[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 209 (Friday, October 28, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75024-75025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26059]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[GN Docket No. 12-268; MB Docket No. 16-306; DA 16-1164]


Media Bureau Seeks Comment on Updates to Catalog of Reimbursement 
Expenses

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In this document the Media Bureau of the Federal 
Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on updates to the 
catalog of eligible reimbursement expenses (Catalog) which contains 
costs for equipment and services that broadcasters and multichannel-
video-programming-distributors (MVPDs) may incur as a result of the 
post-incentive auction repack and channel reassignment. In order to 
disburse money from the $1.75 billion TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund in 
accordance with the Spectrum Act and the Incentive Auction Report and 
Order, the Media Bureau seeks comment on changes to the Catalog, which 
include: Increases to the baseline costs previously proposed, the 
addition of new categories of reimbursement expenses, and the removal 
of other categories of expenses due to discontinuance or technological 
advancements. The Media Bureau also seeks comment on a proposed 
economic methodology for adjusting the baseline costs listed in the 
Catalog annually throughout the three-year reimbursement period.

DATES: Comments are due on November 14, 2016. Reply Comments are due on 
November 29, 2016.

ADDRESSES: All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th 
Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. Commercial overnight mail (other than 
U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 
9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal Service

[[Page 75025]]

first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th 
Street SW., Washington DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela Gallant, 202-418-0614, or 
Raphael Sznajder, 202-418-1648, of the Media Bureau, Video Division.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With the assistance of a third-party 
contractor, Widelity, Inc., and based on the record to date, the Media 
Bureau has developed and now updated the catalog of eligible 
reimbursement expenses (Catalog) for reimbursement-eligible entities to 
use as a guide. The Catalog is not intended to be a definitive list of 
all reimbursable expenses, but, rather, as a means of facilitating the 
process for reimbursement-eligible entities to claim reimbursement 
during the post-incentive auction repacking. This Public Notice 
(available at: http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db1013/DA-16-1164A1.pdf), seeks comment not only on the updated 
categories and prices for the reimbursement expenses listed, but also 
on the proposed economic methodology that the Media Bureau will employ 
to update the prices in the Catalog throughout the three-year 
reimbursement period. The Media Bureau proposes to modify the baseline 
costs contained in the Catalog annually based upon the Producer Price 
Indexes (PPI) annual average, specifically the WPUFD4 series, as 
calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and seeks comment on its 
proposal to do so. After considering the comments received, the Catalog 
the Media Bureau adopts will be embedded in the on-line Reimbursement 
Form, FCC Form 2100, Schedule 399, which will be used by entities 
seeking reimbursement to file estimated costs and reimbursement claims 
for actual costs incurred. The record obtained in response to this 
Public Notice will allow the Media Bureau to adopt an updated Catalog, 
reflecting current baseline costs for listed reimbursement expenses, 
and to determine the methodology it will use to adjust the listed 
expenses in the Catalog during throughout the reimbursement period. 
After considering the comments filed in connection with the updated 
Catalog and our proposed economic methodology for adjusting the 
baseline costs, we will finalize the Catalog and the Reimbursement 
Form. Thereafter, we will resubmit the Reimbursement Form to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of the changes resulting from the modifications to 
the Catalog, as well as other minor modifications to the Reimbursement 
Form that are designed to assist filers in describing their claims. The 
public will have an opportunity to comment on the incremental data 
collections contained in the finalized Reimbursement Form, as required 
by the PRA, after we receive comments in response to the updated 
Catalog, and the finalized Reimbursement Form is submitted to OMB for 
approval under the PRA. This is a summary of the FCC's document GN 
Docket No. 12-268; MB Docket No. 16-306; DA 16-1164 (released October 
13, 2016). The full text of this document is available for inspection 
and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center 
(Room CY-A257), 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.
Barbara A. Kreisman,
Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2016-26059 Filed 10-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P