[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 26, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4019-4021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01511]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0174 and 3060-0214; FR ID 68626]


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 
can further reduce the information collection burden for small business 
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before February 25, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using 
the search function. Your comment must be submitted into 
www.reginfo.gov per the above instructions for it to be considered. In 
addition to submitting in

[[Page 4020]]

www.reginfo.gov also send a copy of your comment on the proposed 
information collection to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to [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: 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.
    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: 3060-0174.
    Title: Sections 73.1212, 76.1615, and 76.1715, Sponsorship 
Identification.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Individuals or 
households.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 22,900 respondents; 1,886,524 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .0011 to .2011 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, Third party 
disclosure requirement, On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 258,567 Hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $449,373.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection is contained in sections 4(i), 
317 and 507 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements that are 
approved under this collection are as follows:
    47 CFR 73.1212 requires a broadcast station to identify at the time 
of broadcast the sponsor of any matter for which consideration is 
provided. For advertising commercial products or services, generally 
the mention of the name of the product or service constitutes 
sponsorship identification. In the case of television political 
advertisements concerning candidates for public office, the sponsor 
shall be identified with letters equal to or greater than four (4) 
percent of the vertical height of the television screen that airs for 
no less than four (4) seconds. In addition, when an entity rather than 
an individual sponsors the broadcast of matter that is of a political 
or controversial nature, licensee is required to retain a list of the 
executive officers, or board of directors, or executive committee, 
etc., of the organization paying for such matter. Sponsorship 
announcements are waived with respect to the broadcast of ``want ads'' 
sponsored by an individual but the licensee shall maintain a list 
showing the name, address and telephone number of each such advertiser. 
These lists shall be made available for public inspection.
    47 CFR 73.1212(e) states that, when an entity rather than an 
individual sponsors the broadcast of matter that is of a political or 
controversial nature, the licensee is required to retain a list of the 
executive officers, or board of directors, or executive committee, 
etc., of the organization paying for such matter in its public file. 
Pursuant to the changes contained in 47 CFR 73.1212(e) and 47 CFR 
73.3526(e)(19), this list, which could contain personally identifiable 
information, would be located in a public inspection file to be located 
on the Commission's website instead of being maintained in the public 
file at the station.
    Burden estimates for this change are included in OMB Control Number 
3060-0214.
    47 CFR 76.1615 states that, when a cable operator engaged in 
origination cablecasting presents any matter for which money, service 
or other valuable consideration is provided to such cable television 
system operator, the cable television system operator, at the time of 
the telecast, shall identify the sponsor. Under this rule section, when 
advertising commercial products or services, an announcement stating 
the sponsor's corporate or trade name, or the name of the sponsor's 
product is sufficient when it is clear that the mention of the name of 
the product constitutes a sponsorship identification. In the case of 
television political advertisements concerning candidates for public 
office, the sponsor shall be identified with letters equal to or 
greater than four (4) percent of the vertical height of the television 
screen that airs for no less than four (4) seconds.
    47 CFR 76.1715 state that, with respect to sponsorship 
announcements that are waived when the broadcast/origination cablecast 
of ``want ads'' sponsored by an individual, the licensee/operator shall 
maintain a list showing the name, address and telephone number of each 
such advertiser. These lists shall be made available for public 
inspection.
    This information collection is being revised to reflect the burden 
associated with the foreign sponsorship identification disclosure 
requirements adopted in the Sponsorship Identification Requirements for 
Foreign Government-Provided Programming (86 FR 32221, June 17, 2021, 
FCC 21-42, rel. Apr. 22, 2021). The collection requires broadcast 
television and radio stations, as well as 325(c) permit holders, to 
make a specific disclosure at the time of broadcast if material aired 
pursuant to the lease of time on the station has been sponsored, paid 
for, or furnished by a foreign governmental entity that indicates the 
specific entity and country involved. Licensees of each broadcast 
station and 325(c) permit holders also are required to exercise 
reasonable diligence to ascertain

[[Page 4021]]

whether the foreign sponsorship disclosure requirements apply at the 
time of the lease agreement and at any renewal thereof.
    This information collection requirements will provide the 
Commission and the public with increased transparency and will ensure 
that audiences of broadcast stations are aware when a foreign 
government, or its representatives, are seeking to persuade the 
American public. The information collection requirements will also 
enable interested parties to monitor the extent of such efforts to 
persuade the American public.
    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.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 23,996 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. The 
statutory authority that covers this information collection is 
contained in Sections 151, 152, 154(i), 303, 307 and 308 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,047,805 Hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements included 
under this OMB Control Number 3060-0214, requires broadcast stations to 
maintain for public inspection a file containing the material set forth 
in 47 CFR 73.3526 and 73.3527.
    This collection is being revised to reflect the burden associated 
with the foreign sponsorship identification disclosure requirements 
adopted in the Sponsorship Identification Requirements for Foreign 
Government-Provided Programming (86 FR 32221, June 17, 2021, FCC 21-42, 
rel. Apr. 22, 2021). The collection requires broadcast television and 
radio stations to place copies of foreign sponsorship identification 
disclosures required by 47 CFR 73.1212(j) and the name of the program 
to which the disclosures were appended in its online public inspection 
file on a quarterly basis in a standalone folder marked as ``Foreign 
Government-Provided Programming Disclosures.'' The collection requires 
325(c) permit holders to place copies of foreign sponsorship 
identification disclosures required by 47 CFR 73.1212(j) and the name 
of the program to which the disclosures were appended in its 
International Bureau Filing System record on a quarterly basis. The 
filing must state the date and time the program aired. In the case of 
repeat airings of the program, those additional dates and times should 
also be included. Where an aural announcement was made, its contents 
must be reduced to writing and placed in the online public inspection 
file in the same manner.
    This information collection requirement will provide the Commission 
and the public with increased transparency and will ensure that 
audiences of broadcast stations are aware when a foreign government, or 
its representatives, are seeking to persuade the American public. The 
information collection requirements will also enable interested parties 
to monitor the extent of such efforts to persuade the American public.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-01511 Filed 1-25-22; 8:45 am]
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