[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 96 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24793-24794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12364]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information Collections Submitted to OMB for
Review and Approval
May 9, 1996.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications, as part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal
agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following proposed
and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or
sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid 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 (PRA) that does not display a valid control
number. 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 Commissions
burden estimates; (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.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before June 17, 1996.
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.
ADDRESS: Direct all comments to Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications,
Room 234, 1919 M St., NW., Washington, DC 20554 or via internet to
dconway@fcc.gov and Timothy Fain, OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB 725 17th
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503 or fain_t@a1.eop.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies
of the information collections contact Dorothy Conway at 202-418-0217
or via internet at dconway@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Approval Number: 3060-0096.
Title: Application for Ship Radio Station License.
Form No.: FCC 506.
Type of Review: Revision to an existing collection.
Respondents: Individuals or households; Businesses or other for-
profit; State, Local or Tribal Government; Non-profit institutions.
Number of Respondents: 106,192.
Estimated Time Per Response: 22 minutes.
Total Annual Burden: 38,653 hours.
Estimated Cost Per Respondent: There is a combined filing and
regulatory fee of $75 for a new or renewed license and a $45 filing fee
for an application requesting modification.
Needs and Uses: FCC Rules require that applicants file the FCC 506
to apply for a new or modified ship radio station license. The form can
also be used to renew a station license. The FCC 506A is used by the
applicant as a temporary operating authority until the ship radio
station license is received.
This form is required by the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended; International Treaties and FCC Rules 47 CFR Parts 1.922, 1.925
and 80.19.
Editorial changes will be made to the instructions to include the
mailing location for feeable applications and the addition of the toll
free 800 number for the Consumer Assistance Branch in Gettysburg, PA.
Item 24 of FCC 506 will be revised to collect the length of ship in
meters in lieu of feet. Item 27 will be deleted and the drug
certification made part of the certification text. These revisions will
not increase the burden time for application completion.
OMB Approval Number: 3060-0564.
Title: 47 CFR 76.924 Cost accounting and cost allocation
requirements.
[[Page 24794]]
Type of Review: Revision to an existing collection.
Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents: 13,500.
Total Annual Burden: 4-40 hours. 72,000 total annual hours. We
estimate that an additional 500 community units each year will be
obligated to meet the 76.924 requirements for the first time. We
estimate the one-time average burden for these respondents to rearrange
accounting records is 40 hours. 500 community units x 40 hours each =
20,000 hours. The Commission estimates the burden to the existing
population of regulated community units to comply with the modified
requirements set forth in 76.924 will be an average of 4 hours per
community unit. Currently, we estimate cable operators provide service
in approximately 13,000 community units that are subject to rate
regulation. 13,000 existing community units x 4 hours per community
units = 52,000 hours.
Costs to Respondents: None. Generally, cable operators use
computers and accounting records and software as part of customary and
usual business practices. This information collection does not require
the purchase of anything additional. It only rearranges records that
already exist.
Needs and Uses: Section 623 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended by the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act
of 1992 (``1992 Cable Act''), requires the Commission to prescribe
rules and regulations for determining reasonable rates for basic tier
cable service and to establish criteria for identifying unreasonable
rates for cable programming services and associated equipment.
Subsequently, on April 1, 1993, the Commission adopted a Report and
Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 93-177, MM Docket
92-266, in which cost accounting and cost allocation requirements for
regulated cable operators were specified. These requirements were set
forth in 47 CFR 76.924 and were adopted on an interim basis. Then, on
December 15, 1995, the Commission adopted a Second Report and Order,
First Report on Reconsideration, and Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking, FCC 95-502, MM Docket 93-215 and CS Docket 94-28, in which
requirements for cable operators for allocating to service cost
categories, as set forth in 76.924(e), were modified and adopted on a
permanent basis. 76.924(e) now permits cable operators to allocate
service costs to three service cost categories, instead of up to seven
service cost categories. The third service cost category will simply
serve as an ``all other'' service costs category that captures what
operators previously had to allocate to multiple categories.Cost
accounting and cost allocation requirements standardize the methodology
in which cable operators report financial data. The Commission's system
of cable rate regulation imposes a price cap on cable service rates
with certain categories of costs defined as external to the cap. The
cost accounting and cost allocation requirements are necessary in order
to assure that costs that are intended to receive external treatment
are in fact accorded such treatment. Cost accounting and cost
allocation requirements are used by cable operators wishing to justify
rates higher than their capped levels via a cost-of-service filing; and
the requirements are necessary to permit accurate identification of
such costs that will justify rates above the cap.
Federal Communications Commission
William F. Caton,
Acting. Secretary
[FR Doc. 96-12364 Filed 5-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-F
