[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 6, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 57429-57431] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-28435] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Notice of Public Information Collections Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval October 29, 1996. SUMMARY: The Federal Communications, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control number. 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 Commissions 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. DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before December 6, 1996. 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 comments to Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications, Room 234, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via internet to [email protected] and Timothy Fain, OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB 725 17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20503 or [email protected]. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies of the information collections contact Dorothy Conway at 202-418-0217 or via internet at [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval Number: 3060-0076. Title: Annual Employment Report for Common Carriers. Form No.: N/A. Type of Review: Revision of currently approved collection. Respondents: Business or other for-profits. [[Page 57430]] Number of Respondents: 4,000. Estimated Time Per Response: 1 hour. Total Annual Burden: 4,000 hours. Needs and Uses: The Annual Employment Report is submitted by certain common carrier licensees and permittees. The data is intended to assess compliance with equal employment opportunity requirements. Data is used by the FCC, Congress and U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, EEOC, NTIA and public interest groups. OMB Approval Number: New Collection. Title: Disclosure and Dissemination of Pay-Per-Call Information Section 47 CFR 64.1509. Form No.: N/A. Type of Review: New Collection. Respondents: Business and other for-profit, including small businesses. Number of Respondents: 25. Estimated Time Per Response: 410 hours (average). Total Annual Burden: 10,250 hours. Needs and Uses: 47 CFR 64.1509 imposes requirements on common carriers that assign telephone numbers to pay-per-call services. The requirements are intended to ensure that consumers understand their rights and responsibilities with respect to these services. OMB Approval Number: 3060-0168. Title: Reports of Proposed Changes in Depreciation Rates Section 43.43. Form No.: N/A. Type of Review: Extension of an existing collection. Respondents: Business or other for-profit. Number of Respondents: 12. Estimated Time Per Response: 6,500 hours. Total Annual Burden: 78,000 hours. Needs and Uses: Dominant communications carriers with annual operating revenue of $100 million or more are required to file a report showing any proposed changes to their depreciation rate schedule pursuant to 47 CFR Section 43.43. The information is used by the Commission to establish the proper depreciation rate to be charged by the carriers. OMB Approval Number: New Collection. Title: Disclosure Requirements for Information Services Provided through Toll-Free Numbers. Form No.: N/A. Type of Review: New Collection. Respondents: Business or other for-profit. Number of Respondents: 3,750. Estimated Time Per Response: 2.8 hours. Total Annual Burden: 10,500 hours. Needs and Uses: 47 CFR 64.1504 imposes disclosure requirements on entities that use toll-free numbers to provide information services. The requirements are intended to ensure that callers to toll-free numbers are (1) informed if charges will be levied and (2) receive the information necessary to make an informed decison whether to purchase an information service. OMB Approval Number: New Collection. Title: Section 73.673 Public information initiative regarding educational and informational programming for children. Form No.: N/A. Type of Review: New Collection. Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Individuals or households. Number of Respondents: 1,200. Estimated Time Per Response: 1 minute per program to ensure that on-the-air identification is provided; 5 minutes per program to convey children's television information to publishers of program guides. Total Annual Burden: 37,440 hours. Total Annual Cost: $1,500 per respondent. Needs and Uses: This new Section will require commercial TV broadcasters to identify programs specifically designed to educate and inform children at the beginning of those programs, in a form that is at the discretion of the licensee, and to provide information identifying such programs and the age groups for which they are intended to publishers of program guides. These requirements will provide better information to the public about the shows broadcasters air to fulfill their obligations to air educational and informational programming under the CTA. This information will assist parents who wish to guide their children's television viewing. In addition, if large numbers of parents use that information to choose educational programming for their children it will increase the likelihood that the market will respond with more educational programming. OMB Approval Number: 3060-0214. Title: Section 73.3526 Local Public Inspection File of Commercial Stations. Form No.: N/A. Type of Review: Revision of an existing collection. Respondents: Individuals or households; Business and other for- profit. Number of Respondents: 10,250 commercial radio licensees recordkeepers; 1,200 commercial TV licensee recordkeepers; 1,200 comercial TV stations making must-carry/transmission consent elections; 1,200 comercial TV stations publicizing existence and location of children's public inspection file. Estimated Time Per Response: 104 hours for radio recordkeeping; 130 hours per year for TV recordkeeping; 1 hour per election statements to 150 cable systems per station; 5 minutes per TV station for revising station identification publicizing the existence and location of the children's public inspection file. Total Annual Burden: 1,282,100 hours. Needs and Uses: Section 73.3526 requires each licensee/permitee of a commercial AM, FM or TV broadcast station to maintain a file for public inspection. The contents of the file vary according to the type of service and status. The data are used by the public and FCC staff to evaluate information about the station's performance. OMB Approval Number: 3060-0392. Title: 47 CFR 1.1401 through 1.1416 Pole Attachment Complaint Procedures. Type of Review: Extension of existing collection. Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities. Number of Respondents: 83. Estimated Time Per Response: 1-25 hours. Total Annual Burden: 449 hours. Notices: 36 sets of notices x 2 hours each = 72 hours. Petitions for Stay: 10 Petitions x 8 hours each = 80 hours. Complaints, responses and replies: 10 complaint cases (20 parties): 50% of parties will use in-house legal assistance with an average burden of 25 hours per case. 10 parties x 25 hours = 250 hours. 50% of parties will use outside legal counsel with an average burden of 4 hours to coordinate information with outside legal counsel. 10 parties x 4 hours = 40 hours. State certifications: 7 certifications x 1 hour = 7 hours. Total Costs to Respondents: $41,000. Notices: 36 sets of notices x $100 each for postage and stationery = $3,600. Complaints, responses and replies: 50% of parties will use outside legal counsel paid at $150 per hour. 10 parties x 25 hours per case x $150 per hour = $37,500. Needs and Uses: Initial pole attachment provisions were mandated by Congress pursuant to Section 224 of the Communications Act of 1934. Among other things, Section 224 initially mandated the following: The Commission was required to establish rules to ensure that the rates, terms and conditions under which cable television system operators attach their hardware to utility poles are just and reasonable. [[Page 57431]] Utilities shall provide a cable television system operator no less than 60 days written notice prior to (1) removal of facilities or termination of any service to those facilities, such removal or termination arising out of a rate, term or condition of a cable television pole attachment agreement, or (2) any increase in pole attachment rates. The Commission was required to establish a Petition for Stay process for the action contained in the notice. The Commission was required to establish a complaint resolution process regarding pole attachments. The Commission was required to establish a certification process for states to use to make notice of their authority to regulate the rates, terms and conditions for pole attachments. The provisions in Section 224 were initially only applicable to cable television system operators. However, Section 703 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (``1996 Act'') amends Section 224 to expand the scope of the pole attachment provisions to include telecommunications carriers as well as cable television system operators. Information collected as a result of pole attachment provisions has been used by the Commission to hear and resolve petitions for stay and complaints as mandated by Section 224. Information filed has been used to determine the merits of the petition and complaint. State certifications have been used to make public notice of the state's authority to regulate the rates, terms and conditions for pole attachments. Federal Communications Commission William F. Caton, Acting Secretary. [FR Doc. 96-28435 Filed 11-5-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P