[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2405-2406]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-796]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No. 05-312; FCC 08-256]


Digital Television Distributed Transmission System Technologies

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of six months, 
the information collection(s) associated with section 73.626(f) of the 
rules, and that this rule will take effect as of the date of this 
notice. On December 5, 2008, the Commission published the summary 
document of the Report and Order, In the Matter of the Digital 
Television Distributed Transmission System Technologies, MB Docket No. 
05-312, FCC 08-256, at 73 FR 74047. The Ordering Clause of the Report 
and Order stated that the Commission would publish a notice in the 
Federal Register announcing when OMB approval for this rule section 
which contains information collection requirements has been received 
and when the revised rule will take effect. This notice is consistent 
with the statement in the Report and Order.

DATES: Effective January 15, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, please 
contact Evan Baranoff, [email protected], of the Media Bureau, 
Policy Division, (202) 418-2120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on December 
29, 2008, OMB approved, for a period of six months, the information 
collection requirement(s) contained in Section 73.626(f) of the rules. 
The Commission publishes this notice to announce the effective date of 
this rule. If you have any comments on the burden estimates listed 
below, or how the Commission can improve the collections and reduce any 
burdens caused thereby, please contact Cathy Williams, Federal 
Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20554. Please include OMB Control Numbers 3060-0027 and 
3060-0029, in your correspondence. The Commission will also accept your 
comments via the Internet if you send them to [email protected].
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the Consumer & Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507), the Commission is notifying the public that it received OMB 
approval on December 29, 2008, for the information collection 
requirement(s) contained in the Commission's rules at 47 CFR 73.626(f).
    Under 5 CFR 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection 
of

[[Page 2406]]

information unless it displays a current, valid OMB 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 
that does not display a valid OMB Control Number.
    The OMB Control Numbers are 3060-0027 and 3060-0029 and the total 
annual reporting burdens for respondents for these information 
collections are as follows:
    OMB Control Numbers: 3060-0027.
    OMB Approval Date: December 29, 2008.
    Expiration Date: June 30, 2009.
    Title: Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast 
Station, FCC Form 301.
    Form Number: FCC Form 301.
    Type of Review: Revision to a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit entities; Not for profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents/Responses: 4,378 respondents; 7,814 
responses.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 1-5 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Third 
party disclosure requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 14,808 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $52,580,197.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection 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 Act 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 301 is being revised to accommodate the filing of DTS 
applications.
    OMB Control Numbers: 3060-0029.
    OMB Approval Date: December 29, 2008.
    Expiration Date: June 30, 2009.
    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/Responses: 4,425 respondents; 6,425 
responses.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 1-4 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion 
reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 14,450 hours.
    Annual Burden Cost: $21,869,625.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection 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 Act 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. E9-796 Filed 1-14-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P