E8-15584. Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Approved by the Office of Management and Budget

July 2, 2008.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Communications Commission has received Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public information collection(s) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number, and no person is required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Comments concerning the accuracy of the burden estimate(s) and any suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information contact Cathy Williams, Performance and Evaluation Records Management Division, Office of the Managing Director, at [phone] or at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0031.

OMB Approval Date: June 23, 2008.

Expiration Date: June 30, 2011.

Title: Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License; Application for Consent to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License; section 73.3580, Local Public Notice of Filing of Broadcast Applications.

Form Number: FCC Forms 314 and 315.

Estimated Annual Burden: 12,210 responses; 1-5 hours per response; 18,790 hours total per year.

Annual Cost Burden: $33,989,570.

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

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: The Instructions to Forms 314 and 315 have been revised to reflect the new ownership limits adopted in the Third Report and Order and Second Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 07-204 (released December 11, 2007), namely, that an entity may own only one LPFM station. By amending the Rules to permanently limit LPFM eligibility, the Commission is protecting the public interest in localism and fostering greater diversity of programming from community sources. Forms 314 and 315 have also been revised to reflect the three-year holding period of an LPFM license, as adopted in the Third Report and Order, during which a licensee cannot transfer or assign a license, and must operate the station. That restriction will prevent entities from using the LPFM assignment and transfer process to undermine the Commission's LPFM policies and will ensure that the benefits to the public which were the basis for the license grant will be realized.

On December 18, 2007, the Commission adopted a Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration in its 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review of the Commission's Broadcast Ownership Rules pursuant to section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, MB Docket No. 06-121, FCC 07-216. Section 202 requires the Commission to review its broadcast ownership rules every four years and determine whether any of such rules are necessary in the public interest. Further, section 202 requires the Commission to repeal or modify any regulation it determines to be no longer in the public interest.

Consistent with actions taken by the Commission in the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review, the following changes are made to Forms 314 and 315. The instructions to Forms 314 and 315 have been revised to include a reference to the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review as a source of information regarding the Commission's multiple ownership attribution policies and standards. The language in section A, IV of Worksheet 3 in Forms 314 and 315 is revised. This worksheet is used in connection with section III, Item 6b of Form 314 and section IV, Item 8b of Form 315 to determine the applicant's compliance with the Commission's multiple ownership rules and cross-ownership rules set forth in 47 CFR 73.3555. The revisions to the worksheet account for changes made by the Commission in the 2006 Quadrennial Review to 47 CFR 73.3555(d), the Daily Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule. The revised rule changes the circumstances under which an entity may own a daily newspaper and a radio station or television station in the same designated market area. In section B of Worksheet 3 of Form 314, the description of a “Daily Newspaper” is changed to comport to the definition of “Newspaper” contained in 47 CFR 73.3555(c)(3)(iii) that the Commission revised in the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review. In section B of Worksheet 3 of Form 315, language from 47 CFR 73.3555(d) is added to assist applicants in their determination of compliance with the Daily Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule. Therefore, 47 CFR 73.3555(d) (daily newspaper cross-ownership rule) states:

(1) No license for an AM, FM or TV broadcast station shall be granted to any party (including all parties under common control) if such party directly or indirectly owns, operates or controls a daily newspaper and the grant of such license will result in: (i) The predicted or measured 2 mV/m contour of an AM station, computed in accordance with Sec. 73.183 or Sec. 73.186, encompassing the entire community in which such newspaper is published; or (ii) The predicted 1 mV/m contour for an FM station, computed in accordance with Sec. 73.313, encompassing the entire community in which such newspaper is published; or (iii) The Grade A contour of a TV station, computed in accordance with Sec. 73.684, encompassing the entire community in which such newspaper is published.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in cases where the Commission makes a finding pursuant to Section 310(d) of the Communications Act that the public interest, convenience, and necessity would be served by permitting an entity that owns, operates or controls a daily newspaper to own, operate or control an AM, FM, or TV broadcast station whose relevant contour encompasses the entire community in which such newspaper is published as set forth in paragraph (1).

