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 (PRA) of 1995, 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 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 February 14, 2022. 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 PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control: 3060-0700.

Title: Open Video Systems Provisions, FCC Form 1275.

Form Number: FCC Form 1275.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; and State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 280 respondents; 4,672 respondents.

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

Estimated Time per Response: 0.25 to 20 hours.

Total Annual Burden: 9,855 hours.

Total Annual Costs: None.

Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in Section 302 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Needs and Uses: Section 302 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act provides for specific entry options for telephone companies wishing to enter the video programming marketplace, one option being to provide cable service over an “open video system” (“OVS”). The rule sections that are covered by this collection relate to OVS.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0937.

Title: Establishment of a Class A Television Service, MM Docket No. 00-10.

Form Number: Not applicable.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; Third party disclosure requirement; On occasion and quarterly reporting requirements.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 385 respondents; 9,850 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.017 hours-52 hours.

Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 154(i), 307, 308, 309 and 319 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 172,087 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $1,851,000.

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality with this collection of information.

Needs and Uses: On November 29, 1999, the Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1999 (CBPA), Public Law 106-113, 113 Stat. Appendix I at pp. 1501A-594-1501A-598 (1999), codified at 47 U.S.C. 336(f), was enacted. That legislation provided that a low power television (LPTV) licensee should be permitted to convert the secondary status of its station to the new Class A status, provided it can satisfy certain statutorily-established criteria by January 28, 2000. The CBPA directs that Class A licensees be subject to the same license terms and renewal standards as full-power television licenses and that Class A licensees be accorded primary status as television broadcasters as long as they continue to meet the requirements set forth in the statute for a qualifying low power station.

For those stations that met the certification deadline, the CBPA sets out certain certification procedures, prescribes the criteria to maintain a Class A license, and outlines the interference protection Class A stations must provide to analog, digital, LPTV and TV translator stations.

The CBPA directs that Class A stations must comply with the operating requirements for full-service television broadcast stations in order to maintain Class A status. Therefore, beginning on the date of its application for a Class A license and thereafter, a station must be “in compliance” with the Commission's operating rules for full-service television stations, contained in 47 CFR part 73.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1209.

Title: Section 73.1216, Licensee-Conducted Contests.

Form Number: None. (Complaints alleging violations of the Contest Rule generally are filed on via the Commission's Consumer Complaint Portal entitled General Complaints, Obscenity or Indecency Complaints, Complaints under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, Slamming Complaints, Requests for Dispute Assistance and Communications Accessibility Complaints which is approved under OMB control number 3060-0874).

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

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

Number of Respondents and Responses: 21,530 respondents; 21,530 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.1-9 hours.

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

Total Annual Burden: 127,569 hours.

Total Annual Costs: $6,457,500.

Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 1, 4 and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Needs and Uses: The Commission adopted the Contest Rule in 1976 to address concerns about the manner in which broadcast stations were conducting contests over the air. The Contest Rule generally requires stations to broadcast material contest terms fully and accurately the first time the audience is told how to participate in a contest, and periodically thereafter. In addition, stations must conduct contests substantially as announced. These information collection requirements are necessary to ensure that broadcast licensees conduct contests with due regard for the public interest.

The Contest Rule permit broadcasters to meet their obligation to disclose contest material terms on an internet website in lieu of making broadcast announcements. Under the amended Contest Rule, broadcasters are required to (i) announce the relevant internet website address on air the first time the audience is told about the contest and periodically thereafter; (ii) disclose the material contest terms fully and accurately on a publicly accessible internet website, establishing a link or tab to such terms through a link or tab on the announced website's home page, and ensure that any material terms disclosed on such a website conform in all substantive respects to those mentioned over the air; (iii) maintain contest material terms online for at least thirty days after the contest has ended; and (v) announce on air that the material terms of a contest have changed (where that is the case) within 24 hours of the change in terms on a website, and periodically thereafter, and to direct consumers to the website to review the changes.