OMB Control Number: 3060-1178 May 2025
TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund Reimbursement Form, FCC Form 2100,
Schedule 399; Section 73.3700(e), Reimbursement Rules; Section 73.3701, Reimbursement Under the Reimbursement Expansion Act.
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
Justification:
1. The following information collection requirements are approved under this information collection and they are being extended for three years by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
In the Commission’s LPTV , TV Translator, and FM Reimbursement Report and Order, adopted on March 15, 2019.1 The LPTV, TV Translator, and FM Reimbursement Report and Order adopts rules pursuant to Congressional directive, in the 2018 Reimbursement Expansion Act (REA),2 that the Commission reimburse certain Low Power Television (LPTV) and television translator (TV translator) stations (together LPTV/translator stations), and FM broadcast stations (FM stations), for costs incurred as a result of the Commission’s broadcast television spectrum incentive auction and subsequent television channel repacking. In the REA, Congress provided additional funding for the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund (Reimbursement Fund)3 and expanded the list of entities eligible to receive reimbursement for costs incurred as a result of the reorganization of broadcast television spectrum. Eligible entities now include LPTV/translator and FM stations.4 This submission is being made to implement the Commission’s directive to add LPTV, TV Translators, and FM broadcast stations to this information collection.
In the LPTV, TV Translator, and FM Reimbursement Report and Order, the Commission delegated to the Media Bureau the authority to modify current FCC Form 2100, Schedule 399, TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund Reimbursement Form (Reimbursement Form), to add all newly eligible LPTV, TV Translator, and FM broadcast entities.5 The Media Bureau has, therefore, added questions and certifications to the Reimbursement Form to accommodate these newly eligible broadcast entities. Specifically, in order to protect the Reimbursement Fund against waste, fraud, and abuse, all newly eligible broadcast entities that propose to request reimbursement for eligible expenses must certify on the Reimbursement Form that they meet the specified eligibility criteria (Eligibility Certification), and provide information regarding their affected broadcasting equipment and the estimated costs eligible for reimbursement.6
The Commission’s Incentive Auction Order7 adopted rules for holding an Incentive Auction, as required by the Spectrum Act. The rules governing these processes are codified at 47 CFR Parts 0, 1, 27, 73 and 74.8 In the Incentive Auction Order, the Commission delegated to the Media Bureau, the authority to develop a form, the Reimbursement Form, for use by each full power and Class A broadcast licensee reassigned to a new channel following the Incentive Auction to claim reimbursement from the Reimbursement Fund.9 The Commission also delegated to the Media Bureau the authority to adopt the necessary policies, procedures, and certifications relating to eligibility, allocations, draw downs, payments, obligations, and expenditures of money from the Fund in order to protect against waste, fraud and abuse and in the event of bankruptcy.10 Subsequently, the Commission released a Public Notice also clarifying that entities must submit FCC Form 2100, Schedule 399 each time they request reimbursement from the Fund for an actual expense incurred during the reimbursement period.11
The following is a summary of each rule section containing information collection requirements within this information collection as already approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
Section 73.3700(e)(2) requires all broadcast television station licensees and MVPDs that are eligible to receive payment of relocation costs to file an estimated cost form providing an estimate of their reasonably incurred relocation costs no later than three months following the release of the Channel Reassignment Public Notice. If a broadcast television station licensee or MVPD seeks reimbursement for new equipment, it must provide a justification as to why it is reasonable under the circumstances to purchase new equipment rather than modify its corresponding current equipment in order to change channels or to continue to carry the signal of a broadcast television station that changes channels. Entities that submit their own cost estimates, as opposed to the predetermined cost estimates provided in the estimated cost form, must submit supporting evidence and certify that the estimate is made in good faith. Entities must also update the form if circumstances change significantly.12
Section 73.3700(e)(3) requires all broadcast television station licensees and MVPDs that received an initial allocation from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund, upon completing construction or other reimbursable changes, or by a specific deadline prior to the end of the Reimbursement Period to be established by the Media Bureau, whichever is earlier, to provide the Commission with information and documentation, including invoices and receipts, regarding their actual expenses incurred as of a date to be determined by the Media Bureau. If a broadcast television station licensee or MVPD has not yet completed construction or other reimbursable changes by the Final Allocation Deadline, it must provide the Commission with information and documentation regarding any remaining eligible expenses that it expects to reasonably incur.
