[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1614-1616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00455]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0991]


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

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, the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested 
concerning:

[[Page 1615]]

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 Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) 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 OMB control number.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before February 12, 
2018. 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 contacts listed below as soon as possible.

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 OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918. 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 FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of 
this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 
(FCC or the 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0991.
    Title: AM Measurement Data.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,800 respondents; 3,135 
responses.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 0.50-25 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, Third party 
disclosure requirement, On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 20,200 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $1,131,500.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
Sections 151, 152, 154(i), 303, and 307 of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality treatment with this collection of information.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is revising this information 
collection to reflect the September 22, 2017, adoption of the Third 
Report and Order in MB Docket No. 13-249, FCC 17-119, In the Matter of 
Revitalization of AM Radio Service (AMR Third R&O). Specifically, the 
AMR Third R&O removed certain requirements and associated burdens 
contained in 47 CFR 73.151, 73.154, and 73.155. To the extent the 
revisions affect reporting or record-keeping requirements, they reduce 
those burdens for AM broadcasters operating with directional antenna 
arrays. The Commission is seeking approval for the revised information 
collection requirements contained under this collection from the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB).
    In the 2015 AM revitalization proceeding, the FCC proposed 
streamlining certain technical requirements to assist AM broadcasters 
in providing radio service to consumers. For example, many AM stations 
must directionalize their signals during some or all of the broadcast 
day in order to avoid interference with other AM stations. Maintaining 
a directional signal pattern can be technically complex, time-
consuming, and expensive. Such stations are subject to a variety of 
rules requiring signal strength measurements and other engineering 
analyses to ensure compliance with their authorizations.
    In the AMR Third R&O, the FCC eliminated, clarified, or eased 
several of the rules governing AM stations using directional antenna 
arrays, which comprise almost 40 percent of all AM stations. First, the 
FCC revises 47 CFR 73.154(a) to relax the rule on submission of partial 
proofs of performance of directional AM antenna arrays by eliminating 
the requirement to take measurements on non-monitored radials adjacent 
to monitored radials. Next, the FCC modified several rules pertaining 
to AM stations that use Method of Moments (MoM) models of directional 
array performance. MoM modeling allows broadcasters to verify antenna 
system performance through computer modeling, as opposed to sending 
engineers in the field to take field strength measurements. Thus, a 
proof using a MoM model is less expensive than taking field strength 
measurements of an AM station's directional pattern. Specifically, the 
FCC: (1) Revised 47 CFR 73.151(c)(1)(ix) to eliminate the requirement 
of obtaining a registered surveyor's certification, provided that no 
new towers are being added to an existing AM array; (2) added 47 CFR 
73.151(c)(1)(x) to extend the exemption (of having to file a new proof 
with the FCC) to any AM tower modification that does not affect the 
modeled values used in the previously submitted license proof; (3) 
revised 47 CFR 73.151(c)(3) to retain the current requirement for 
submission of reference field strength measurements in the initial 
license application, but eliminated the requirement to submit 
additional reference field strength measurements in subsequent license 
applications; and

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(4) revised 47 CFR 73.155 to eliminate the requirement for biennial 
recertification of the performance of a directional pattern licensed 
pursuant to a MoM proof, except when system components have been 
repaired or replaced.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-00455 Filed 1-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P