[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 239 (Monday, December 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77340-77341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31318]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0600]


Information Collection Requirement 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 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 proposed 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 FCC 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 January 4, 
2016.

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 26 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, and (6) when the list of FCC ICRs currently 
under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and then click on 
the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be 
displayed.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0600.
    Title: Application to Participate in an FCC Auction, FCC Form 175.
    Form Number: FCC Form 175.

[[Page 77341]]

    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents and 
500 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion 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 1.2105, 
1.2110, 1.2112 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105, 1.2110, 
1.2112. Statutory authority for the revised information collection is 
contained in sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2105, 
1.2110, 1.2112 of the Commission's rules, as amended, 47 CFR 1.2105, 
1.2110, 1.2112.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 750 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: None.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information collected on FCC 
Form 175 is made available for public inspection, and the Commission is 
not requesting that respondents submit confidential information on FCC 
Form 175. Respondents seeking to have information collected on FCC Form 
175 withheld from public inspection may request confidential treatment 
of such information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is submitting this revised 
information collection to OMB under its emergency processing 
procedures. The Commission is seeking emergency OMB approval no later 
than 26 days after the collection is received at OMB. 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, Public Law 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 Commission is revising the currently approved information 
collection on FCC Form 175 to implement new collection requirements 
that are the result of (1) various Commission actions in which the 
Commission adopted general rules and procedures to govern the BIA, 
including rules applicable to applicants seeking to participate in the 
forward auction component of the BIA and, (2) the Commission's adoption 
of new and modified competitive bidding rules and requirements in the 
Updating Part 1 Report and Order, which will apply to applicants 
seeking to participate in a Commission auction, including the forward 
auction component of the BIA.
    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 in furtherance of the public interest. The 
information collected on FCC Form 175 is used by the Commission to 
determine if an applicant is legally, technically, and financially 
qualified to participate in a Commission auction. Additionally, if an 
applicant applies for status as a particular type of auction 
participant pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission uses 
information collected on FCC Form 175 to determine whether the 
applicant is eligible for the status requested. Commission staff 
reviews the information collected on FCC Form 175 for a particular 
auction as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the auction being 
held. Staff determines whether each applicant satisfies the 
Commission's requirements to participate in the auction and, if 
applicable, is eligible for the status as a particular type of auction 
participant it requested. Without the information collected on FCC Form 
175, the Commission will not be able to determine if an applicant is 
legally, technically, and financially qualified to participate in a 
Commission auction, including the forward auction component of the BIA, 
and has complied with the various applicable regulatory and statutory 
auction requirements for such participation. The Commission plans to 
continue to use the FCC Form 175 for all upcoming, non-reverse spectrum 
auctions, including those required or authorized to be conducted 
pursuant to the Spectrum Act, collecting only the information necessary 
for each particular auction.

Federal Communications Commission.
Gloria J. Miles,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-31318 Filed 12-11-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P