73 FR 231 pgs. 72798-72799 - Notice of Public Information Collection Requirements Being Submitted to OMB for Emergency Review and Approval, Comments Requested
Type: NOTICEVolume: 73Number: 231Pages: 72798 - 72799
FR document: [FR Doc. E8-28374 Filed 11-28-08; 8:45 am]
Agency: Federal Communications Commission
Official PDF Version: PDF Version
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information Collection Requirements Being Submitted to OMB for Emergency Review and Approval, Comments Requested
November 24, 2008.
SUMMARY:
The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 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 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before December 23, 2008. 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 contacts listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES:
Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via Internet at Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov or via fax at (202) 395-5167; and to Cathy Williams, Federal Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554, or via Internet at Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov and/or PRA@fcc.gov. Include in the comments the OMB control number of the collection as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For additional information or copies of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918, or via Internet at Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov, and/or PRA@fcc.gov. 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 OMB control number 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 is requesting emergency OMB processing of the information collection requirements contained in this notice and has requested OMB approval by January 5, 2009.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0027.
Title: Application for Construction Permit for Commercial Broadcast Station.
Form Number: FCC Form 301.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit institutions.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 4,378 respondents; 7,804 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour 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 collection of information is contained in Sections 154(i), 303 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
Total Annual Burden: 14,808 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $52,580,197.
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: On November 3, 2008, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, In the Matter of Digital Television Distributed Transmission System Technologies; MB Docket No. 05-312, FCC 08-256 (released Nov. 7, 2008). In this Report and Order, the Commission adopts rules for the use of distributed transmission system ("DTS") technologies in the digital television ("DTV") service. See 47 CFR 73.626. DTS technology allows stations to employ multiple synchronized transmitters spread around a station's service area, rather than the current single-transmitter approach. Each transmitter would broadcast the station's DTV signal on the same channel, similar to analog TV booster stations but more efficiently. Due to the synchronization of the transmitted signals, DTV receivers should be able to treat the multiple signals as reflections or "ghosts" and use "adaptive equalizer" circuitry to cancel or combine them to produce a single signal.
Congress has mandated that after February 17, 2009, full-power television broadcast stations must transmit only in digital signals, and may no longer transmit analog signals. Emergency OMB approval is necessary for this collection to allow full-power DTV stations to use DTS technologies to meet their statutory responsibilities and begin operations on their final, post-transition (digital) channels by their construction deadlines. DTS will provide DTV broadcasters with an important tool for providing optimum signal coverage for their viewers. For some broadcasters that are changing channels or transmitting locations for their digital service, DTS may offer the best option for continuing to provide over-the-air service to current analog viewers, as well as for reaching viewers that have historically been unable to receive a good signal due to terrain or other interference.
FCC Form 301 is being revised to accommodate the filing of DTS applications.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0029.
Title: Application for TV Broadcast Station License, Form FCC 302-TV; Application for DTV Broadcast Station License, FCC Form 302-DTV; Application for Construction Permit for Reserved Channel Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station, FCC Form 340; Application for Authority to Construct or Make Changes in an FM Translator or FM Booster Station, FCC Form 349.
Form Number: FCC Forms 302-TV, 302-DTV, 340 and 349.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit institutions.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 4,425 respondents; 6,425 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour to 4 hours.
Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; On occasion reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
Total Annual Burden: 14,450 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $21,869,625.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority is contained in sections 154(i), 303 and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
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: On November 3, 2008, the Commission adopted a Report and Order in the Matter of Digital Television Distributed Transmission System Technologies; MB Docket No. 05-312, FCC 08-256 (released Nov. 7, 2008). In this Report and Order, the Commission adopts rules for the use of distributed transmission system ("DTS") technologies in the digital television ("DTV") service. See 47 CFR 73.626. DTS technology allows stations to employ multiple synchronized transmitters spread around a station's service area, rather than the current single-transmitter approach. Each transmitter would broadcast the station's DTV signal on the same channel, similar to analog TV booster stations but more efficiently. Due to the synchronization of the transmitted signals, DTV receivers should be able to treat the multiple signals as reflections or "ghosts" and use "adaptive equalizer" circuitry to cancel or combine them to produce a single signal.
Congress has mandated that after February 17, 2009, full-power television broadcast stations must transmit only in digital signals, and may no longer transmit analog signals. Emergency OMB approval is necessary for this collection to allow full-power DTV stations to use DTS technologies to meet their statutory responsibilities and begin operations on their final, post-transition (digital) channels by their construction deadlines. DTS will provide DTV broadcasters with an important tool for providing optimum signal coverage for their viewers. For some broadcasters that are changing channels or transmitting locations for their digital service, DTS may offer the best option for continuing to provide over-the-air service to current analog viewers, as well as for reaching viewers that have historically been unable to receive a good signal due to terrain or other interference.
FCC Form 340 is being revised to accommodate the filing of DTS applications.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-28374 Filed 11-28-08; 8:45 am]
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