0713_ss_040408

3060-0713

April 2008

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

A. Justification:

1. The Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) an agreement between the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and an entity, usually a state broadcast association, in which the entity arranges for the inspection of the broadcast station to determine compliance with FCC regulations. The inspections are conducted on a voluntary basis and the entities notify the local FCC District Office or Resident Agent office, in writing, via a letter of those stations that pass the ABIP inspection and have been granted a Certificate of Compliance. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enforcement Bureau (EB) standardized the existing ABIP in 2003 to establish a specific, uniform arrangement for the inspection of broadcast stations.

The Commission is requesting extension (no change) to this information collection in order to obtain the full three year clearance from OMB.

Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. 303(n).

2. This information will be used by FCC to determine which broadcast stations comply with FCC Rules and will not be subject to routine inspections conducted by the FCC’s District Offices. Without this information, the FCC would not be able to determine which stations should be exempt from random inspections.

3. The Certificate of Compliance is drafted by the entity based entirely on the results of an inspection by an ABIP inspector and consists of the name of the licensee, call sign and a statement that the station passed the ABIP inspection. The Enforcement Bureau requires entities to send the Certificate of Compliance to the relevant District Office or Resident Agent.

4. This is a unique collection and there is no duplication.

5. This collection has no impact on small businesses or other small entities. In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FCC is making the effort to minimize the burden on all respondents, regardless of size. The Enforcement Bureau has limited the notification requirement to that which is absolutely necessary for evaluating a station’s compliance and to deter against possible abuse.

6. Frequency of data submission is not specified or mandated by the program. Not allowing routine inspections to be done by entities, such as state broadcast associations, would result in increased routine inspections by Enforcement Bureau engineers.

7. This collection of information is consistent with the guidelines contained in 5 CFR 1320.6. The standardized ABIP agreements were developed at the request of and in cooperation with the Association of State Broadcast Associations.

8. The Commission published a notice in the Federal Register initiating a 60-day comment period on (72 FR 73820, December 28, 2007). No comments were received as a result of this notice. A copy of the notice is referenced in OMB’s ROCIS system.

9. No gifts or payments will be given to respondent for this collection.

10. There is no need for confidentiality.

11. This collection does not address any private matters of a sensitive nature.

12. The Enforcement Bureau estimates that there will be 53 entities providing information (one for each state and territory) and that each entity will conduct approximately 50 inspections a year, resulting in a maximum of 2,650 responses (notifications). Each notification should take no longer than .084 hours (5 minutes) to type and mail.

53 respondents x 50 responses x .084 hours per response = 223 hours.

13. There is no cost burden to respondents resulting from the collection of information.

14. Cost to the Federal Government: The FCC will use GS-13 staff engineers and GS-14 Resident Agents to evaluate and process the notifications and GS-8 office assistants to file these notifications.

11 GS-14 Resident Agents x 50 notifications x .084 hours x $53.46/hour = $2,469.85

44 GS-13 Staff Engineers x 50 notifications x .084 hours x $45.21/hour = $8,354.81

GS-8 Office Assistant x 53 entities x 50 notifications x .084 hours x $23.73/hour = $5,282.30

Total Cost to the Federal Government = $16,106.96

15. The increase in burden hours is due to an adjustment in the time it takes to provide the notification. Therefore, we are reporting an adjustment number of +3 hours.

16. The data will not be published.

17. The Commission is not requesting a waiver of the OMB expiration date. The OMB Control Number, OMB expiration date and title are displayed in 47 CFR. Section 0.408.

18. There are no exceptions to the certification statement of item 19 of the OMB 83-I.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods:

No statistical methods are employed.