[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44535-44537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15452]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for 
Review and Approval

August 1, 2007.
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 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before September 7, 2007. 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 contacts 
listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Jasmeet K. Seehra, Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), Room 10236 NEOB, 725 17th Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20503, (202) 395-3123, or via fax at (202) 395-5167 or 
via Internet at [email protected] and to Cathy Williams, 
Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC.
    If you would like to obtain or view a copy of this information 
collection, you may do so by visiting the FCC PRA Web page at: http://www.fcc.gov/omd/pra.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection(s), contact Cathy

[[Page 44536]]

Williams at (202) 418-2918 or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0874.
    Title: Consumer Complaint Forms, FCC Form 475-B and FCC Form 2000.
    Form No.: FCC Forms 475-B; 2000-A, 2000-B, 2000-C, 2000-D, 2000-E, 
and 2000-F.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Individuals or households; Business and other for-
profit entities; Not-for-profit Institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 1,330,108 (FCC Forms 475-B: 1,271,332; 2000A 
through 2000F: 58,776).
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes per form for the Form 475-
B; 30 minutes per form for the Form 2000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Voluntary.
    Total Annual Burden: 347,221 (FCC Forms 475-B: 317,833 hours; 2000A 
through 2000F: 29,388 hours).
    Total Annual Costs: $0.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an issue 
to the extent that individuals and households provide personally 
identifiable information, which is covered under the FCC's system of 
records notice (SORN), FCC/CGB-1, ``Informal Complaints and 
Inquiries.''
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes. The Privacy Impact Assessment 
was completed on June 28, 2007. It may be reviewed at: http://www.fcc.gov/omd/privacyact/Privacy_Impact_Assessment.html.
    Needs and Uses: Section 208(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended, authorizes complaints by any ``person complaining of 
anything done or omitted to be done by any common carrier'' subject to 
the provisions of the Act. Section 208(a) further states that, if a 
carrier does not satisfy a complaint or there appears to be any 
reasonable ground for investigating the complaint, the Commission shall 
``investigate the matters complained of in such manner and by such 
means as it shall deem proper.'' Although the Act does not discuss how 
the Commission should treat complaints against non-common carriers for 
violations of the Act or Commission rules, the Commission investigates 
such complaints in a manner similar to how it treats those against 
common carriers.
    Currently, the Commission has specific complaint forms for the 
unauthorized conversion of a person's telephone service (``slamming'') 
(FCC Form 501), the broadcast of indecent, obscene, or profane material 
(FCC Form 475B), and the unlawful telemarketing, ``junk faxing,'' or e-
mail messaging to a wireless device (FCC Form 1088). The current FCC 
Form 475 is used for all other types of complaints, although, as 
currently drafted, it is predominately oriented toward common carrier 
complaints.
    The proposed FCC Form 2000 replaces current FCC Form 475, providing 
greater clarity and ease of use by separating the various complaint 
subject areas into separate subparts tailored to each subject. The 
Internet-based version of FCC Form 2000 first asks for the 
complainant's contact information, including name, address, telephone 
number, and e-mail address; then presents a ``gateway'' question to 
determine the general topic of the complaint: (1) Deceptive or unlawful 
advertising or marketing; (2) billing, privacy, or service quality; (3) 
disability access;
    (4) emergency or public safety; (5) general media issues; or (6) 
other complaints. As described below, the form provides examples of the 
types of issues covered by each topic. After the complainant answers 
this question, the form asks additional questions geared to the 
specific type of violation reported. The form poses certain mandatory 
threshold questions that must be answered for the Commission to 
determine whether a violation has occurred. It also provides space for 
complainants to provide additional information and details that may be 
necessary or helpful to the Commission in investigating the complaint.
    In printed format, FCC Form 2000 will have six subparts, one for 
each area described above.
    Each subpart of the printable version of FCC Form 2000 consolidates 
the complainant's personal information with detailed questions about 
the specific violations alleged by the complainant.
    The following descriptions of FCC Form 2000A, 2000B, 2000C, 2000D, 
2000E and 2000F, therefore, refer to the printable subparts of FCC Form 
2000.
    FCC Form 2000A, Deceptive or Unlawful Advertising or Marketing 
Complaint. This form would be used if the complainant alleges deceptive 
or otherwise unlawful advertising or marketing by communications 
companies, including common carriers, broadcasters, and cable and 
satellite service providers. The consumer protection issues covered by 
this form include deceptive advertising by telephone companies, 
wireless service providers, or Internet access service providers, as 
well as subliminal advertising on radio or television, illegal 
advertisements on non-commercial educational television or radio 
stations, and excessive or otherwise unlawful commercials during 
children's television programming.
    FCC Form 2000B, Billing, Privacy, or Service Quality Complaint. 
This form would be used if the complainant alleges billing, privacy, or 
service quality issues with a telephone company or wireless provider. 
The consumer protection issues covered by this form include complaints 
about the quality or availability of service by a telephone company, 
wireless provider, or Internet access service provider, including 
complaints that a telephone company or wireless provider is not 
allowing the complainant to keep his or her telephone number after 
changing service providers. Complainants also would use this form for 
complaints about the unauthorized disclosure of calling records by 
telephone companies or wireless providers.
    FCC Form 2000C, Disability Access Complaint. This form would be 
used for complaints about disability access, e.g., issues with 
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), closed captioning, or the 
accessibility of emergency information. This form would also be used 
for complaints about the accessibility of telecommunications equipment 
and services such as the compatibility of hearing aids with both 
wireless and wireline telephone equipment.
    FCC Form 2000D, Emergency or Public Safety Complaint. This form 
would be used for complaints regarding problems with communications 
companies about emergency or public safety issues. This form would be 
used for complaints about the quality or availability of Enhanced 911 
service, interference with emergency/public safety communications or 
devices, radio tower problems (lighting, fencing, painting), Emergency 
Alert System (EAS) problems, and cable signal leakage.
    FCC Form 2000E, Media (General) Complaint. This form would be used 
for complaints alleging misconduct by radio or television stations, 
cable systems, or satellite operators. This form would cover a broad 
spectrum of complaints, including those alleging unfair contests, 
hoaxes, payola or sponsorship identification problems, news distortion, 
unauthorized or pirate broadcasters, and the broadcast of telephone 
conversations without prior notice.
    FCC Form 2000F, Other Communications Complaint Not Covered by Form 
2000A through Form 2000E.