(3) In making a finding under paragraph (2), there shall be a presumption that it is not inconsistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity for an entity to own, operate or control a daily newspaper in a top 20 Nielsen DMA and one commercial AM, FM or TV broadcast station whose relevant contour encompasses the entire community in which such newspaper is published as set forth in paragraph (1), provided that, with respect to a combination including a commercial TV station: (i) The station is not ranked among the top four TV stations in the DMA, based on the most recent all-day (9 a.m.-midnight) audience share, as measured by Nielsen Media Research or by any comparable professional, accepted audience ratings service; and (ii) At least 8 independently owned and operated major media voices would remain in the DMA in which the community of license of the TV station in question is located (for purposes of this provision major media voices include full-power TV broadcast stations and major newspapers).

(4) In making a finding under paragraph (2), there shall be a presumption that it is inconsistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity for an entity to own, operate or control a daily newspaper and an AM, FM or TV broadcast station whose relevant contour encompasses the entire community in which such newspaper is published as set forth in paragraph (1) in a DMA other than the top 20 Nielsen DMAs or in any circumstance not covered under paragraph (3).

(5) In making a finding under paragraph (2), the Commission shall consider: (i) Whether the combined entity will significantly increase the amount of local news in the market; (ii) whether the newspaper and the broadcast outlets each will continue to employ its own staff and each will exercise its own independent news judgment; (iii) the level of concentration in the Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA); and (iv) the financial condition of the newspaper or broadcast station, and if the newspaper or broadcast station is in financial distress, the proposed owner's commitment to invest significantly in newsroom operations.

(6) In order to overcome the negative presumption set forth in paragraph (4) with respect to the combination of a major newspaper and a television station, the applicant must show by clear and convincing evidence that the co-owned major newspaper and station will increase the diversity of independent news outlets and increase competition among independent news sources in the market, and the factors set forth above in paragraph (5) will inform this decision.

(7) The negative presumption set forth in paragraph (4) shall be reversed under the following two circumstances: (i) the newspaper or broadcast station is failed or failing; or (ii) the combination is with a broadcast station that was not offering local newscasts prior to the combination, and the station will initiate at least seven hours per week of local news programming after the combination. FCC Form 314 and the applicable exhibits/explanations are required to be filed when applying for consent for assignment of an AM, FM, LPFM or TV broadcast station construction permit or license. In addition, the applicant must notify the Commission when an approved assignment of a broadcast station construction permit or license has been consummated. FCC Form 315 and applicable exhibits/explanations are required to be filed when applying for transfer of control of an entity holding an AM, FM, LPFM or TV broadcast station construction permit or license. In addition, the applicant must notify the Commission when an approved transfer of control of a broadcast station construction permit or license has been consummated. Due to the similarities in the information collected by these two forms, OMB has assigned both forms OMB Control Number 3060-0031.

47 CFR 73.3580 requires local public notice in a newspaper of general circulation of the filing of all applications for transfer of control of license/permit. This notice must be completed within 30 days of the tendering of the application. This notice must be published at least twice a week for two consecutive weeks in a three-week period. A copy of this notice must be placed in the public inspection file along with the application. Additionally, an applicant for transfer of control of license must broadcast the same notice over the station at least once daily on four days in the second week immediately following the tendering for filing of the application. The Commission's actions in this proceeding did not revise this requirement.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0110.

OMB Approval Date: June 23, 2008.

Expiration Date: June 30, 2011.

Title: Application for Renewal of Broadcast Station License; Section 73.3555(d), Daily Newspaper Cross Ownership.

Form Number: FCC Form 303-S.

Estimated Annual Burden: 3,217 responses; 1-11.83 hours per response; 6,335 hours total per year.

Annual Cost Burden: $1,730,335.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 154(i), 303, 307 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and section 204 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: On December 18, 2007, the Commission adopted a Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration in its 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review of the Commission's Broadcast Ownership Rules pursuant to section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, MB Docket No. 06-121, FCC 07-216. Section 202 requires the Commission to review its broadcast ownership rules every four years and determine whether any of such rules are necessary in the public interest. Further, section 202 requires the Commission to repeal or modify any regulation it determines to be no longer in the public interest. Consistent with actions taken by the Commission in the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review, changes are made to Form 303-S to account for revisions made to 47 CFR 73.3555(d), the Daily Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule. The revised rule changes the circumstances under which an entity may own a daily newspaper and a radio station or television station in the same designated market area. In section III of Form 303-S, a new Question 7 is added which asks the licensee to certify that neither it nor any party to the application has an attributable interest in a newspaper that is within the scope of 47 CFR 73.3555(d). Instructions for this new question are added to Form 303-S, and include a reference to the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review as a source of information regarding the Commission's newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule. Therefore, 47 CFR 73.3555(d) (daily newspaper cross-ownership rule) states:

