[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 129 (Monday, July 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36286-36287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17531]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection Submitted to OMB for 
Review and Approval

June 30, 1997.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, 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 information collection, 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 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.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before August 6, 
1997. 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 Judy Boley, Federal Communications, 
Room 234, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via internet to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collections contact Judy Boley at 202-418-0214 or 
via internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 31, 1996, the Commission 
released a Memorandum Opinion and Order (``MO&O''), FCC 96-491, MM 
Docket No. 92-266, in response to the decision of the court in Time 
Warner Co. v. FCC, 56 F.3d 151 (D.C. Cir. 1995). Among other things, 
the MO&O revised Commission rulesection 47 CFR 76.913 Assumption of 
jurisdiction by the Commission. Section 76.913 permits local 
franchising authorities (``LFAs'') that are unable to meet 
certification standards to petition the Commission to regulate the 
rates for basic cable service and associated equipment of its 
franchisee. If the franchising authority lacks the resources to 
administer rate regulation, its petition no longer must be accompanied 
by a demonstration that franchise fees are insufficient to fund any 
additional activities required to administer basic service rate 
regulation. Elimination of this requirement constitutes a modified 
information collection requirement. All other information collection 
requirements contained in Section 76.913 remain intact. The MO&O also 
amended Commission rulesection 47 CFR 76.922 Rates for Basic Service 
Tiers and Cable Programming Tiers. Section 76.922(f)(4) was amended to 
permit cable operators to adjust their current permissible rates to 
reflect the rates the operators would currently be charging if they had 
been permitted to include increases in external costs occurring between 
September 30, 1992 and their initial date of regulation (this period of 
time is also referred to as the ``gap period'') reduced by inflation 
increases already received with respect to those costs. The increase in 
rates due to external cost changes that occurred during the gap period 
shall be reflected in the cable operator's next rate adjustment filing 
in accordance with the Commission's current rules. Section 76.922(f)(4) 
is the only portion of Section 76.922 to be amended by the MO&O, 
therefore, the other information collection requirements contained in 
Section 76.922 remain intact. The information collection control number 
3060-0607 reports on some, but not all, of the information collection 
requirements contained in Section 76.922. Specifically, 3060-0607 
reports on the Section 76.922(f)(4) gap period adjustment process, as 
well as the Section 76.922(b)(5) streamlined rate reduction process and 
the Section 76.922(e)(7) headend upgrade certification process. 
Although the MO&O only amended the gap period process, pursuant to the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, we are required to initiate 
OMB review and public comment on the entire OMB control number 3060-
0607. We therefore invite the public to take this opportunity to also 
comment on the streamlined rate reduction process and the headend 
upgrade certification process. Section 76.922(b)(5) provides that an 
eligible small system that elects to use the streamlined rate reduction 
process must implement the required rate reductions and provide written 
notice of such reductions to local subscribers, the local franchising 
authority (``LFA''), and the Commission.
    Section 76.922(e)(7) permits qualified small systems and small 
systems owned by small multiple system operators to increase rates to 
recover the actual cost of the headend equipment required to add up to 
seven channels to Cable Programming Service Tiers (``CPSTs'') and 
single-tier systems, not to exceed $5,000 per additional channel. These 
rate increases may occur between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 1997, 
as a result of additional channels offered on those tiers after May 14, 
1994. In order to recover costs for headend equipment pursuant to this 
paragraph, systems must certify to the Commission their eligibility to 
use this paragraph, and the level of costs they have actually incurred 
for adding the headend equipment and the depreciation schedule for the 
equipment.
    OMB Approval Number: 3060-0561.
    Title: Section 76.913 Assumption of jurisdiction by the Commission.
    Type of Review: Revision of an existing collection.
    Respondents: Business and for profit entities; state, local and 
tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 50.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 8 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: We estimate that 50 petitions 
are filed annually. The average burden on petitioners is estimated at 
an average of 8 hours per petition. 50 petitions  x  8 hours per 
petition = 400 hours.

[[Page 36287]]

    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: Postage and stationery costs are 
estimated at an average of $10 per petition. 50 petitions  x  $10 = 
$500.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements reported 
under this control number are used by Commission staff to identify 
situations where it should exercise jurisdiction over basic service and 
equipment rates in place of a local franchising authority. If the 
information were not collected, the basic cable rates of some franchise 
areas not subject to effective competition would remain unregulated in 
contravention of the goals of the 1992 Cable Act.

    OMB Approval Number: 3060-0607.
    Title: Section 76.922 Rates for Basic Service Tiers and Cable 
Programming Tiers.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business and for profit entries; state, local and 
tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 4,475 (2,200 operators filing gap period 
rate adjustments + 2,200 LFAs reviewing such adjustments + 25 small 
systems opting for the streamlined rate reduction process + 50 headend 
upgrade certifications).
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1-12 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 9,150 hours calculated as 
follows:

--Section 76.922(f)(4) contains a one-time only information collection 
requirement. We estimate that the average burden for operators to 
supply gap period data with their next rate adjustment filing will be 2 
hours per filing and that there will be approximately 2,200 such 
filings made in the next year. The burden to operators to file = 2,200 
filings  x  2 hours = 4,400 hours. The burden to LFAs to review this 
information is also estimated to be an average of 2 hours per filing, 
therefore 2,200 filings reviewed by LFAs  x  2 hours = 4,400 hours.
--Section 76.922(b)(5) streamlined rate reduction process. We estimate 
that 25 systems per year use this process. The average burden for 
undergoing all aspects of each streamlined rate reduction process (all 
rate calculation, notice and reporting requirements) is estimated to be 
12 hours per respondent. 25 systems  x  12 hours = 300 hours.
--Section 76.922(e)(7) headend upgrade certification process. 
Qualifying cable systems owned by small cable companies may certify 
their eligibility to use the Commission's headend upgrade incentive. 
The average burden to complete the certification process is estimated 
to be 1 hour. We estimate 50 certifications are currently filed per 
year. 50 certifications  x  1 hour = 50 hours.

    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: $500 calculated as follows: There 
are no unique costs incurred for gap period rate adjustments because 
they are made as part of regular rate adjustment filings. Costs 
incurred for regular rate adjustment filings have been appropriately 
reported under their respective OMB control numbers. Postage and 
stationery costs are estimated at an average of $10 per each complete 
streamlined rate reduction process. 25  x  $10 = $250. Postage and 
stationery costs are estimated at an average of $5 per each headend 
upgrade certification. 50  x  $5 = $250.
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.922(f)(4) has been amended to permit 
cable operators to adjust their current permissible rates to reflect 
the rates the operators would currently be charging if they had been 
permitted to include increases in external costs occurring between 
September 30, 1992 and their initial date of regulation reduced by 
inflation increases already received with respect to those costs. The 
remainder of the information collections requirements reported under 
this OMB control number are used by Commission staff to ensure that 
small systems have alternatives under the Commission's system of cable 
rate regulation and to ensure that small systems are able to recover 
costs for headend upgrades.

Fereral Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-17531 Filed 7-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P