[[Page 44537]]

    This form would be used for complaints that do not come within the 
scope of any of the other subparts of FCC Form 2000. Some of the areas 
covered by this form would be interference to non-emergency services or 
communications, such as garage door openers or home appliances, as well 
as amateur or Citizens Band (CB) radio issues.
    FCC Form 2000 will allow the Commission to collect detailed 
information from complainants concerning possible violations of the Act 
and the Commission's rules, which will enable the Commission to 
investigate such allegations more efficiently and to initiate 
enforcement actions against violators as appropriate. By collecting 
complaint information in a single, comprehensive template, the form 
will provide a standardized way for complainants to provide their 
information, thus reducing the need for further documentation or 
questions from FCC investigators to determine whether violations have 
occurred. This approach will ensure that complainants present their 
information in a way that maximizes the FCC's ability to take 
enforcement action against violators and protects complainants from 
violations that are unjust, unreasonable, and potentially hazardous to 
life and property. Additionally, FCC Form 2000's format reduces the 
need for complainants to compose narratives with all the information 
necessary for the Commission to begin an investigation, principally by 
including fields for and examples of the information most commonly 
needed for investigations of the most common types of violations. The 
form will allow the Commission to gather and review this information 
more efficiently. The information collected by FCC Form 2000 may 
ultimately become the foundation for enforcement actions and/or 
rulemaking proceedings, as appropriate.
    FCC Form 475-B, Obscene, Profane, and Indecent Complaint Form. This 
form is used by consumers to lay out precisely their complaint(s) and 
issue(s) concerning the practices of the communications entities, which 
consumers believe may have aired obscene, profane, and/or indecent 
programming. FCC Form 475-B will remain unchanged.

    Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-15452 Filed 8-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P