[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3374-3376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00845]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0214, 3060-0844, 3060-0980 and 3060-1065; FRS 16413]


Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to 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, 
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. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it 
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for 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 20, 
2020. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find 
it difficult to do so with 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 Title 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, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invited the general public and 
other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection. 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 estimates; (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. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might ``further 
reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees.''

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0214.
    Title: Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection Files; 
Sections 73.1212, 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit entities; Not for profit 
institutions; State, Local or Tribal government; Individuals or 
households.

[[Page 3375]]

    Number of Respondents and Responses: 23,984 respondents; 62,839 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-52 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, 
Recordkeeping requirement, Third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for these collections is contained in Sections 151, 
152, 154(i), 303, 307 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,043,805 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: The Commission prepared a system of 
records notice (SORN), FCC/MB-2, ``Broadcast Station Public Inspection 
Files,'' that covers the PII contained in the broadcast station public 
inspection files located on the Commission's website. The Commission 
will revise appropriate privacy requirements as necessary to include 
any entities and information added to the online public file in this 
proceeding.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Most of the documents 
comprising the public file consist of materials that are not of a 
confidential nature. Respondents complying with the information 
collection requirements may request that the information they submit be 
withheld from disclosure. If confidentiality is requested, such 
requests will be processed in accordance with the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR 0.459.
    In addition, the Commission has adopted provisions that permit 
respondents subject to the information collection requirement for 
Shared Service Agreements to redact confidential or proprietary 
information from their disclosures.
    Needs and Uses: In 2019, the Commission adopted new rules governing 
the delivery and form of carriage election notices. Electronic Delivery 
of MVPD Communications, Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, 
MB Docket Nos. 17-105, 17-317, Report and Order and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 19-69, 2019 WL 3065517 (rel. Jul. 11, 2019). 
Pursuant to that decision, the public file obligations of full power 
television broadcasters were slightly modified, although the resulting 
burdens will be unchanged. The modified information collection 
requirements are as follows:
    47 CFR 73.3526(e)(15)--Must-carry or retransmission consent 
election. Statements of a commercial television or Class A television 
station's election with respect to either must-carry or re-transmission 
consent, as defined in Sec. Sec.  76.64 and 76.1608 of this chapter. 
These records shall be retained for the duration of the three-year 
election period to which the statement applies. Commercial television 
stations shall, no later than July 31, 2020, provide an up-to-date 
email address and phone number for carriage-related questions and 
respond as soon as is reasonably possible to messages or calls from 
MVPDs. Each commercial television station is responsible for the 
continuing accuracy and completeness of the information furnished.
    47 CFR 73.3527(e)(12)--Must-carry requests. States noncommercial 
television stations shall, no later than July 31, 2020, provide an up-
to-date email address and phone number for carriage-related questions 
and respond as soon as is reasonably possible to messages or calls from 
MVPDs. Each noncommercial television station is responsible for the 
continuing accuracy and completeness of the information furnished. Any 
such station requesting mandatory carriage pursuant to Part 76 of this 
chapter shall place a copy of such request in its public file and shall 
retain both the request and relevant correspondence for the duration of 
any period to which the request applies.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0844.
    Title: Carriage of the Transmissions of Television Broadcast 
Stations: Section 76.56(a), Carriage of qualified noncommercial 
educational stations; Section 76.57, Channel positioning; Section 
76.61(a)(1)-(2), Disputes concerning carriage; Section 76.64, 
Retransmission consent.
    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: 4,872 respondents and 7,052 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 to 5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Third 
party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
Sections 1, 4(i) and (j), 325, 336, 614 and 615 of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 4,471 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: In 2019, the Commission adopted new rules governing 
the delivery and form of carriage election notices. Electronic Delivery 
of MVPD Communications, Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, 
MB Docket Nos. 17-105, 17-317, Report and Order and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 19-69, 2019 WL 3065517 (rel. Jul. 11, 2019). 
Pursuant to that decision, the obligations of broadcasters and cable 
operators were slightly modified (see 47 CFR 76.64(h) below for the 
modified rule which requires review and approval from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB)). Under 47 CFR 76.64 the information 
collection requirements are as follows:
    [cir] (h)(1): On or before each must-carry/retransmission consent 
election deadline, each television broadcast station shall place a copy 
of its election statement, and copies of any election change notices 
applying to the upcoming carriage cycle, in the station's public file.
    [cir] (h)(2): Each cable operator shall, no later than July 31, 
2020, provide an up-to-date email address for carriage election notice 
submissions with respect to its systems and an up-to-date phone number 
for carriage-related questions. Each cable operator is responsible for 
the continuing accuracy and completeness of the information furnished. 
It must respond to questions from broadcasters as soon as is reasonably 
possible.
    [cir] (h)(3): A station shall send a notice of its election to a 
cable operator only if changing its election with respect to one or 
more of that operator's systems. Such notice shall be sent to the email 
address provided by the cable system and carbon copied to 
[email protected]. A notice must include, with respect to each 
station referenced in the notice, the:
    [ssquf] Call sign;
    [ssquf] community of license;
    [ssquf] DMA where the station is located;
    [ssquf] specific change being made in election status;
    [ssquf] email address for carriage-related questions;
    [ssquf] phone number for carriage-related questions;
    [ssquf] name of the appropriate station contact person; and,
    [ssquf] if the station changes its election for some systems of the 
cable operator but not all, the specific cable systems for which a 
carriage election applies.

