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
06/30/2015
36 Months From Approved
09/30/2015
59,056
0
59,056
2,158,080
0
2,158,080
882,236
0
882,236
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.
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.
$453,333
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Kim Matthews 202
418-2130
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:
(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;
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.
Supporting Statement OMB 3060-0214 (FCC 14-209) (NPRM)(2015).docx
Sections 73.3526 and 73.3527, Local Public Inspection File, Sections 76.1701 and 73.1943, Political Files