Section 73.3700(e)(4) requires broadcast television station licensees and MVPDs that have received money from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund, after completing all construction or reimbursable changes, to submit final expense documentation containing a list of estimated expenses and actual expenses as of a date to be determined by the Media Bureau. Entities that have finished construction and have submitted all actual expense documentation by the Final Allocation Deadline will not be required to file at the final accounting stage.
Section 73.3700(e)(6) requires broadcast television station licensees and MVPDs that receive payment from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund to retain all relevant documents pertaining to construction or other reimbursable changes for a period ending not less than 10 years after the date on which it receives final payment from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund and to
make available all relevant documentation upon request from the Commission or its contractor.
This information collection does not affect individuals or households; thus, there are no impacts under the Privacy Act.
The statutory authority for this collection is contained in Pub. L. No. 112-96, §§ 6402 (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 309(j)(8)(G)), 6403 (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 1452), 126 Stat. 156 (2012) (Spectrum Act).
2. The Media Bureau will use the information provided by broadcast licensees and MVPDs (collectively, “eligible entities”) on the Reimbursement Form for several purposes. First, the Media Bureau will use information submitted on the Reimbursement Form to obtain eligible entities’ estimated costs related to transitioning stations to new channels. This will allow the Media Bureau to make an allocation for each eligible entity against which the entity will draw down as it incurs expenses. Second, eligible entities will submit the Reimbursement Form multiple times throughout the reimbursement period as they submit actual cost documentation (such as receipts and invoices) for expenses incurred. The Media Bureau will review submitted documentation and approve reimbursement payment. Finally, at the end of the project, eligible entities will use the Reimbursement Form to submit a final accounting of their costs, which the Media Bureau will use to true-up payments, as appropriate.
3. Form 2100, Schedule 399 will be filed electronically in the Media Bureau’s Licensing and Management System (LMS). LMS is the successor system to the Commission’s CDBS system, which was the system used for submitting all broadcast-related FCC Forms.
4. No other agency imposes similar information collections on the respondents. There is no similar data available from any other source.
5. In conformance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commission is making an effort to minimize the information collection burden for all respondents, including small businesses. For example, the Commission considered and rejected requiring all broadcast licensees to provide a preliminary estimate of their relocation costs, regardless of whether they are reassigned to a new channel. The Commission declined to ask all broadcasters to estimate their individual relocation costs because it concluded that such estimates generally cannot be made accurately until post-auction channel assignments have been made.13 Rather than requiring all broadcasters to submit cost estimates based on speculative channel assignments, Form 2100, Schedule 399 requires only those broadcast licensees actually reassigned to a new channel following the incentive auction to estimate the costs associated with relocating to their new channel assignment. Where possible, Form 2100, Schedule 399 provides multiple options from which the filer need only check the appropriate box.
6. Form 2100, Schedule 399 will collect key data from eligible entities throughout the reimbursement period. This information collection is necessary for the Commission to carry out the goals of and to comply with the Spectrum Act. Without the information collected in Form 2100, Schedule 399, the Commission could not reimburse broadcasters and MVPDs for the costs they incur in relocating to new channels after the incentive auction. Specifically, if the Commission did not collect invoices and other supporting documentation, it could not accurately pay the expenses that relocated broadcasters and MVPDs incur related to the channel reassignment and are entitled to receive pursuant to the Spectrum Act. The data collected will allow the Commission to comply with its statutory obligations both to reimburse costs reasonably incurred under section 6403(b)(4)(A) and to provide entities with the funds to implement their relocation changes within the statutory three-year reimbursement period under section 6403(b)(4)(D) of the Spectrum Act (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 1452). In addition, collecting cost documentation will preserve the financial integrity of the Fund by reducing the likelihood of waste, fraud, and abuse.
