket Nos. 17–254, 17–105, & 05–6, FCC 20–65 (rel. May 13, 2020). The Commission adopted new, streamlined procedures for stations to provide public notice of the filing of certain applications. Applicants, including applicants for assignment or transfer of control of authorizations for FM or TV translators or LPTV stations, that were previously required to post public notice in a local newspaper, must now post notice online, either on the station website or a website affiliated with the station, its licensee, or its parent entity, or else must post notice on a publicly accessible, locally targeted website, for 30 continuous days following acceptance of the application for filing. Stations that are required to make on-air announcements of the filing of certain applications, including an applicant for assignment or transfer of control of an LPTV station that locally originates programming, must continue to do so, but the announcements are shorter and direct viewers and listeners to the application as filed and displayed in either the station's Online Public Inspection File or another Commission database. A total of six on-air announcements are required, at least one per week and no more than one per day or two per week, to be broadcast between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday, beginning after the application is accepted for filing.

Upon adoption of the 2020 Public Notice Second Report and Order, this submission was sent to OMB for approval of the modified third-party disclosure requirements for this Information Collection. The changes pertaining to this Information Collection and to 47 CFR 73.3580 adopted in the 2020 Public Notice Second Report and Order did not necessitate changes to the Schedule 345, nor did they affect the substance, burden hours, or costs of completing the forms. The rule changes did, however, reduce burdens and costs associated with filing the application.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.