[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5949-5950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2833]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collections Being Reviewed by the 
Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority 5 CFR 1320, 
Comments Requested

January 30, 1998.
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 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 Commission's 
burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 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 information techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before April 6, 1998. 
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 
Commission, 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:

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0609.
    Title: Section 76.934(e), Petitions for extension of time.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; state, local or 
tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents: 35. (25 petitioners + 10 local franchise 
authorities (``LFAs'')).
    Estimated Time Per Response: 4 hours.
    Total Annual Burden: 140 hours, calculated as follows: We estimate 
that small cable systems will annually submit 25 petitions for 
extension of time, with approximately 15 of the petitions being 
addressed to the Commission and 10 being addressed to LFAs. We estimate 
that the average burden to small cable systems to file each petition is 
4 hours and that the average burden to LFAs to review each petition is 
4 hours. 25 petitions filed  x  4 hours = 100 hours. 10 LFA reviews of 
petitions  x  4 hours = 40 hours.
    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: Postage and photocopying expenses 
for each petition are estimated at $2 per filing. 25  x  $2 = $50.
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.934(e) states that small cable systems 
may obtain an extension of time to establish compliance with rate 
regulations provided that they can demonstrate that timely compliance 
would result in severe economic hardship. Requests for extension of 
time should be addressed to the local franchising authority (``LFA'') 
concerning rates for basic service and equipment and to the Commission 
concerning rates for a cable programming service tier and associated 
equipment. The information collected from entities will be used by the 
Commission and LFAs to grant temporary relief to small systems who 
demonstrate a need for an extension of time to come into compliance 
with rate regulation.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0610.
    Title: Section 76.958, Notice to Commission of rate change while 
complaint is pending.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 400.
    Estimated Time Per Response: .5 hours.
    Total Annual Burden: 200 hours. Annually, we estimate that cable 
operators will be required to notify the Commission of proposed cable 
service tier rate increases during the Commission reviews of pending 
rate complaints an estimated 400 times. The estimated average burden to 
make each

[[Page 5950]]

notification is .5 hours. 400 notifications  x  .5 = 200 hours.
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.958 states that a regulated cable 
operator that proposes to change any rate while a cable service tier 
rate is pending before the Commission shall provide the Commission at 
least 30 days notice of the proposed change. The information will be 
used by the Commission to ensure that regulated cable operators give 
the appropriate notice to the Commission concerning proposed rate 
changes while they have cable service tier complaints pending before 
the Commission.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0570.
    Title: Section 76.982, Continuation of Rate Agreements.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: State or local governments.
    Number of Respondents: 25.
    Estimated Time Per Response: .5 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: We estimate that 25 
notifications are annually filed by franchising authorities who wish to 
continue to regulate rates under existing rate agreements. The average 
burden on franchising authorities is .5 hours per notification. 25 
notifications  x  .5 hours = 12.5 hours (rounded up to 13 hours).
    Total Annual Cost to Respondents: Postage and stationery expenses 
are estimated to be $1 for each filing. 25 notifications  x  $1 = $25.
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.982 provides that franchise authorities 
who were regulating basic cable rates pursuant to a rate agreement 
executed before July 1, 1990, may continue to regulate rates during the 
remainder of the agreement. Franchise authorities must notify the 
Commission of their intentions to continue regulating rates under the 
rate agreement. These new requirements ensure that cable subscribers 
nationwide enjoy the rates that would be charged by cable systems 
operating in a competitive environment. These notifications enable the 
Commission to determine the extent of rate regulation agreements that 
pre-date the 1992 Cable Act and that are still in effect.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-2833 Filed 2-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-10-P