[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9331-9333]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3160]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collection Requirement Submitted to OMB for 
Review and Approval, Comments Requested

February 12, 2008.
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 March 21, 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 contacts 
listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget, via Internet at [email protected] 
or via fax at (202) 395-5167 and to Cathy Williams, Federal 
Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC or via Internet at [email protected].
    To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) 
submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the title of this ICR (or 
its OMB control number, if there is one) and then click on the ICR 
Reference Number to view detailed information about this ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0016.
    Title: Application for Authority to Construct or Make Changes in a 
Low Power TV, TV Translator, or TV Booster Station.
    Form Number: FCC Form 346.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit 
institutions; State, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 3,500.
    Estimated Time per Response: 7 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Third 
party disclosure requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 24,500 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $10,493,000.
    Nature of Response: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality required.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: Licensees/permittees/applicants use FCC Form 346 to 
apply for authority to construct or make changes in a Low Power 
Television, TV Translator, or TV Booster broadcast station. On 
September 9, 2004, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, FCC 04-
220, MB Docket Number 03-185, In the Matter of Parts 73 and 74 of the 
Commission's Rules to Established Rules for Digital Low Power 
Television, Television Translator, and Television Booster Stations and 
to Amend Rules for Digital Class A Television Stations. To implement 
the new rules, the Commission revised FCC Form 346 to allow licensees/
permittees/applicants to use the revised FCC Form 346 to file for 
digital stations or for conversion of existing analog to digital.
    Applicants are also subject to the third party disclosure 
requirements under 47 CFR 73.3580. Within 30 days of tendering the 
application, the applicant is required to publish a notice in a 
newspaper of general circulation when filing all applications for new 
or major changes in facilities. The notice is to appear at least twice 
a week for two consecutive weeks in a three-week period. A copy of this 
notice must be maintained with the application. FCC staff use the data 
to determine if the applicant is qualified, meets basic statutory and 
treaty requirements, and will not cause interference to other 
authorized broadcast services.

    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.

[[Page 9332]]

    Number of Respondents: 8,250.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 1-3 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion 
reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 266,515 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 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.

[[Page 9333]]

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. E8-3160 Filed 2-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P