[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 107 (Monday, June 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29962-29964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13894]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


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

May 23, 2001.
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 August 3, 
2001. 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 
Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., 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 Control Number: 3060-0629.
    Title: Section 76.987 New Product Tiers.
    Form Number: n/a.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities.

[[Page 29963]]

    Number of Respondents: 500.
    Estimated Time Per Response: .5 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: The Commission estimates that 
approximately 500 NPT filings will be received each year. The average 
burden to cable operators to comply with this filing requirement is 
estimated to be .5 hours per filing. 500 filings  x  .5 hours = 250 
burden hours. We estimate $17 per hour for individuals tasked with 
processing filings.
    Total Annual Costs: $4,250 ($17 per hour  x  250 filings per year = 
$4,250.)
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.987(g) states that within 30 days of the 
offering of a new product tier (``NPT''), operators shall file with the 
Commission, a copy of the new rate card that contains the following 
information on their basic service tiers (``BSTs''), cable programming 
services tiers (``CPSTs'') and NPTs: (1) The names of the programming 
services contained on each tier, and (2) the price of each tier. 
Operators also must file with the Commission, copies of notifications 
that were sent to subscribers regarding the initial offering of NPTs. 
After this initial filing, cable operators must file updated rate cards 
and copies of customer notifications with the Commission within 30 days 
of rate or service changes affecting the NPT. The information 
collections are used by the Commission to verify compliance and to 
ensure that subscribers are given due notice of NPT offerings.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0313.
    Title: Section 76.207 Political File.
    Form Number: n/a.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 5,375.
    Estimated Time Per Response: .25 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: The Commission estimates that 
approximately 5,375 cable systems in the nation will be required to 
keep a political file for an average of 4 candidates at an estimated 
recordkeeping burden of .25 hours per candidate, meaning 1 hour per 
cable system. 5,375 systems  x  1 hour = 5,375 burden hours. We 
estimate an hourly wage of $18 per hour for individuals tasked with 
notification requirements.
    Total Annual Costs: $96,750. (5,375 hours  x  $18 per hour = 
$96,750).
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.207 requires every cable television 
system to keep and permit public inspection of a complete record 
(political file) of all requests for cablecast time made by or on 
behalf of candidates for public office, together with an appropriate 
notation showing the disposition made by the system of such requests, 
and the charges made, if any, if the request is granted. The 
disposition includes the schedule of time purchased, when the spots 
actually aired, the rates charged, and the classes of time purchased. 
Also, when free time is provided for use by or on behalf of candidates, 
a record of the free time provided is to be placed in the political 
file.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0500.
    Title: Section 76.607 Resolution of Complaints.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 11,365.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 18 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: Based on Commission records, 
the average burden for cable systems to advise subscribers at least 
once each calendar year of the procedures for resolution of complaints 
is estimated to be one hour per system. In addition, the average burden 
for required recordkeeping is 17 hours annually per system. (18 hours 
x  11,365 cable systems = 204,570 hours).
    Total Annual Costs: $3,477,690.
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.607 requires cable system operators to 
advise subscribers at least once each calendar year of the procedures 
for resolution of complaints about the quality of television signals 
delivered. This information collection requests that records be 
maintained by cable system operators on all such subscriber complaints 
and resolution of complaints for at least a one-year period.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0501.
    Title: Section 76.206 Lowest unit charge.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 5,375.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 14 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: Pursuant to Section 76.206, we 
estimate that each cable system will make advertising rate disclosures 
to an average of 4 candidates. The average burden on systems to 
disclose this information is estimated to be .5 hours per candidate. 
5,375 systems  x  2 hours = 10,750 hours. Each cable system will 
calculate its lowest unit charge semi-annually with an average burden 
of 10 hours per system. 5,375 systems  x  2 calculations per year  x  
10 hours per calculation = 107,500 hours. Systems are also required to 
periodically review their advertising records. We estimate 2 reviews 
per system throughout the election period, undergoing a burden of 2 
hours per review. 5,375 systems  x  2 reviews  x  2 hours = 21,500 
hours. Total burden to respondents for this information collection = 
139,750 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $2,515.500.
    Needs and Uses: Section 76.206 requires cable system operators to 
disclose and make available to candidates all discount privileges 
available to commercial advertisers. In addition, section 76.206 
requires cable systems to disclose any station practices offered to 
commercial advertisers that enhance the value of advertising spots and 
different classes of time (immediately preemptible, preemptible with 
notice, fixed, fire sale, and make good). It also requires cable 
systems to calculate the lowest unit charge.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0560.
    Title: Section 76.911 Petition for Reconsideration of 
Certification.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, State, local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 45.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 45.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 410 hrs.
    Total Annual Costs: $26,120.
    Needs and Uses: Cable television operators file petitions for 
reconsideration to challenge a franchising authority's certification. 
The Commission uses information derived from petitions for 
reconsideration of certification to resolve disputes concerning the 
presence or absence of effective competition in franchise areas and to 
determine whether there are grounds for denying franchising authority 
certifications to regulate rates.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0024.
    Title: Section 76.29 Special temporary authority.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, State, local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 3 hours.
    Total Annual Burden to Respondents: 3.
    Total Annual Costs: $122.00.

[[Page 29964]]

    Needs and Uses: Section 76.29 permits flexibility as well as 
procedural specificity in applying for special deviations from 
Commission rules in situations requiring temporary and immediate action 
that would not be possible under the Commission's general rules. This 
benefit to the cable industry would not be possible if the Commission 
did not sponsor this information collection requirement.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0595.
    Title: FCC Form 1210 Updating Maximum Permitted Rates for Regulated 
Cable Services and Equipment.
    Form Number: FCC Form 1210.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, State, Local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 6,000.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 25 hours.
    Total Annual Burden: 54,000.
    Total Annual Costs: $3,008,000.
    Needs and Uses: The FCC Form 1210 is used by cable operators to 
file for adjustments in maximum permitted rates for regulated services 
to reflect external costs. Regulated cable operators submit this form 
to local franchising authorities or the Commission (in situations where 
the Commission has assumed jurisdiction). It is also filed with the 
Commission when responding to a complaint filed with the Commission 
concerning cable programming service rates and associated equipment.

    OMB Number: 3060-0982.
    Title: Implementation of LPTV Digital Data Services Pilot Project.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 14.
    Estimated time per response: 0.25 hours-15 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping, Third Party Disclosure, 
Reporting, on occasion, quarterly and annually.
    Total annual burden: 672.
    Costs to Respondents: $51,800.
    Needs and Uses: This collection implements the provisions of the 
LPTV Pilot Project Digital Data Services Act (DDSA). The DDSA mandates 
that the Commission issue regulations establishing a pilot project 
pursuant to which specified LPTV licensees or permittees can provide 
digital data services to demonstrate the feasibility of using LPTV 
stations to provide high-speed wireless digital data service. The 
Commission is required to implement reporting requirements under the 
statute. The data collected will be used to ensure that the proposal 
will not cause interference to other authorized services and to 
evaluate the project.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-13894 Filed 6-1-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P