Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Submitted to OMB for

Review and Approval

May 7, 1998.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, 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 information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork

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

sponsor a

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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 Commission's burden estimate; (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 June 12, 1998.

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 comments to Les Smith, Federal Communications

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

internet to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies

of the information collection(s), contact Les Smith at 202-418-0217 or

via internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control No.: 3060-0211.

Title: Section 73. 1493 Political File.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 15,817.

Estimated Time Per Response: 0.25 hours per request (each station

is estimated to have 25 political broadcasts per year).

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Cost to Respondents: N/A.

Total Annual Burden: 98,856 hours.

Needs and Uses: Section 73.1943 requires licensees of broadcast

stations to keep and permit public inspection of a complete record

(political file) of all requests for broadcast time made by or on

behalf of candidates for public office, together with an appropriate

notation showing the disposition made by the licensee of such request.

The data are used by the public to assess money expended and time

allocated to a political candidate and to ensure that equal access was

afforded to other qualified candidates.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0454.

Title: CC Docket No. 90-337, Regulation of International Accounting

Rates.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 12.

Estimated Time Per Response: 1 hour.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Cost to Respondents: $5,850. Carriers are expected to contract for

5% of the burden hours to outside law firms to prepare submissions to

the FCC, especially in their first submission. It is estimated that

Respondents would pay the law firm approximately $150 per hour to file

the data as the collection of the data will be handled in-house. This

figure is based on a small survey of local firms in the D.C. area and

is considered a conservative estimate.

Total Annual Burden: 780 hours.

Needs and Uses: The FCC requests this collection of information as

a method to monitor the international accounting rates to insure that

the public interest is being served and also to enforce Commission

policies. By requiring a U.S. carrier to make an equivalency showing

and to file other documents for end users interconnected international

private lines, the FCC will be able to preclude one-way bypass and

safeguard its international settlements policy. The data collected is

required by Section 43.51 (d) of the FCC's rules.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0502.

Title: Section 73. 1942 Candidate Rates.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 11,518.

Estimated Time Per Response: 0.5 hours per disclosure (each station

is estimated to make 25 disclosures of the lowest unit charge to

candidates annually).

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Cost to Respondents: N/A.

Total Annual Burden: 650,767 hours.

Needs and Uses: Section 315(b) of the Communications Act directs

broadcast stations to charge political candidates the ``lowest unit

charge of the station'' for the same class and amount of time for the

same period, during the 45 day preceding a primary or runoff election

and the 60 days preceding a general or special election.

Section 73.1942 requires broadcast licensees to disclose any

station practices offered to commercial advertisers that enhance the

value of advertising spots and different classes of time (immediately

preemptible, preemptible with notice, fixed, fire sale, and make good).

Section 73.1942 also requires licensees to calculate the lowest unit

charge. Furthermore, stations are required to review their advertising

records throughout the election period to determine whether compliance

with this section requires that candidates receive rebates or credits.

The disclosure would assure candidates that they are receiving the same

lowest unit charge as other advertisers.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0788.

Title: DTV Showings/Interference Agreements

Form No.: FCC 301/FCC 340

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

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

institutions.

Number of Respondents: 20.

Estimated Time Per Response: 55 hours (5 hours per applicant; 50

hours for advisory committee).

Frequency of Response: On occasion; Third Party Disclosure.

Cost to Respondents: Undetermined.

Total Annual Burden: 100 hours.

Needs and Uses: Section V-D of the FCC 301/340 Forms begins with a

``Certification Checklist.'' This checklist contains a series of

questions by which applicants may certify compliance with key

processing requirements. The first certification requires conformance

with the DTV Table of Allotments. In the Sixth Report and Order in MM

Docket No. 87-268, the Commission allowed flexibility for DTV

facilities to be constructed at locations within five kilometers of the

reference allotment sites without consideration of additional

interference to analog or DTV service, provided the DTV service does

not exceed the allotment reference height above average terrain or

effective radiated power. In order for the Commission to process

applications that can not certify affirmatively, the rules adopted in

the Sixth Report and Order require applicants to submit a technical

showing to establish that their proposed facilities will not result in

additional interference to TV broadcast and DTV operations.

Additionally, in the Sixth Report and Order, the Commission

permitted broadcasters to agree to proposed DTV facilities that do not

conform to the initial allotment parameters, even though they might be

affected by potential new interference. The Commission also recognized

that industry frequency coordination

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could help to facilitate the implementation of the DTV service, and it

encouraged the broadcast industry to continue their voluntary

coordination efforts through a process open to all affected parties. In

this regard, the Commission will consider granting applications on the

basis of interference agreements, including agreements obtained through

the coordination process, if it finds that such grants will serve the

public interest. These agreements must be signed by all parties to the

agreement. In addition, the Commission needs the following information

to enable such public interest determination: a list of parties

predicted to receive additional interference from the proposed

facility, a showing as to why a grant based on the agreements would

serve the public interest, and technical studies depicting the

additional interference. Applicants who use a voluntary coordination

process should provide the name, address and telephone number of the

person who coordinated studies and a description of how the

coordination process was open to all interested parties.

The technical showings and interference agreements will be used by

FCC staff to determine if the public interest would be served by the

grant of the application and to ensure that the proposed facilities

will not result in additional interference.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-12666 Filed 5-12-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-F