[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 231 (Monday, December 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72798-72799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-28374]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection Requirements Being 
Submitted to OMB for Emergency Review and Approval, Comments Requested

November 24, 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 collections, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before December 
23, 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 20554, or via Internet at [email protected] and/or 
[email protected]. Include in the comments the OMB control number of the 
collection as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918, or via Internet at [email protected], and/or [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 OMB control number of 
this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is requesting emergency OMB 
processing of the information collection requirements contained in this 
notice and has requested OMB approval by January 5, 2009.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0027.
    Title: Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast 
Station.
    Form Number: FCC Form 301.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 4,378 respondents; 7,804 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour to 5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Third 
party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
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: 14,808 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $52,580,197.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: On November 3, 2008, the Commission adopted a 
Report and Order, In the Matter of Digital Television Distributed 
Transmission System Technologies; MB Docket No. 05-312, FCC 08-256 
(released Nov. 7, 2008). In this Report and Order, the Commission 
adopts rules for the use of distributed transmission system (``DTS'') 
technologies in the digital television (``DTV'') service. See 47 CFR

[[Page 72799]]

73.626. DTS technology allows stations to employ multiple synchronized 
transmitters spread around a station's service area, rather than the 
current single-transmitter approach. Each transmitter would broadcast 
the station's DTV signal on the same channel, similar to analog TV 
booster stations but more efficiently. Due to the synchronization of 
the transmitted signals, DTV receivers should be able to treat the 
multiple signals as reflections or ``ghosts'' and use ``adaptive 
equalizer'' circuitry to cancel or combine them to produce a single 
signal.
    Congress has mandated that after February 17, 2009, full-power 
television broadcast stations must transmit only in digital signals, 
and may no longer transmit analog signals. Emergency OMB approval is 
necessary for this collection to allow full-power DTV stations to use 
DTS technologies to meet their statutory responsibilities and begin 
operations on their final, post-transition (digital) channels by their 
construction deadlines. DTS will provide DTV broadcasters with an 
important tool for providing optimum signal coverage for their viewers. 
For some broadcasters that are changing channels or transmitting 
locations for their digital service, DTS may offer the best option for 
continuing to provide over-the-air service to current analog viewers, 
as well as for reaching viewers that have historically been unable to 
receive a good signal due to terrain or other interference.
    FCC Form 301 is being revised to accommodate the filing of DTS 
applications.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0029.
    Title: Application for TV Broadcast Station License, Form FCC 302-
TV; Application for DTV Broadcast Station License, FCC Form 302-DTV; 
Application for Construction Permit for Reserved Channel Noncommercial 
Educational Broadcast Station, FCC Form 340; Application for Authority 
to Construct or Make Changes in an FM Translator or FM Booster Station, 
FCC Form 349.
    Form Number: FCC Forms 302-TV, 302-DTV, 340 and 349.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 4,425 respondents; 6,425 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour to 4 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion 
reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 14,450 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $21,869,625.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority is contained in sections 154(i), 303 and 308 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: On November 3, 2008, the Commission adopted a 
Report and Order in the Matter of Digital Television Distributed 
Transmission System Technologies; MB Docket No. 05-312, FCC 08-256 
(released Nov. 7, 2008). In this Report and Order, the Commission 
adopts rules for the use of distributed transmission system (``DTS'') 
technologies in the digital television (``DTV'') service. See 47 CFR 
73.626. DTS technology allows stations to employ multiple synchronized 
transmitters spread around a station's service area, rather than the 
current single-transmitter approach. Each transmitter would broadcast 
the station's DTV signal on the same channel, similar to analog TV 
booster stations but more efficiently. Due to the synchronization of 
the transmitted signals, DTV receivers should be able to treat the 
multiple signals as reflections or ``ghosts'' and use ``adaptive 
equalizer'' circuitry to cancel or combine them to produce a single 
signal.
    Congress has mandated that after February 17, 2009, full-power 
television broadcast stations must transmit only in digital signals, 
and may no longer transmit analog signals. Emergency OMB approval is 
necessary for this collection to allow full-power DTV stations to use 
DTS technologies to meet their statutory responsibilities and begin 
operations on their final, post-transition (digital) channels by their 
construction deadlines. DTS will provide DTV broadcasters with an 
important tool for providing optimum signal coverage for their viewers. 
For some broadcasters that are changing channels or transmitting 
locations for their digital service, DTS may offer the best option for 
continuing to provide over-the-air service to current analog viewers, 
as well as for reaching viewers that have historically been unable to 
receive a good signal due to terrain or other interference.
    FCC Form 340 is being revised to accommodate the filing of DTS 
applications.

    Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-28374 Filed 11-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P