(1) No license for an AM, FM or TV broadcast station shall be granted to any party (including all parties under common control) if such party directly or indirectly owns, operates or controls a daily newspaper and the grant of such license will result in: (i) The predicted or measured 2 mV/m contour of an AM station, computed in accordance with Sec. 73.183 or Sec. 73.186, encompassing the entire community in which such newspaper is published; or (ii) The predicted 1 mV/m contour for an FM station, computed in accordance with Sec. 73.313, encompassing the entire community in which such newspaper is published; or (iii) The Grade A contour of a TV station, computed in accordance with Sec. 73.684, encompassing the entire community in which such newspaper is published.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in cases where the Commission makes a finding pursuant to Section 310(d) of the Communications Act that the public interest, convenience, and necessity would be served by permitting an entity that owns, operates or controls a daily newspaper to own, operate or control an AM, FM, or TV broadcast station whose relevant contour encompasses the entire community in which such newspaper is published as set forth in paragraph (1).

(3) In making a finding under paragraph (2), there shall be a presumption that it is not inconsistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity for an entity to own, operate or control a daily newspaper in a top 20 Nielsen DMA and one commercial AM, FM or TV broadcast station whose relevant contour encompasses the entire community in which such newspaper is published as set forth in paragraph (1), provided that, with respect to a combination including a commercial TV station, (i) The station is not ranked among the top four TV stations in the DMA, based on the most recent all-day (9 a.m.-midnight) audience share, as measured by Nielsen Media Research or by any comparable professional, accepted audience ratings service; and (ii) At least 8 independently owned and operating major media voices would remain in the DMA in which the community of license of the TV station in question is located (for purposes of this provision major media voices include full-power TV broadcast stations and major newspapers).

(4) In making a finding under paragraph (2), there shall be a presumption that it is inconsistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity for an entity to own, operate or control a daily newspaper and an AM, FM or TV broadcast station whose relevant contour encompasses the entire community in which such newspaper is published as set forth in paragraph (1) in a DMA other than the top 20 Nielsen DMAs or in any circumstance not covered under paragraph (3).

(5) In making a finding under paragraph (2), the Commission shall consider: (i) Whether the combined entity will significantly increase the amount of local news in the market; (ii) whether the newspaper and the broadcast outlets each will continue to employ its own staff and each will exercise its own independent news judgment; (iii) the level of concentration in the Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA); and (iv) the financial condition of the newspaper or broadcast station, and if the newspaper or broadcast station is in financial distress, the proposed owner's commitment to invest significantly in newsroom operations.

(6) In order to overcome the negative presumption set forth in paragraph (4) with respect to the combination of a major newspaper and a television station, the applicant must show by clear and convincing evidence that the co-owned major newspaper and station will increase the diversity of independent news outlets and increase competition among independent news sources in the market, and the factors set forth above in paragraph (5) will inform this decision.

(7) The negative presumption set forth in paragraph (4) shall be reversed under the following two circumstances: (i) The newspaper or broadcast station is failed or failing; or (ii) the combination is with a broadcast station that was not offering local newscasts prior to the combination, and the station will initiate at least seven hours per week of local news programming after the combination. FCC Form 303-S is used in applying for renewal of license for a commercial or noncommercial AM, FM or TV broadcast station and FM translator, TV translator or Low Power TV (LTV), and Low Power FM broadcast stations. It can also be used in seeking the joint renewal of licenses for an FM or TV translator station and its co-owned primary FM, TV, or LPTV station.

This collection also includes the third party disclosure requirement of 47 CFR Section 73.3580. This section requires local public notice of the filing of the renewal application. For AM, FM, and TV stations, these announcements are made on-the-air. For FM/TV Translators and AM/FM/TV stations that are silent, the local public notice is accomplished through publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the community or area being served.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Deputy Secretary.