Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the 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, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 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 comments should be submitted on or before March 11, 2016. 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 contacts 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 section 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 OMB control number of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0010.

Title: Ownership Report for Commercial Broadcast Stations, FCC Form 323.

Form Number: FCC Form 323.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

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

Number of Respondents/Responses: 9,250 respondents; 9,250 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; on occasion reporting requirement; biennially reporting requirement.

Total Annual Burden: 38,125 hours.

Total Annual Costs: $26,940,000.

Nature of Response: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 154(i), 303, 310 and 533 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Form 323 collects two types of information from respondents: Personal information in the form of names, addresses, job titles and demographic information; and FCC Registration Numbers (FRNs).

The system of records notice (SORN), FCC/MB-1, “Ownership Report for Commercial Broadcast Stations,” which was approved on December 21, 2009 (74 FR 59978) covers the collection, purposes(s), storage, safeguards, and disposal of the PII that individual respondents may submit on FCC Form 323. FCC Form 323 is drafting a privacy statement to inform applicants (respondents) of the Commission's need to obtain the information and the protections that the FCC has in place to protect the PII.

FRNs are assigned to applicants who complete FCC Form 160 (OMB Control No. 3060-0917). Form 160 requires applicants for FRNs to provide their Taxpayer Information Number (TIN) and/or Social Security Number (SSN). The FCC's electronic CORES Registration System then provides each registrant with a FCC Registration Number (FRN), which identifies the registrant in his/her subsequent dealings with the FCC. This is done to protect the individual's privacy. The Commission maintains a SORN, FCC/OMD-9, “Commission Registration System (CORES)” to cover the collection, purpose(s), storage, safeguards, and disposal of the PII that individual respondents may submit on FCC Form 160. FCC Form 160 includes a privacy statement to inform applicants (respondents) of the Commission's need to obtain the information and the protections that the FCC has in place to protect the PII.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: The Commission is drafting a Privacy Impact Assessment for the PII that is covered by FCC/MB-1 SORN. Upon completion of the PIA, it will be posted on the FCC Web page, as required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum, M-03-22 (September 22, 2003).

Needs and Uses: Licensees of commercial AM, FM, and full power television broadcast stations, as well as licensees of Class A and Low Power Television stations must file FCC Form 323 every two years. Ownership Reports shall provide information accurate as of October 1 of the year in which the Report is filed. Thereafter, the Form shall be filed biennially beginning November 1, 2011, and every two years thereafter.

Also, Licensees and Permittees of commercial AM, FM, or full power television stations must file Form 323 following the consummation of a transfer of control or an assignment of a commercial AM, FM, or full power television station license or construction permit; a Permittee of a new commercial AM, FM or full power television broadcast station must file Form 323 within 30 days after the grant of the construction permit; and a Permittee of a new commercial AM, FM, or full power television broadcast station must file Form 323 to update the initial report or to certify the continuing accuracy and completeness of the previously filed report on the date that the Permittee applies for a license to cover the construction permit.

In the case of organizational structures that include holding companies or other forms of indirect ownership, a separate FCC Form 323 must be filed for each entity in the organizational structure that has an attributable interest in the Licensee if the filing is a nonbiennial filing or a reportable interest in the Licensee if the filing is a biennial filing.

We are requesting the three year extension of this information collection.

OMB Control No.: 3060-1042.

Title: Request for Technical Support—Help Request Form.

Form No.: N/A—Electronic only.

Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.

Respondents: Individuals or household; business or other for-profit; not-for-profit institutions; and state, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 36,300 respondents and 36,300 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 8 minutes (0.14 hours).

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Total Annual Burden: 5,082 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $609,840.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Possible Impacts.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general there is no need for confidentiality. On a case by case basis, the Commission may be required to withhold from disclosure certain information about the location, character, or ownership of a historic property, including traditional religious sites. Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this collection as an extension (no change in frequency of recordkeeping or reporting requirements) to the OMB after this 60 day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them.

The FCC's maintains Internet software used by the public to apply for licenses, participate in auctions for spectrum, and maintain license information. In this mission, FCC has a `help desk' that answers questions related to these systems as well as resetting and/or issuing user passwords for access to these systems. The form currently is available on the Web site https://esupport.fcc.gov/request.htm under OMB Control Number 3060-1042. This form will continue to substantially decrease public and staff burden since all the information needed to facilitate a support request will be submitted in a standard format but be available to a wider audience. This eliminates or at least minimizes the need to follow-up with the customers to obtain all the information necessary to respond to their request. This form also helps presort requests into previously defined categories to all staff to respond more quickly.