[[Page 3376]]

    [cir] (h)(4): Cable operators must respond via email as soon as is 
reasonably possible, acknowledging receipt of a television station's 
election notice.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0980.
    Title: Implementation of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act 
of 1999: Local Broadcast Signal Carriage Issues and Retransmission 
Consent Issues, 47 CFR Section 76.66.
    Form Number: Not applicable.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,410 respondents; 4,388 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 hour to 5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Third party disclosure requirement; On 
occasion reporting requirement; Once every three years reporting 
requirement; Recordkeeping requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 325, 
338, 339 and 340.
    Total Annual Burden: 3,576 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $24,000.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: In 2019, the Commission adopted new rules governing 
the delivery and form of carriage election notices. Electronic Delivery 
of MVPD Communications, Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, 
MB Docket Nos. 17-105, 17-317, Report and Order and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 19-69, 2019 WL 3065517 (rel. Jul. 11, 2019). 
Pursuant to that decision, the public file obligations of DBS 
providers, and the notice requirements of broadcasters, were slightly 
modified. The rule modifications were made to 47 CFR 76.66(d)(1)(ii)-
(vi) and 76.66(d)(3)(ii) as indicated above. These modifications need 
OMB review and approval. They are as follows:
    47 CFR 76.66(d)(1)(ii) requires DBS providers to place an up-to-
date email address for carriage election notice submissions and an up-
to-date phone number for carriage-related questions in their public 
file, to keep that information updated, and to respond to questions 
from broadcasters expeditiously.
    47 CFR 76.66(d)(1)(iii) states that stations only have to send 
notice when changing an election, and that notices must be sent to the 
email address provided by the satellite carrier and carbon copied to 
[email protected].
    47 CFR 76.66(d)(1)(iv) states that a television station's written 
notification shall include, with respect to each station referenced in 
the notice, the:
    (A) Call sign;
    (B) community of license;
    (C) DMA where the station is located;
    (D) specific change being made in election status;
    (E) email address for carriage-related questions;
    (F) phone number for carriage-related questions; and
    (G) name of the appropriate station contact person.
    47 CFR 76.66(d)(1)(v) states that a satellite carrier must respond 
via email as soon as is reasonably possible, acknowledging receipt of a 
television station's election notice.
    47 CFR 76.66(d)(1)(vi) states that, within 30 days of receiving a 
television station's carriage request, a satellite carrier shall notify 
in writing:
    (A) Those local television stations it will not carry, along with 
the reasons for such a decision; and
    (B) those local television stations it intends to carry.
    47 CFR 76.66(d)(3)(ii) states that a new television station shall 
make its election request, in writing, sent to the satellite carrier's 
email address provided by the satellite carrier and carbon copied to 
[email protected], between 60 days prior to commencing 
broadcasting and 30 days after commencing broadcasting. This written 
notification shall include the information required by paragraph 
(d)(1)(iv) of this section.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-1065.
    Title: Section 25.701 of the Commission's Rules, Direct Broadcast 
Satellite Public Interest Obligations.
    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: 2 respondents; 2 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-10 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; on occasion 
reporting requirement; one time reporting requirement; annual reporting 
requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority which covers this information collection is 
contained in Section 335 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 49 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impacts.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Although the Commission does 
not believe that any confidential information will need to be disclosed 
in order to comply with the information collection requirements, 
applicants are free to request that materials or information submitted 
to the Commission be withheld from public inspection. (See 47 CFR 
0.459).
    Needs and Uses: In 2019, the Commission adopted new rules governing 
the delivery and form of carriage election notices. Electronic Delivery 
of MVPD Communications, Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, 
MB Docket Nos. 17-105, 17-317, Report and Order and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 19-69, 2019 WL 3065517 (rel. Jul. 11, 2019). 
Pursuant to that decision, the public file obligations of DBS providers 
were slightly modified.
    Therefore, the following information collection requirement needs 
review and approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
    47 CFR 25.701(f)(6)(i)(D) requires that each satellite carrier 
shall provide an up-to-date email address for carriage election notice 
submissions and an up-to-date phone number for carriage-related 
questions. Each satellite carrier is responsible for the continuing 
accuracy and completeness of the information furnished. It must respond 
to questions from broadcasters as soon as is reasonably possible.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-00845 Filed 1-17-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P