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Please note that the OMB number and expiration date may not have been determined when this Information Collection Request and associated Information Collection forms were submitted to OMB. The approved OMB number and expiration date may be found by clicking on the Notice of Action link below.
View ICR - OIRA Conclusion
OMB Control No:
3060-0214
ICR Reference No:
201502-3060-011
Status:
Historical Inactive
Previous ICR Reference No:
201205-3060-005
Agency/Subagency:
FCC
Agency Tracking No:
MB
Title:
Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection File, Sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files
Type of Information Collection:
Revision of a currently approved collection
Common Form ICR:
No
Type of Review Request:
Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action:
Comment filed on proposed rule and continue
Conclusion Date:
04/20/2015
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)
Date Received in OIRA:
02/13/2015
Terms of Clearance:
OMB files this comment in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11( c ). This OMB action is not an approval to conduct or sponsor an information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This action has no effect on any current approvals. If OMB has assigned this ICR a new OMB Control Number, the OMB Control Number will not appear in the active inventory. For future submissions of this information collection, reference the OMB Control Number provided. Resubmit when proposed rule is finalized.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
Expiration Date
06/30/2015
36 Months From Approved
09/30/2015
Responses
59,056
0
59,056
Time Burden (Hours)
2,158,080
0
2,158,080
Cost Burden (Dollars)
882,236
0
882,236
Abstract:
In 2012, the Commission replaced the decades-old requirement that commercial and noncommercial television stations maintain public files at their main studios with a requirement to post most of the documents in those files to a central, online public file hosted by the Commission. On December 17, 2014, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("NPRM") in MB Docket No. 14-127, FCC 14-209, In the Matter of Expansion of Online Public File Obligations to Cable and Satellite TV Operators and Broadcast and Satellite Radio Licensees. The NPRM proposes to expand the requirement that public inspection files be posted to an FCC- hosted online public file database to cable operators, satellite TV (also referred to as "Direct Broadcast Satellite" or "DBS") providers, broadcast radio licensees, and satellite radio (also referred to as "Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services" or "SDARS") licensees. The Commission stated that its goal is to make information that these entities are already required to make publicly available more accessible while also reducing costs both for the government and the public sector. The Commission proposes to take the same general approach to transitioning these entities to the online file that it took with television broadcasters in 2012, tailoring the requirements as necessary to the different services. The Commission also proposed to take similar measures to minimize the effort and cost entities must undertake to move their public files online. Specifically, the Commission proposes to require entities only to upload to the online public file documents that are not already on file with the Commission or that the Commission maintains in its own database. The Commission also proposes to exempt existing political file material from the online file requirement and to require only that political file documents be uploaded on a going-forward basis. With respect to broadcast radio licensees, the Commission proposes to commence the transition to an online file with commercial stations in larger markets with five or more full-time employees, while postponing temporarily all online file requirements for other radio stations. The NPRM also proposes a minor additional change to the existing public file requirements for radio licensees. It proposes to require stations to provide information to the online file regarding the location of the station's main studio, which will help members of the public engage in an active dialogue with radio licensees regarding their service and also inform the public of the location of the station's correspondence file and existing political file (until its retention period expires), both of which will be publicly available at the station. With respect to cable operator public file requirements, the Commission proposes to phase-in the requirement to commence uploading political file documents to the online file for smaller cable systems and to exempt cable systems with fewer than 1,000 subscribers from all online public file requirements, either permanently or at least initially.
Authorizing Statute(s):
US Code:
47 USC 151, 152, 154(i), 303,307, 308
Name of Law: Communications Act of 1934, as amended
Citations for New Statutory Requirements:
None
Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:
Stage of Rulemaking:
Federal Register Citation:
Date:
3060-AK23
Proposed rulemaking
80 FR 8031
02/13/2015
Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:
Federal Register Citation:
Citation Date:
80 FR 8031
02/13/2015
30-day Notice:
Federal Register Citation:
Citation Date:
80 FR 8031
02/13/2015
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR?
No
Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR:
3
IC Title
Form No.
Form Name
Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection File, Sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files
Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection File, Sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files
Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection File, Sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files
Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
Yes
Burden Increase Due to:
Changing Regulations
Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
Yes
Burden Reduction Due to:
Changing Regulations
Short Statement:
If the proposed requirements are adopted by the Commission in a final rulemaking, 403 respondents, 846 responses, and $2,771,136 in annual costs will be added to OMB's inventory. The Commission will also have a reduction in the annual burden hours of 297,424 hours. There are no adjustments to this collection.
Annual Cost to Federal Government:
$453,333
Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods?
No
Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002?
No
Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]?
No
Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]?
No
Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)?
No
Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response?
Uncollected
Agency Contact:
Kim Matthews 202 418-2130
Common Form ICR:
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;
(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;
(c) It reduces burden on small entities;
(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;
(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;
(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;
(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.
(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and
(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Certification Date:
02/13/2015