[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66900-66901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27737]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX]


Information Collection Being Submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget for Emergency Review and Approval

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) invites 
the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity 
to comment on the following information collection. Comments are 
requested concerning: Whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Commission, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 
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; and ways to further reduce the 
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees.
    The Commission 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before November 
13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via 
email [email protected]; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via 
email [email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the 
comments the Title as shown in the ``Supplementary Information'' 
section below.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is requesting emergency OMB 
processing of the information collection requirement(s) contained in 
this notice and has requested OMB approval no later than 19 days after 
the collection is received at OMB. 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 Commission ICRs currently 
under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and then click on 
the ICR Reference Number. A copy of

[[Page 66901]]

the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: Application to Participate in a Reverse Incentive Auction, 
FCC Form 177.
    Form Number: FCC Form 177.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 600 respondents and 
600 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for the currently approved information collection 
is contained in sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications 
Act, as amended, 47 U.S.C.s 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2204 and 
73.3700(h)(4)(i), (h)(4)(ii), and (h)(6) of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFRs 1.2204, 73.3700(h)(4)(i), (h)(4)(ii), and (h)(6).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 900 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: None.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Certain information collected 
on FCC Form 177 will be treated as confidential for various periods of 
time during the course of the broadcast incentive auction (BIA) 
pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 1452(a)(3) and section 1.2206(b) of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2206(b). To the extent necessary, 
respondents may request confidential treatment of information collected 
on FCC Form 177 that is not already being treated as confidential 
pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules. See 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: On February 22, 2012, the President signed the 
Spectrum Act, which, among other things, authorized the Commission to 
conduct incentive auctions, and directed that the Commission use this 
innovative tool for an incentive auction of broadcast television 
spectrum to help meet the Nation's growing spectrum needs. See Middle 
Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pub. L. 112-96, sections 
6402, 6403, 125 Stat. 156 (2012) (Spectrum Act). The Commission's 
broadcast incentive auction (BIA) will have three main components: (1) 
A reverse auction in which broadcast television licensees will submit 
bids to voluntarily relinquish their spectrum usage rights in exchange 
for defined shares of proceeds from the forward auction; (2) a 
repacking of the broadcast television bands; and (3) a forward auction 
of initial licenses for flexible use of the newly available spectrum. 
The information collection requirements reported under this new 
collection are the result of various Commission actions in which the 
Commission adopted general rules to govern the auction--including 
various application disclosures and certifications that must be made by 
broadcast television licensees to establish their eligibility to 
participate in the reverse auction--in order to implement the new and 
novel incentive auction approach for use in the BIA.
    Under this information collection, the Commission will collect 
information that will be used to determine whether an applicant is 
legally qualified to participate in a reverse incentive auction. To aid 
in collecting this information, the Commission has created FCC Form 
177, which the public will use to participate in reverse incentive 
auctions, including the Commission's upcoming broadcast incentive 
reverse auction. The Commission's auction rules and related 
requirements are designed to ensure that the competitive bidding 
process is limited to serious qualified applicants, deter possible 
abuse of the bidding and licensing process, and enhance the use of 
competitive bidding to assign Commission licenses and permits in 
furtherance of the public interest. The information collected on FCC 
Form 177 will be used by the Commission to determine if an applicant is 
legally qualified to participate in the reverse auction. Commission 
staff will review the information collected on FCC Form 177 as part of 
the pre-auction process, prior to the start of the reverse auction. 
Staff will determine whether each applicant satisfies the Commission's 
requirements to participate in the reverse auction. Without the 
information collected on FCC Form 177, the Commission will not be able 
to determine if an applicant is legally qualified to participate in the 
reverse auction and has complied with the various applicable regulatory 
and statutory auction requirements for such participation.

Federal Communications Commission.
Gloria J. Miles,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-27737 Filed 10-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P