2023-13409. Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

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 August 22, 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 [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: 3060–0027.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Title: Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station, FCC Form 301; Form 2100, Schedule A—Application for Media Bureau Video Service Authorization; 47 Sections 73.3700(b)(1) and (b)(2) and Section 73.3800, Post Auction Licensing; Form 2100, Schedule 301–FM—Commercial FM Station Construction Permit Application.

Form Number: FCC Form 301; Form 2100, Schedule A; and Form 2100, Schedule 301–FM.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; not-for-profit institutions; State, local or Tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,092 respondents and 4,199 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.075 to 6.25 hours.

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

Total Annual Burden: 12,435 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $62,308,388.

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: FCC Form 301, used by AM broadcast stations, and Form 2100, Schedule 301–FM, used by FM broadcast stations, are used to apply for authority to construct a new commercial AM or FM broadcast station and to make changes to the existing facilities of such a station. They may be used to request a change of a station's community of license by AM and non-reserved band FM permittees and licensees. In addition, FM licensees or permittees may request, by filing an application on FCC Form 301, upgrades on adjacent and co-channels, modifications to adjacent channels of the same class, and downgrades to adjacent channels.

Form 2100, Schedule 301–FM also accommodates commercial FM applicants applying in a Threshold Qualifications Window (TQ Window) or a Tribal Allotment. A commercial FM applicant applying in the TQ Window, who was not the original proponent of the Tribal Allotment at the rulemaking stage, must demonstrate that it would have qualified in all respects to add that particular Tribal Allotment for which it is applying. Additionally, a petitioner seeking to add a new Tribal Allotment to the FM Table of Allotments must file Form 2100, Schedule 301–FM when submitting its Petition for Rulemaking. The collection also accommodates applicants applying in a TQ Window for a Tribal Allotment that had been added to the FM Table of Allotments using the Tribal Priority under the “threshold qualifications” procedures.

Similarly, to receive authorization for commencement of Digital Television (DTV) operations, commercial broadcast licensees must file FCC Form 2100, Schedule A for a construction permit. The application may be filed any time after receiving the initial DTV allotment and before mid-point in the applicant's construction period. The Commission will consider the application as a minor change in facilities. Applicants do not have to provide full legal or financial qualifications information.

OMB Control Number: 3060–0029.

Title: FCC Form 2100, Schedule 340—Noncommercial Educational Station for Reserved Channel Construction Permit Application.

Form Number: FCC Form 2100, Schedule 340.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit institutions and State, local or Tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,820 respondents; 2,820 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.5–6 hours.

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

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.

Total Annual Burden: 6,603 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $30,039,119.

Needs and Uses: Schedule 340 is used by licensees and permittees to apply for authority to construct a new noncommercial educational (NCE) FM and DTV broadcast station (including a DTS facility), or to make changes in the existing facilities of such a station. Schedule 340 is only used if the station will operate on a channel that is reserved exclusively for NCE use, or in the situation where applications for NCE stations on non-reserved channels are mutually exclusive only with one another. Also, Schedule 340 is used by Native American Tribes and Alaska Native Villages (Tribes), tribal consortia, or entities owned or controlled by Tribes when qualifying for the “Tribal Priority” under 47 CFR 73.7000, 73.7002. Additionally, Schedule 340 contains a third party disclosure requirement, pursuant to section 73.3580. This rule requires local public notice of the filing of all applications to construct a new full-service NCE FM or DTV broadcast station. Notice is given by an NCE applicant by posting notice of the application filing on its station's website, its licensee's website, its parent entity's 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. Furthermore, the online notice must link to a copy of the application as filed, either in the station's Online Public Inspection File or in another Commission database. This recordkeeping information collection requirement is contained in OMB Control No. 3060–0214, which covers section 73.3527.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.