2023-25271. Information Collection 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 January 16, 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 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: 3060–0761.

Title: Section 79.1, Closed Captioning of Video Programming, CG Docket No. 05–231.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Individuals or households; and Not-for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 68,007 respondents; 510,514 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 (30 minutes) to 30 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual, monthly, on occasion, and ongoing reporting requirements; Third party disclosure requirement; Recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this obligation is found at section 713 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 613, and implemented at 47 CFR 79.1.

Total Annual Burden: 766,435 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $35,324,172.00.

Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks to extend existing information collection requirements in its closed captioning rules (47 CFR 79.1), which require that, with some exceptions, all new video programming, and 75 percent of “pre-rule” programming, be closed captioned. The existing collections include petitions by video programming providers, producers, and owners for exemptions from the closed captioning rules, responses by commenters, and replies; complaints by viewers alleging violations of the closed captioning rules, responses by video programming distributors (VPDs) and video programmers, recordkeeping in support of complaint responses, and compliance ladder obligations in the event of a pattern or trend of violations; recordkeeping of monitoring and maintenance activities; caption quality best practices procedures; making video programming distributor contact information available to viewers in phone directories, on the Commission's website and the websites of video programming distributors (if they have them), and in billing statements (to the extent video programming distributors issue them); and video programmers filing of contact information and compliance certifications with the Commission.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.