[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 231 (Monday, December 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67935-67936]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23262]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


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

November 21, 2007.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to (PRA) of 
1995 (PRA), Public Law No. 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor 
a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid 
control number. Subject to the PRA, no person shall be subject to any 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before February 
1, 2008. 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: You may submit all PRA comments by e-mail or U.S. post mail. 
To submit your comments by e-mail, send them to [email protected]. To submit 
your comments by U.S. mail, mark them to the attention of Cathy 
Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918 or 
send an e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0667.
    Title: Section 76.630, Compatibility with Consumer Electronic 
Equipment; Section 76.1621, Equipment Compatibility Offer; Section 
76.1622, Consumer Education of Equipment Compatibility.
    Form Number: Not applicable.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 8,250.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 1-3 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion 
reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 16,505 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $5,800.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature of Response: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality required.
    Needs and Uses: 47 CFR 76.630(a) states a cable system operator 
shall not scramble or otherwise encrypt signals carried on the basic 
service tier. Requests for waivers of this prohibition must demonstrate 
either a substantial problem with theft of basic tier service or a 
strong need to scramble basic signals for other reasons. As part of 
this showing, cable operators are required to notify subscribers by 
mail of waiver requests. The notice to subscribers must be mailed no 
later than thirty calendar days from the date the request waiver was 
filed with the Commission, and cable operators must inform the 
Commission in writing, as soon as possible, of that notification date. 
The notification to subscribers must state:
    On (date of waiver request was filed with the Commission), (cable 
operator's name) filed with the Federal Communications Commission a 
request for waiver of the rule prohibiting scrambling of channels on 
the basic tier of service. 47 CFR 76.630(a). The request for waiver 
states (a brief summary of the waiver request). A copy of the request 
for waiver is on file for public inspection at (the address of the 
cable operator's local place of business).
    Individuals who wish to comment on this request for waiver should 
mail comments to the Federal Communications Commission by no later than 
30 days from (the date the notification was mailed to subscribers). 
Those comments should be addressed to the: Federal Communications 
Commission, Media Bureau, Washington, DC 20554, and should include the 
name of the cable operator to whom the comments are applicable. 
Individuals should also send a copy of their comments to (the cable 
operator at its local place of business). Cable operators may file 
comments in reply no later than 7 days from the date subscriber 
comments must be filed. 47 CFR 76.1621 states a cable system operators 
that use scrambling, encryption or similar technologies in conjunction 
with cable system terminal devices, as defined in Sec.  15.3(e) of this 
chapter, that may affect subscribers' reception of signals shall offer 
to supply each subscriber with special equipment that will enable the 
simultaneous reception of multiple signals. The equipment offered shall 
include a single terminal device with dual descramblers/decoders and/or 
timers and bypass switches. Other equipment, such as two independent 
set-top terminal devices may be offered at the same time that the 
single terminal device with dual tuners/descramblers is offered. For 
purposes of this rule, two set-top devices linked by a control system 
that provides functionality equivalent to that of a single device with 
dual descramblers is considered to be the same as a terminal device 
with dual descramblers/decoders.
    (a) The offer of special equipment shall be made to new subscribers 
at the time they subscribe and to all subscribers at least once each 
year.
    (b) Such special equipment shall, at a minimum, have the 
capability:
    (1) To allow simultaneous reception of any two scrambled or 
encrypted

[[Page 67936]]

signals and to provide for tuning to alternative channels on a pre-
programmed schedule; and
    (2) To allow direct reception of all other signals that do not need 
to be processed through descrambling or decryption circuitry (this 
capability can generally be provided through a separate by-pass switch 
or through internal by-pass circuitry in a cable system terminal 
device).
    (c) Cable system operators shall determine the specific equipment 
needed by individual subscribers on a case-by-case basis, in 
consultation with the subscriber. Cable system operators are required 
to make a good faith effort to provide subscribers with the amount and 
types of special equipment needed to resolve their individual 
compatibility problems.
    (d) Cable operators shall provide such equipment at the request of 
individual subscribers and may charge for purchase or lease of the 
equipment and its installation in accordance with the provisions of the 
rate regulation rules for customer premises equipment used to receive 
the basic service tier, as set forth in Sec.  76.923. Notwithstanding 
the required annual offering, cable operators shall respond to 
subscriber requests for special equipment for reception of multiple 
signals that are made at any time.
    47 CFR 76.1622 states that Cable system operators shall provide a 
consumer education program on compatibility matters to their 
subscribers in writing, as follows:
    (a) The consumer information program shall be provided to 
subscribers at the time they first subscribe and at least once a year 
thereafter. Cable operators may choose the time and means by which they 
comply with the annual consumer information requirement. This 
requirement may be satisfied by a once-a-year mailing to all 
subscribers. The information may be included in one of the cable 
system's regular subscriber billings.
    (b) The consumer information program shall include the following 
information:
    (1) Cable system operators shall inform their subscribers that some 
models of TV receivers and videocassette recorders may not be able to 
receive all of the channels offered by the cable system when connected 
directly to the cable system. In conjunction with this information, 
cable system operators shall briefly explain, the types of channel 
compatibility problems that could occur if subscribers connected their 
equipment directly to the cable system and offer suggestions for 
resolving those problems. Such suggestions could include, for example, 
the use of a cable system terminal device such as a set-top channel 
converter. Cable system operators shall also indicate that channel 
compatibility problems associated with reception of programming that is 
not scrambled or encrypted programming could be resolved through use of 
simple converter devices without descrambling or decryption 
capabilities that can be obtained from either the cable system or a 
third party retail vendor.
    (2) In cases where service is received through a cable system 
terminal device, cable system operators shall indicate that subscribers 
may not be able to use special features and functions of their TV 
receivers and videocassette recorders, including features that allow 
the subscriber to: View a program on one channel while simultaneously 
recording a program on another channel; record two or more consecutive 
programs that appear on different channels; and, use advanced picture 
generation and display features such as ``Picture-in-Picture,'' channel 
review and other functions that necessitate channel selection by the 
consumer device.
    (3) In cases where cable system operators offer remote control 
capability with cable system terminal devices and other customer 
premises equipment that is provided to subscribers, they shall advise 
their subscribers that remote control units that are compatible with 
that equipment may be obtained from other sources, such as retail 
outlets. Cable system operators shall also provide a representative 
list of the models of remote control units currently available from 
retailers that are compatible with the customer premises equipment they 
employ. Cable system operators are required to make a good faith effort 
in compiling this list and will not be liable for inadvertent 
omissions. This list shall be current as of no more than six months 
before the date the consumer education program is distributed to 
subscribers. Cable operators are also required to encourage subscribers 
to contact the cable operator to inquire about whether a particular 
remote control unit the subscriber might be considering for purchase 
would be compatible with the subscriber's customer premises equipment.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E7-23262 Filed 11-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P