7. The collections are not being conducted in any manner inconsistent with 5 C.F.R. Part 1320.
8. The Commission published a 60-day public comment period in the Federal Register (90 FR 10496) on February 24, 2025, seeking comments from the public on the information collection requirements that are contained in this supporting statement. No comments were received from the public.
9. No payment or gift will be provided to respondents in connection with this collection of information.
10. Some assurances of confidentiality are being provided to the respondents. Invoices, receipts, contracts and other cost documentation submitted along with the form will be kept confidential in order to protect the identification of vendors and the terms of private contracts between parties. The name of the vendor providing the services or equipment and its Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), if provided by the vendor, will not be visible to the public viewing on-line information. Parties filing Form 2100, Schedule 399 may also seek confidential treatment of other information they provide pursuant to the Commission’s existing confidentiality rules.14
11. There are no questions of a sensitive nature with respect to the information collected.
12. FCC Form 2100, Schedule 399 is used for several purposes. As such, we evaluate the burden by type of submission. There are two types of respondents, broadcasters and MVPDs. The program has now almost completely concluded. All MVPD and FM participants have been closed out of the program and may no longer file on the Form 399. 10 Full and Low Power television stations remain in the program and will continue to make actual costs submissions.
a. Cost Estimate Submissions and Revisions
The cost estimate and submission portion of the reimbursement program has concluded, and no further submissions or revisions are permitted. As a result, there are costs associated with aspect of the form.
Total (Broadcaster and MVPD) Annual Burden Hours: 0
Total (Broadcaster and MVPD) Annual “In-House” Cost: $0
b. Actual Cost Documentation Submission
Broadcasters: The Commission estimates that all of the respondents will fulfill the reporting requirement without any outside assistance. We estimate it will take one (1) hour to log in, complete the relevant lines on the form and upload the supporting documentation necessary to complete a filing and keep records of the documentation. We further estimate that each respondent will make an average of ten filings of their actual cost documentation annually. Therefore, the burden on respondents is as follows:
10 (respondents) x 1 hour/response x 10 responses = 100 hours
Number of Respondents: 10
Number of Annual Responses: 100
Annual Burden Hours: 100 hours
We assume that the respondents will use in-house clerical personnel, whose earnings level is equivalent on average to the GS-7/5 level at $31.04 per hour, to prepare this information and keep records.
Annual “In-house” Burden Cost: 100 hours x $31.04/hour = $3,104.00
These estimates are based on FCC staff's knowledge and familiarity with the availability of the data required.
MVPDs: There are no MVPDs remaining in the program.
Annual “In-House” Burden Cost: = $0
Number of Respondents: 0
Number of Annual Responses: 0
Annual Burden Hours: 0 hours
Annual “In-house” Burden Cost: $0
Total (Broadcaster and MVPD) Annual Burden Hours: 0
Total (Broadcaster and MVPD) Annual “In-House” Cost: $0
These estimates are based on FCC staff's knowledge and familiarity with the availability of the data required.
c. Final Accounting Submission
Broadcasters: The Commission estimates the respondents will fulfill the reporting requirement without any outside assistance. We estimate it will take 4 hours to log in, complete the relevant lines on the form and upload the supporting documentation necessary to complete a filing and keep records of the documentation. Each respondent will make one final accounting submission. Therefore, the burden on respondents is as follows:
10 (respondents) x 4 hour/response (one time) = 40 hours
We assume that the respondents will use in-house clerical personnel, whose earnings level is equivalent on average to the GS-7/5 level at $31.04 per hour, to prepare this information and keep records. However, final accounting submissions will be collected over three years, 2021 through 2023, and therefore the annual burden hours and costs will be divided across these years.
Number of Respondents: 10
Number of Annual Responses: 10
Annual Burden Hours: 40 hours
Annual “In-House” Burden Cost: $1,241.60
These estimates are based on FCC staff's knowledge and familiarity with the availability of the data required.
MVPDs: All MVPD Final Accounting submissions have been received. There will be no additional submissions going forward.
Annual Burden Hours: 0 hours.
Annual “In-House” Burden Cost: $0.
