[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52662-52663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21545]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection Being Reviewed by the 
Federal Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and Request for comments.

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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(s), 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 comments should be submitted on or before October 24, 
2011. 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: A copy of any comments on the information collections 
contained herein should be submitted to Judy Boley Herman, Federal 
Communications Commission, Room 1-B441, 445 12th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20554, or via the Internet to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection(s), contact Judy Boley Herman at (202) 418-0214.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0207.
    Title: Emergency Alert System (EAS).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; State, Local or 
Tribal Governments; Non-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 3,569,028 respondents; 3,569,028 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .034-20 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirements; reporting 
requirements; third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Voluntary. Statutory authority for this 
collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. sections 154(i) and 
606.
    Total Annual Burden: 82,008 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Nature and Extent of confidentiality: The Commission will treat 
submissions pursuant to 47 CFR 11.61(a)(3) as confidential.
    Needs and Uses: On March 10, 2010, OMB authorized the collection of 
information set forth in the Second FNPRM in EB Docket No. 04-296, FCC 
09-10. Specifically, OMB authorized the Commission to require entities 
required to participate in EAS (EAS Participants) to gather and submit 
the following

[[Page 52663]]

information on the operation of their EAS equipment during a national 
test of the EAS: (1) Whether they received the alert message during the 
designated test; (2) whether they retransmitted the alert; and (3) if 
they were not able to receive and/or transmit the alert, their `best 
effort' diagnostic analysis regarding the cause or causes for such 
failure. OMB also authorized the Commission to require EAS Participants 
to provide it with the date/time of receipt of the EAN message by all 
stations; and the date/time of receipt of the EAT message by all 
stations; a description of their station identification and level of 
designation (PEP, LP-1, etc.); who they were monitoring at the time of 
the test, and the make and model number of the EAS equipment that they 
utilized.
    In the Third Report and Order in EB Docket No. 04-296, FCC 09-10, 
the Commission adopted the foregoing rule requirements. In addition, 
the Commission decided that test data will be presumed confidential and 
disclosure of test data will be limited to FEMA, NWS and EOP at the 
federal level. At the State level, test data will be made available 
only to State government emergency management agencies that have 
confidential treatment protections at least equal to FOIA. The process 
by which these agencies would receive test data will comport with those 
used to provide access to the Commission's NORS and DIRS data. We seek 
comment on this revision of the approved collection.
    In the Third Report and Order, the Commission also indicated that 
it would establish a voluntary electronic reporting system that EAS 
test participants may use as part of their participation in the 
national EAS test. The Commission noted that using this system, EAS 
test participants could input the same information that they were 
already required to file manually via a web-based interface into a 
confidential database that the Commission would use to monitor and 
assess the test. This information would include identifying information 
such as station call letters, license identification number, geographic 
coordinates, EAS assignment (LP, NP, etc), EAS monitoring assignment, 
as well as a 24/7 emergency contact for the EAS Participant. The only 
difference, other than the electronic nature of the filing, would the 
the timing of the collection. On the day of the test, EAS Test 
participants would be able to input immediate test results, (e.g., was 
the EAN received and did it pass) into a web-based interface. Test 
participants would submit the identifying data prior to the test date, 
and the remaining data called for by our reporting rules (e.g. the 
detailed test results) within the 45 day period. The Commission 
believes that structuring an electronic reporting system in this 
fashion would allow the participants to populate the database with 
known information well prior to the test, and thus be able to provide 
the Commission with actual test data, both close to real-time and 
within a reasonable period in a minimally burdensome fashion. The 
Commission also seeks comment on this revision of the approved 
collection.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-21545 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
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