Notice of Public Information Collections Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information Collections Submitted to OMB for

Review and Approval

May 6, 1996.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications, as part of its continuing effort

to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal

agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following proposed

and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or

sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently

valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for

failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control

number. 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 Commissions

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.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before [insert date

30 days after date of publication in the Federal Register]. 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.

ADDRESS: Direct all comments to Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications,

Room 234, 1919 M St., NW., Washington, DC 20554 or via internet to

[email protected] and Timothy Fain, OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB 725 17th

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503 or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies

of the information collections contact Dorothy Conway at 202-418-0217

or via internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval Number: New Collection.

Title: Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: New Collection.

Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit; Not-for-profit

institutions.

Number of Respondents: 50 respodents performing 50 inspections per

year. The total annual responses is 2,500.

Estimated Time Per Response: 6 minutes per inspection.

Total Annual Burden: 250 hours.

Estimated Costs Per Response: Estimated to be $.50 per notification

for mailing.

Needs and Uses: The Commission is establishing a voluntary ABIP

where entities that conduct the ABIP inspection (usually state

broadcast associations) will notify the Commission of the stations that

have passed inspection. This information collection will require

entities to file a statement with their local FCC field office, by

regular or electronic mail, that a given station within the field

office's geographic district has passed an ABIP inspection. The

Commission will use the information to determine which stations are

exempted for a two or three year period from random inspections

conducted by the local FCC field office.

OMB Number: 3060-0214.

Title: Section 73.3526 Local Public Inspection File of Commercial

Stations.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Extension.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 10,215 commecial radio licensees

recordkeepers; 1,181 commercial TV licensees recordkeepers; 1,181

commercial TV stations making must-carry/retransmission consent

elections.

Estimated time per response: 104 hours per year for radio

recordkeeping; 130 hours per year for TV recordkeeping; 5 hours per

election statement to 1 hour for 50 cable systems per TV market.

Total annual burden hours: 2,101,640 hours.

Needs and Uses: Section 73.3526 requires that each licensee/

permittee of a commercial broadcast station maintain a file for public

inspection. The contents of the file vary according to type of service

and status. The contents include, but are not limited to, copies of

certain applications tendered for filing, a statement concerning

petitions to deny filed against such applications, copies of ownership

reports and annual employment reports, statements certifying compliance

with filing announcements in connection with renewal applications,

letters received from members of the public, etc. The data are used by

the public and FCC to evaluate information about the broadcast

licensee's performance, to ensure that broadcast stations are

addressing issues concerning the community to which it is licensed to

serve and to ensure that radio stations entering into time brokerage

agreements comply with Commission policies pertaining to licensee

control and to the Communications Act and the antitrust laws.

Broadcasters are required to send each cable operator in the station's

market a copy of the election statement applicable to that particular

cable operator. Placing these retransmission consent/must-carry

elections in the public file provide public access to documentation of

station's elections which are used by cable operators in

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negotiations with television stations and by the public to ascertain

why some stations are/are not carried by the cable systems.

OMB Number: 3060-0543.

Title: Section 21.913 Signal booster stations.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Revision of an existing collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 600.

Estimated time per response: 2.5 hours per certification. This

includes 0.5 hours for the licensee to convey its desire to install a

low power booster station and 2 hours for a consulting engineer to

prepare the certification.

Total annual burden: 300.

Annual Cost Per Respondent: $250 per certification. This estimates

is the cost for the licensee consulting an engineer to prepare the

certification.

Needs and Uses: On 6/9/93, OMB approved the Amendment of Parts 1, 2

and 21 of the Commission's Rules Governing Use of the Frequencies in

the 2.1 amd 2.5 GHz Bands. That approval contained various rule parts

contained in Parts 21 and 74 of the Commission's Rules. Since that

time, all rule sections incorporated into that approval have been

reapproved under different OMB control numbers expect Section 21.913.

Section 21.913(g) permits an MDS or ITFS licensee to install and

commence operation of low power signal booster stations without a

formal application. Licensees seeking to install a low power signal

booster station must, however, submit a certification demonstrating

compliance with the various components of Sections 21.913(g). This

certification must be submitted within 48 hours of installation of the

booster station. The data are used by FCC staff to verify that the

licensee has complied with guidelines to use the certification process

and that the booster would not cause objectionable interference.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 96-15474 Filed 6-18-96; 8:45 am]

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