[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 213 (Tuesday, November 3, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 69625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24359]



[[Page 69625]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0761; FRS 17198]


Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on the following information collections. 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 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before January 4, 
2021. 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 contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0761.
    Title: Section 79.1, Closed Captioning of Video Programming, CG 
Docket No. 05-231.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Individuals or 
households; and Not-for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 64,218 respondents; 521,074 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 (30 minutes) to 30 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement; Third party 
disclosure requirement; Recordkeeping requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this obligation is found at section 713 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 613, and implemented 
at 47 CFR 79.1.
    Total Annual Burden: 727,143 hours.
    Annual Cost Burden: $34,350,444.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an issue 
to the extent that individuals and households provide personally 
identifiable information, which is covered under the FCC's system of 
records notice (SORN), FCC/CGB-1, ``Informal Complaints, Inquiries, and 
Requests for Dispute Assistance.'' As required by the Privacy Act, 5 
U.S.C. 552a, the Commission also published a SORN, FCC/CGB-1 ``Informal 
Complaints, Inquiries, and Requests for Dispute Assistance'' in the 
Federal Register on August 15, 2014, published at 79 FR 48152, which 
became effective on September 24, 2014.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks to extend existing information 
collection requirements in its closed captioning rules (47 CFR 79.1), 
which require that, with some exceptions, all new video programming, 
and 75 percent of ``pre-rule'' programming, be closed captioned. The 
existing collections include petitions by video programming providers, 
producers, and owners for exemptions from the closed captioning rules, 
responses by commenters, and replies; complaints by viewers alleging 
violations of the closed captioning rules, responses by video 
programming distributors (VPDs) and video programmers, recordkeeping in 
support of complaint responses, and compliance ladder obligations in 
the event of a pattern or trend of violations; recordkeeping of 
monitoring and maintenance activities; caption quality best practices 
procedures; making video programming distributor contact information 
available to viewers in phone directories, on the Commission's website 
and the websites of video programming distributors (if they have them), 
and in billing statements (to the extent video programming distributors 
issue them); and video programmers filing of contact information and 
compliance certifications with the Commission.
    On February 19, 2016, the Commission adopted the Closed Captioning 
Quality Second Report and Order, published at 81 FR 57473, August 23, 
2016, amending its rules to allocate the responsibilities of VPDs and 
video programmers with respect to the provision and quality of closed 
captioning. The Commission took the following actions, among others:
    (a) Required video programmers to file certifications with the 
Commission that (1) the video programmer (i) is in compliance with the 
rules requiring the inclusion of closed captions, and (ii) either is in 
compliance with the captioning quality standards or has adopted and is 
following related Best Practices; or (2) is exempt from the captioning 
obligation and specifies the exemption claimed.
    (b) Revised the procedures for receiving, serving, and addressing 
television closed captioning complaints in accordance with a burden-
shifting compliance model.
    (c) Established a compliance ladder for the Commission's television 
closed captioning quality requirements.
    (d) Required VPDs to use the Commission's web form when providing 
contact information to the VPD registry.
    (e) Required video programmers to register their contact 
information with the Commission for the receipt and handling of written 
closed captioning complaints.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-24359 Filed 11-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P