[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 52 (Friday, March 15, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10709-10710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6205]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 5, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 73, 74, 78, 80, 87, 90, 94, 
95, and 97

[ET Docket No. 96-2; RM-8165; FCC 96-12]


Arecibo Coordination Zone

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: By this Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM''), the 
Commission proposes to designate the Puerto Rican Islands of Puerto 
Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, and Culebra as a Coordination Zone, in 
order that the Arecibo Radio Astronomy Observatory (Observatory) near 
Arecibo, Puerto Rico may be notified of certain proposed radio 
operations. This proposal would require applicants for a new station or 
for a modification of facilities within the requested Coordination 
Zone, to simultaneously notify the Observatory of the technical 
particulars of the proposed operations at the time of filing their 
applications with the Commission. The NPRM also proposes to require 
applicants for short-term broadcast auxiliary services within the 
Coordination Zone to notify the Observatory in advance of their 
proposed operations, except in emergency situations. In addition, the 
NPRM proposes to require new amateur beacon and repeater stations 
within 10 miles of the Observatory to be coordinated. This NPRM would 
make it possible for the Observatory and applicants to coordinate and 
share information in order to avoid harmful interference to sensitive, 
nationally important radio astronomy operations.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before April 1, 1996 and reply 
comments must be filed on or before April 16, 1996. Written comments by 
the public on the proposed and/or modified information collections are 
due April 1, 1996. Written comments

[[Page 10710]]
must be submitted by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the 
proposed and/or modified information collections on or before May 14, 
1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments and reply comments should be sent to the Office of 
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC 20554. In 
addition to filing comments with the Secretary, a copy of any comments 
on the information collections contained herein should be submitted to 
Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications Commission, Room 234, 1919 M 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20554, or via the Internet to 
[email protected], and to Timothy Fain, OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB, 
725--17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503 or via the Internet to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Derenge, Office of Engineering and 
Technology, (202) 418-2451. For additional information concerning the 
information collections contained in this NPRM contact Dorothy Conway 
at (202) 418-0217, or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Notice 
of Proposed Rule Making, ET Docket No. 96-2, adopted January 18, 1996, 
and released February 8, 1996. The full text of this Commission 
decision is available for inspection and copying during normal business 
hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room 239), 1919 M Street, NW., 
Washington, DC. The complete text of this decision may also be 
purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, International 
Transcription Service, Inc., (202) 857-3800, 1919 M Street, NW., Room 
246, or 2100 M Street, NW., Suite 140, Washington, DC 20037. This NPRM 
contains proposed or modified information collections subject to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). It has been submitted to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under the PRA. OMB, 
the general public, and other Federal agencies are invited to comment 
on the proposed or modified information collections contained in this 
proceeding.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This NPRM contains either a proposed or modified information 
collection. The Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, invites the general public and the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) to comment on the information collections 
contained in this NPRM, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13. Public and agency comments are due at the same 
time as other comments on this NPRM; OMB comments are due May 14, 1996. 
Comments should address: (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.
    OMB Approval Number: N/A.
    Title: Amendment of the Commission's Rules to Establish a Radio 
Astronomy Coordination Zone in Puerto Rico.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Respondents: Small Entities, Individual or households, Business or 
other for profit, State, Local of Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 500.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1 hour.
    Total Annual Burden: 300 hours.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission believes that a Coordination Zone 
would facilitate the ability of the Observatory and Commission 
applicants to contact each other in order to cooperate to avoid causing 
interference. The collection would enable the Observatory and 
applicants to coordinate and share information in order to avoid 
harmful interference to sensitive, nationally important radio astronomy 
operations.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 5

    Radio.

47 CFR Part 21

    Communications common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 22

    Communications common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 23

    Communications common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 24

    Communications common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 25

    Communications common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 26

    Communications common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 73

    Radio broadcasting, Television broadcasting.

47 CFR Part 74

    Radio broadcasting, Television broadcasting.

47 CFR Part 78

    Cable television, Radio.

47 CFR Part 80

    Marine safety, Radio.

47 CFR Part 87

    Defense communications, Radio.

47 CFR Part 90

    Common carriers, Radio.

47 CFR Part 94

    Radio.

47 CFR Part 95

    Radio.

47 CFR Part 97

    Civil defense, Radio.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-6205 Filed 3-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P