[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47503-47504]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-19477]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the 
Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested

July 25, 2000.
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 estimate; (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 October 2, 
2000. 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 Les Smith, Federal Communications 
Commissions, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 1-A804, Washington, DC 20554 
or via the Internet to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collections contact Les Smith at (202) 418-0217 or 
via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   
    OMB Approval No.: XXXXXX.
    Title: Notification of Emergency Alert System Status.
    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; and not-for-profit 
institutions, state, local or tribal government(s).
    Number of Respondents: 125.
    Estimate Time Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On Occasion.
    Total Annual Burden: 62 hrs.
    Needs and Uses: The Resident Agent of the Agency's Alaska Office is 
developing a survey to assess whether FM translators located in 
isolated areas of Alaska are in compliance with the Emergency Alert 
System (EAS) rules adopted January 1, 1997. These rules state that FM 
translators not rebroadcasting the entire programming of other local FM 
broadcast stations must be in compliance by having EAS equipment 
installed and working properly. In remote areas of Alaska FM 
translators provide service to their communities by re-broadcasting 
programming from other local FM broadcast stations, however, in some 
cases the FM translators do not rebroadcast the entire contents of the 
program thus they could inadvertently eliminate any EAS warnings. EAS 
not only provides the President of the United States the capability to 
provide immediate communications and information to the general public 
during periods of national emergency, but it also allows the local and/
or state officials the ability to warn the public in the remote areas 
of Alaska about avalanches, wildfires, etc. Due to its size, 
remoteness, and isolation, it is difficult for the Resident Agent to 
make on scene inspections to ensure that the FM translators are in 
compliance. Using the survey the Resident Agent can find out if 
licensed FM translators are either rebroadcasting local programming in 
their entirety including EAS warnings or, if not, then the FM 
translator station has EAS equipment installed and working properly. FM 
translator stations not in compliance could present a safety of life 
issue to the listening public.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0771.
    Title: Procedure for Obtaining a Special Temporary Authorization in 
the Experimental Radio Service--Section 5.56.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.

[[Page 47504]]

    Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities, State, Local 
or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 500.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1 hour.
    Total Annual Burden: 500 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N.A.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission may issue a special temporary 
authority (STA) under Part 5 of the rules in cases where a need is 
shown for operation of an authorized station for a limited time only, 
in a manner other than that specified in the existing authorization, 
but does not conflict with the Commission's rules. A request for STA 
may be filed as an informal application.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0854.
    Title: Truth-in-Billing Format--CC Docket No. 98-170.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension.
    Respondents: Business or Other for Profit.
    Number of Respondents: 3099.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 505.3 Hours (avg.).
    Total Annual Burden: 1,565,775 Hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
$9,000,000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Third Party Disclosure.
    Needs and Uses: Under Section 201(b) of the Communications Act, the 
charges, practices, and classifications of common carriers must be just 
and reasonable. The Commission believes that the telephone bill is an 
integral part of the relationship between a carrier and its customer. 
The manner in which charges are identified and articulated on the bill 
is essential to the consumer's understanding of the services that have 
been rendered, such that a carrier's provision of misleading or 
deceptive billing information may be an unjust and unreasonable 
practice in violation of Section 201(b). In the Truth-in-Billing and 
Billing Format Order on Reconsideration, the Commission addressed 
several petitions for reconsideration or clarification of the 
principles and guidelines contained in Truth-in-Billing and Billing 
Format, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (TIB Order), 64 FR 34487 (June 25, 1999). In the Order on 
Reconsideration, the Commission modified its collections of information 
to ensure that telephone bills contain information necessary for 
consumers to determine the validity of charges assessed on the bills 
and to combat telecommunications fraud. Telephone bills must clearly 
identify the name of the service provider associated with each charge. 
In the Order on Reconsideration, the Commission clarified that, where 
an entity bundles a number of services as a single package offered by a 
single company, such offering may be listed on the telephone bill as a 
single offering, rather than listed as separate charges by provider. 
Carriers providing bundled services in this manner must, however, make 
sure that an inquiry contact number or numbers appears on the bill for 
customer questions or complaints concerning the services provided 
through the bundle, as required by section 6.2401(d). The Commission 
also clarified that the carrier name of the telephone bill should be 
the name by which such company is known to its consumers for the 
provision of the respective service. In the TIB Order, the Commission 
required that all telephone bills containing wireline common carrier 
service (1) separate charges by service provider and (2) clearly and 
conspicuously show any change in service providers by identifying all 
service providers that did not bill for services on the previous 
billing statement and, where applicable, describing any new 
presubscribed or continuing relationship with the customer. In the 
Order on Reconsideration, the Commission modified its rule requiring 
highlighting of new service providers to only apply to providers that 
have a continuing arrangement with the subscriber that results in 
periodic charges on the subscriber's telephone bill. This change will 
ensure that services billed solely on a per-transaction basis, such as 
operator service and directory assistance, are not subject to the 
highlighting requirement. The TIB Order requires that (1) bills for 
wireline service include for each charge a brief, clear, plain-language 
description of the services rendered; and (2) when a bill for local 
wireline service contains additional carrier charges, the bill must 
differentiate between those charges for which non-payment could result 
in termination of local telephone service and those for which it could 
not. In the Order on Reconsideration, the Commission retained its 
requirement that carriers distinguish on telephone bills those charges 
that consumers may refuse to pay without jeopardizing the provision of 
basic, local service, and charges for which non-payment may result in 
such disconnection. The Commission, however, clarified that a carrier 
need not label every charge as either deniable or non-deniable. The TIB 
Order requires that all telephone bills display a toll-free number or 
numbers by which consumers may inquire about or dispute any charge on 
the bill. The number(s) must be displayed in a manner that permits a 
customer to identify easily the appropriate number to use to inquire 
about a particular charge. In the Order on Reconsideration, the 
Commission modified the requirement by creating a limited exception 
where the customer does not receive a paper copy of his or her 
telephone bill, but instead accesses that bill only by e-mail or 
internet. The information will be used by consumers to help them 
understand their telephone bills. Consumers need this information to 
protect themselves against fraud and to help them resolve billing 
disputes if they wish.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-19477 Filed 8-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P