OMB Control Number: 3060-0727 July 2023
Title: Section 73.213, Grandfathered Short-Spaced FM Stations
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
A. Justification:
1. 47 CFR 73.213 requires licensees of grandfathered short-spaced FM stations seeking to modify or relocate their stations to provide a showing demonstrating that there is no increase in either the total predicted interference area or the associated population (caused or received) with respect to all grandfathered stations or an increase in the interference caused to any individual stations. Applicants must demonstrate that any new area predicted to lose service as a result of interference has adequate service remaining. In addition, licensees are required to serve a copy of any application for co-channel or first-adjacent channel stations proposing predicted interference caused in any area where interference is not currently predicted to be caused upon the licensee(s) of the affected short-spaced station(s).
The Commission is requesting an extension of this information collection in order to receive the full three-year OMB approval/clearance for this information collection.
This information collection does not affect individuals, thus there are no impacts under the Privacy Act.
Statutory authority for these collections of information are contained in Sections 154(i), 55(c)(1), 302 and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
2. Commission staff use the data to determine if the public interest will be served and that existing levels of interference will not be increased to other licensed stations. Providing copies of application(s) to affected licensee(s) will enable potentially affected parties to examine the proposals and provide them an opportunity to file informal objections against such applications.
3. The Commission requires the interference showings to be filed electronically with the Commission.
4. No other agency imposes a similar information collection on the respondents. There are no similar data available.
5. In conformance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commission is making an effort to minimize the burden on all respondents. This collection of information gives grandfathered stations greater flexibility when changing transmitter site or proposing facility modifications. Therefore, this collection of information does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities/businesses.
6. The frequency for this collection of information is determined by respondents, as necessary. If this collection were not conducted, the Commission could not carry out its statutory responsibilities under Sections 307 and 319(d) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
7. This collection of information is consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR Section1320.5(d)(2).
8. The Commission published a Notice (88 FR 30968) in the Federal Register on May 15, 2023 seeking comments from the public on the information collection requirements contained in this collection. No comments were received from the public.
9. No payment or gift will be provided to respondents.
10. There is no need for confidentiality with this information collection.
11. This information collection does not address any private matters of a sensitive nature.
12. We estimate that applicants will file 15 interference showings/applications yearly to modify the facilities of grandfathered short-spaced FM stations. Providing copies of application(s) to affected licensee(s) is estimated to take an average of 50 minutes (0.83 hours) per application. This estimate is based on our knowledge and familiarity with the data required. We assume that the respondent would contract with a consulting engineer to prepare the interference showing. We also estimate that the respondent would spend an average of 30 minutes (0.5 hours) in consultation with this consulting engineer.
Total Number of Annual Respondents: 15 Licensees
Total Number of Annual Responses: 15 Interference Showings
Annual Hourly Burden:
15 interference showings x 0.5 hours/showing = 7.50 hours
15 interference showings x 0.83 hours/showing = 12.45 hours Total Annual Burden Hours = 19.95 hours (20 hours rounded)
“Annual In-House Cost”: We estimate that this FM licensee would have an average salary of $100,000/year ($48.08/hour).
15 interference showings x 0.5 hours x $48.08/hour = $360.60
15 interference showings x 0.83 hours x $48.08/hour = $598.60
Total Annual “In House Cost” = $959.20
13. ANNUAL COST BURDEN: We assume that the applicant would use a consulting engineer ($250/hour) to complete the interference showings.
15 interference showings x 250/hour/showing x 1 hour = $3,750.00
14. Cost to the Federal Government: The interference showings will be processed by staff engineers (equivalent to a GS-15 step 5 grade level, $84.55/hour) in connection with the application for a construction permit (FCC Form 301 (3060-0027) and FCC Form 340 (3060-0029)). This information collection accounts for the interference showings only and requires 0.5 hour for a staff engineer to review.
15 interference showings x 0.5 hours/showing x $84.55/hour = $632.13
Total Cost to the Federal Government = $634.13
15. There are no program changes or adjustments to this collection.
16. The data will not be published.
17. OMB approval of the expiration date of the proposed information collection will be displayed at 47 CFR Section 0.408.
18. There are no exceptions to the Certification Statement.
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods:
This information collection does not employ any statistical methods.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | JSWANK |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-07-31 |