Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might “further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.” The Commission 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 comments should be submitted on or before December 16, 2019. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find it difficult to do so with the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via email Nicholas_A._Fraser@OMB.eop.gov; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov. Include in the comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the web page http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain,, (2) look for the section of the web page called “Currently Under Review,” (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the “Select Agency” box below the “Currently Under Review” heading, (4) select “Federal Communications Commission” from the list of agencies presented in the “Select Agency” box, (5) click the “Submit” button to the right of the “Select Agency” box, (6) when the list of FCC ICRs currently under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invited the general public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. 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 Commission's 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. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might “further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.”

OMB Control No.: 3060-0262.

Title: Section 90.179, Shared Use of Radio Stations.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit, non-for-profit institutions, and state, local and tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 43,000 respondents, 43,000 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: .25 up to .75 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement and On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 161, 303(g), 303(r) and 332(c)(7).

Total Annual Burden: 43,000 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

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

Needs and Uses: The Commission was directed by the United States Congress, in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, to dedicate 2.4 MHz of electromagnetic spectrum in the 746-806 MHz band for public safety services. Section 90.179 requires that Part 90 licensees that share use of their private land mobile radio facility on non-profit, cost-sharing basis to prepare and keep a written sharing agreement as part of the station records. Regardless of the method of sharing, an up-to-date list of persons who are sharing the station and the basis of their eligibility under Part 90 must be maintained. The requirement is necessary to identify users of the system should interference problems develop. This information is used by the Commission to investigate interference complaints and resolve interference and operational complaints that may arise among the users.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0360.

Title: Section 80.409, Station Logs (Maritime Services).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

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

Number of Respondents: 19,214 respondents; 19,214 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 27.3-95 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609.

Total Annual Burden: 538,082 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

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

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this extension (no change in the recordkeeping requirement) to the OMB to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. The information collection requirements are as follows:

Section 80.409(c), Public Coast Station Logs: This requirement is necessary to document the operation and public correspondence of public coast radio telegraph, public coast radiotelephone stations, and Alaska public-fixed stations, including the logging of distress and safety calls where applicable. Entries must be made giving details of all work performed which may affect the proper operation of the station. Logs must be retained by the licensee for a period of two years from the date of entry, and, where applicable, for such additional periods such as logs relating to a distress situation or disaster must be retained for three years from the date of entry in the log. If the Commission has notified the licensee of an investigation, the related logs must be retained until the licensee is specifically authorized in writing to destroy them. Logs relating to any claim or complaint of which the station licensee has notice must be retained until the claim or complaint has been satisfied or barred by statute limiting the time for filing suits upon such claims.

Section 80.409(d), Ship Radiotelegraph Logs: Logs of ship stations which are compulsorily equipped for radiotelegraphy and operating in the band 90 to 535 kHz must contain specific information in log entries according to this subsection.

Section 80.409(e), Ship Radiotelephone Logs: Logs of ship stations which are compulsorily equipped for radiotelephony must contain specific information in applicable log entries and the time of their occurrence.

The recordkeeping requirements contained in section 80.409 is necessary to document the operation and public correspondence service of public coast radiotelegraph, public coast radiotelephone stations and Alaska-public fixed stations, ship radiotelegraph, ship radiotelephone and applicable radiotelephone including the logging of distress and safety calls where applicable.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0653.

Title: Sections 64.703(b) and (c), Consumer Information—Posting by Aggregators.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 56,075 respondents; 5,339,038 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: .017 hours (1 minute) to 3 hours.

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this information collection is found at section 226 [47 U.S.C. 226] Telephone Operator Services codified at 47 CFR 64.703(b) Consumer Information.

Total Annual Burden: 174,401 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $1,446,340.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: An assurance of confidentiality is not offered because this information collection does not require the collection of personally identifiable information (PII) from individuals.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements included under this OMB Control Number 3060-0653, requires aggregators (providers of telephones to the public or to transient users of their premises) under 47 U.S.C. 226(c)(1)(A), 47 CFR 64.703(b) of the Commission's rules, to post in writing, on or near such phones, information about the pre-subscribed operator services, rates, carrier access, and the FCC address to which consumers may direct complaints.

Section 64.703(c) of the Commission's rules requires the posted consumer information to be added when an aggregator has changed the pre-subscribed operator service provider (OSP) no later than 30 days following such change. Consumers will use this information to determine whether they wish to use the services of the identified OSP.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0754.

Title: FCC Form 2100, Application for Media Bureau Audio and Video Service Authorization, Schedule H.

Form Number: FCC Form 2100, Schedule H.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 1,758 respondents; 1,758 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 10 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement: Annual reporting requirement.

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

Total Annual Burden: 17,580 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $1,054,800.

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

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

Needs and Uses: Commercial full-power and Class A television broadcast stations are required to file FCC Form 2100, Schedule H (formerly FCC Form 398) (Children's Television Programming Report) within 30 days after the end of each calendar year. FCC Form 2100, Schedule H is a standardized form that: (a) Provides a consistent format for reporting the children's educational television programming aired by licensees to meet their obligation under the Children's Television Act of 1990 (CTA), and (b) facilitates efforts by the public and the FCC to monitor compliance with the CTA.

Commercial full-power and Class A television stations are required to complete FCC Form 2100, Schedule H within 30 days after the end of each calendar year and file the form with the Commission. The Commission places the form in the station's online public inspection file maintained on the Commission's database ( www.fcc.gov ). Stations use FCC Form 2100, Schedule H to report, among other things, the Core Programming (i.e., children's educational and informational programming) the station aired the previous calendar year. FCC Form 2100, Schedule H also includes a “Preemption Report” that must be completed for each Core Program that was preempted during the year. This “Preemption Report” requests information on the reason for the preemption, the date of each preemption, the reason for the preemption and, if the program was rescheduled, the date and time the program was re-aired.

On July 10, 2019, the Commission adopted a Report and Order in MB Docket Nos. 18-202 and 17-105, FCC 19-67, In the Matter of Children's Television Programming Rules; Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, which modernizes the children's television programming rules in light of changes to the media landscape that have occurred since the rules were first adopted. Among other revisions, the Report and Order revises the children's television programming rules to expand the Core Programming hours to 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; modify the safe harbor processing guidelines for determining compliance with the children's programming rules; require that broadcast stations air the substantial majority of their Core Programming on their primary program streams, but permit broadcast stations to air up to 13 hours per quarter of regularly scheduled weekly programming on a multicast stream; eliminate the additional processing guideline applicable to stations that multicast; and modify the rules governing preemption of Core Programming. In addition, the Report and Order revises the children's television programming reporting requirements by requiring that Children's Television Programming Reports (FCC Form 2100, Schedule H) be filed on an annual rather than quarterly basis, within 30 days after the end of the calendar year; eliminating the requirements that the reports include information describing the educational and informational purpose of each Core Program aired during the current reporting period and each Core Program that the licensee expects to air during the next reporting period; eliminating the requirement to identify the program guide publishers who were sent information regarding the licensee's Core Programs; and streamlining the form by eliminating certain fields. The Report and Order also eliminates the requirement to publicize the Children's Television Programming Reports. The Report and Order directs the Media Bureau to make modifications to FCC Form 2100, Schedule H as needed to conform the form with the revisions to the children's programming rules, including the changes to the processing guidelines and preemption policies.