[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 50 (Thursday, March 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13541-13542]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5051]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


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

March 4, 2008.
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 comment 
on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (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.

[[Page 13542]]


DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 12, 
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 email 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: 3060-0214.
    Title: Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection Files; 
Sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files.
    Form Number: FCC Form 355.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondent and Responses: 56,030 respondents; 56,030 
responses.
    Estimated time per Response: 2.5-52 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; Third party 
disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain benefits--Statutory 
authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 
154(i), 303 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,072,814 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $11,600,000.
    Nature of Response: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Confidentiality: No need for confidentiality required.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: On November 27, 2007, the Commission adopted a 
Report and Order in MM Docket 00-168, In the Matter of Standardized and 
Enhanced Disclosure Requirements for Television Broadcast Licensee 
Public Interest Obligations. The Report and Order adopts a Standardized 
Television Disclosure Form, FCC Form 355, and also requires require 
television licensees and applicants to post a portion of the contents 
of its public inspection file on its Web site, as proposed in the 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in MB Docket 00-168 in October 2000. 
Television broadcast stations and Class A television broadcast stations 
are both required to file FCC Form 355. The Standardized Television 
Disclosure Form, FCC Form 355, provides: (a) A consistent format for 
reporting by all licensees, and (b) documents the licensees efforts to 
determine the issues facing its community and the public interest 
programming aired during the preceding three month period in response 
to such issues.
    47 CFR 73.3526 and 73.3527 require that licensees and permittees of 
commercial and noncommercial AM, FM and TV stations maintain a file for 
public inspection at its main studio or at another accessible location 
in its community of license. The contents of the file vary according to 
type of service and status. The contents include, but are not limited 
to, copies of certain applications tendered for filing, a statement 
concerning petitions to deny filed against such applications, copies of 
ownership reports, statements certifying compliance with filing 
announcements in connection with renewal applications, a list of donors 
supporting specific programs, and a list of community issues addressed 
by the station's programming. These rules also specify the length of 
time, which varies by document type, that each record must be retained 
in the public file. The public and FCC use the data to evaluate 
information about the licensee's performance and to ensure that station 
is addressing issues concerning the community to which it is licensed 
to serve.
    47 CFR 73.1943 and 76.1701 require licensees of broadcast stations 
and cable television systems, respectively, to keep and permit public 
inspection of a complete record (political file) of all requests for 
broadcast time made by or on behalf of candidates for public office, 
together with an appropriate notation showing the disposition made by 
the licensee of such requests. The data is used by the public to assess 
money expended and time allotted to a political candidate and to ensure 
that equal access was afforded to other legally qualified candidates. 
Section 76.1701 also requires that, when an entity sponsors origination 
cablecasting material that concerns a political matter or a discussion 
of a controversial issue of public importance, a list must be 
maintained in the public file of the system that includes the 
sponsoring entity's chief executive officers, or members of its 
executive committee or of its board of directors.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-5051 Filed 3-12-08; 8:45 am]
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