[Federal Register: April 3, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 65)]
[Notices]
[Page 18275-18276]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ap08-56]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Approved by the Office
of Management and Budget
March 28, 2008.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission has received Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public
information collection(s) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). An agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number, and no person is required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Comments concerning the accuracy of the burden estimate(s) and any
suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information contact
Cathy Williams via the internet at PRA@fcc.gov or by phone on (202)
418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-1115.
OMB Approval Date: March 27, 2008.
Expiration Date: September 30, 2008.
Title: DTV Consumer Education Initiative, Sections 15.124, 27.20,
54.418, 73.674 and 76.1630.
Form No.: FCC Form 388.
Estimated Annual Burden: 70,026 responses; 0.5 hours-85 hours per
response; 156,069 hours total per year.
Obligation to Respond: Required to retain or obtain benefits;
statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in
sections 4(i), 303(r), 335, and 336, of the Communications Act of 1934,
as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 303(r), 335, and 336.
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for
confidentiality.
Needs and Uses: The Commission adopted on February 19, 2008, a
Report and Order, In the Matter DTV Consumer Education Initiative, MB
Docket 07-148, FCC 08-56. As the Nation transitions from analog
broadcast television service to digital broadcast television service,
the Commission has been committed to working with representatives from
industry, public interest groups, and Congress to make the significant
benefits of digital broadcasting available to the public. The digital
transition will make valuable spectrum available for both public safety
uses and expanded wireless competition and innovation. By compressing
television broadcasting into a smaller amount of the available
spectrum, the digital transition has allowed the Commission to make
valuable 700 MHz spectrum available for sale and use by wireless
companies and public safety organizations. The transition will also
provide consumers with better quality television picture and sound, and
make new services available through multicasting. These innovations,
however, are dependent upon widespread consumer understanding of the
benefits and mechanics of the transition. The Congressional decision to
establish a hard deadline of February 17, 2009, for the end of full-
power analog broadcasting has made consumer awareness even more
critical.
In this Order, the Commission imposes the following information and
disclosure requirements:
(a) Broadcaster Education and Reporting (47 CFR 73.674).
(i) On-air Education. Broadcasters must provide on-air DTV
Transition consumer education information (e.g., via Public Service
Announcements (PSAs) or information crawls) to their viewers.
Broadcasters must comply with one of three alternative sets of rules as
provided in the Report and Order.
(ii) DTV Consumer Education Quarterly Activity Report, FCC Form
388. Broadcasters must electronically file a report about its DTV
Transition consumer education efforts to the Commission on a quarterly
basis. Broadcasters must begin filing these quarterly reports no later
than April 10, 2008. In addition, if the broadcaster has a public Web
site, they must post these reports on that Web site.
(b) Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) Customer Bill
Notices (47 CFR 76.1630). MVPDs, which include, for example (and are
not limited to), cable operators, direct broadcast satellite (DBS)
carriers, open video system operators, and private cable operators,
must provide monthly notices about the DTV transition in their customer
billing statements.
(c) Consumer Electronics Manufacturer Notices (47 CFR 15.124).
Parties that manufacture, import, or ship interstate television
receivers and devices designed to work with television receivers must
provide notice to consumers of the transition's impact on that
equipment. This information must be included with all devices shipped,
beginning on the effective date of these rules, until March 31, 2009.
(d) DTV.gov Partner Consumer Education Reporting. DTV.gov
Transition Partners must report their consumer education efforts, as a
condition of continuing Partner status. They must begin filing these
quarterly reports no later than April 10, 2008.
(e) Eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) Federal Universal
Service Low-Income Program Participant Notices (47 CFR 54.418). ETCs
that receive federal universal service funds must provide monthly
notice of the transition to their low income customers and potential
customers. This information must be provided beginning on the effective
date of these rules, until March 31, 2009.
(f) 700 MHz Auction Winner Consumer Education Reporting (47 CFR
27.20). Winners of the 700 MHz spectrum auction must report their
consumer education efforts to the Commission on a quarterly basis.
These parties must file the first by the tenth day of the first
calendar quarter following the initial grant of the license
authorization that the entity holds.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0214.
OMB Approval Date: March 27, 2008.
Expiration Date: September 30, 2008.
Title: Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection Files;
sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files.
Form No.: Not applicable.
Estimated Annual Burden: 52,285 responses; 2.5 hours-109 hours per
response; 1,831,706 hours total per year.
Obligation to Respond: Required to retain or obtain benefits;
statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in
154(i), 303, and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934.
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for
confidentiality.
Needs and Uses: The Commission adopted on February 19, 2008, a
Report and Order, In the Matter DTV Consumer Education Initiative, MB
Docket 07-148, FCC 08-56. The Report and Order adds a new recordkeeping
requirement for full-power commercial and noncommercial educational TV
broadcast stations (both analog and digital) for the contents of their
public inspection files. Specifically, the rule requires these stations
to retain in their public inspection file a copy of their DTV Consumer
Education Quarterly Activity Report, FCC Form 388, on a quarterly
basis. The Report for each quarter is to be placed in the public
inspection file by the tenth day of the succeeding calendar quarter.
These Reports shall be retained in the public
[[Page 18276]]
inspection file for one year. Broadcasters shall publicize in an
appropriate manner the existence and location of these Reports.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-6940 Filed 4-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P