Total (Broadcaster and MVPD) Annual Burden Hours: 0
Total (Broadcaster and MVPD) Annual “In-House” Cost: $0
Cumulative Totals for the Entire Collection:
Total Number of Respondents: 10 respondents (Broadcasters)
Total Number of Responses: 110 responses
Total Annual Burden Hours: 140 hours
Total Annual “In-house” Cost: $4,345.60
These estimates are based on FCC staff's knowledge and familiarity with the availability of the data required.
13. The external cost that respondents incur for the hiring of outside consultants to assist with fulfilling the requirements is as follows:
Cost Estimate Submission
The cost estimate and submission portion of the reimbursement program has concluded, and no further submissions or revisions are permitted. As a result, there are costs associated with aspect of the form.
Total external cost = $0
Actual Cost Documentation Submission
Broadcasters: The Commission estimates that respondents will utilize outside assistance to fulfill the reporting requirement. We estimate approximately 1 hour of project management services are utilized for each submission. At the average rate of $250 per hour for project management services, and based on the presumed 100 submission remaining in the program we estimate the following:
Total broadcaster actual cost documentation external cost = $25,000
MVPDs: There are no additional MVPD actual cost submissions remaining in the program.
Final Accounting Submission
Broadcasters: The Commission estimates that respondents will utilize outside assistance to fulfill the reporting requirement. We estimate approximately 8 hours of project management services are utilized for each submission. At the average rate of $250 per hour for project management services, and based on the presumed 10 submission remaining in the program we estimate the following:
Total broadcaster final accounting external cost = $20,000.
MVPDs: There are no additional MVPD final accounting submissions remaining in the program.
Total Annual Cost (external): $45,000.
14. Estimates of annualized costs to the Federal government:
The Commission estimates that 10 broadcast licensees and 0 MVPDs will file Form 2100, Schedule 399 as follows:
Cost Estimate Submission:
There are no additional cost estimate submissions in the program.
Actual Cost Submission:
The Commission will use contractors ($166.00/hour),15 GS 15/5 ($91.02) attorneys and engineers to review these requests. We estimate that approximately 80% of the submissions will be reviewed in one-half (.50) hour each by the contractor. The additional 20% will require one hour to review by contractor staff and one hour to review by GS 15/5 attorney or engineer. The Commission estimates that this will require the following time for review per request:
80 submissions (80% of 100) x .50 hours/request x $166.00/hour = $6,640.00
20 submissions (20% of 100) x 1 hour/request x $166.00/hour = $3,320.00
20 submissions (20% of 100) x 1 hour/request x $91.02/hour = $1,820.40
Total Cost = $11,780.40
Final Accounting Submission
The Commission will use contractors ($166.00/hour) to review these requests. We estimate that it will take four (4) hours for the contractor to review each submission.
10 submissions x 4 hour/filing x $166.00/hour = $6,640
Total Cost to Federal Government: $18,420.40
15. There are no program changes to this collection. There are adjustments to this collection which are due to the Commission conclusion of the program and the vast majority of participants no longer being permitted to submit the form. These adjustments are -2,070 to the number of respondents, -24,043 to the number of responses, -45,993 to the annual burden hours and -$7,305,000 to the annual cost.
16. The Commission does not intend to publish the results of these collections of information.
17. The Commission is not seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of these collections of information.
18. There are no exceptions to the certification statement.
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods:
The Commission does not anticipate that the collection of information will employ any statistical methods.
1 LPTV, TV Translator, and FM Broadcast Station Reimbursement; Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, MB Docket No. 18-214 and GN Docket No. 12-268, Report and Order, FCC 19-21 (adopted and released March 15, 2019) (LPTV, TV Translator, and FM Reimbursement Report and Order).
2 Consolidated Appropriations Act 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-141, at Division E, Title V, § 511, 132 Stat. 348 (2018) (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 1452(j)-(n)) (REA).
3 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Pub. L. No. 112-96, §§ 6402 (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 309(j)(8)(G)), 6403 (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 1452), 126 Stat. 156 (2012) (Spectrum Act).
4 47 U.S.C. § 1452(j)(1), (j)(2)(A)(iv), (k), (l).
5 47 CFR § 73.3701. Section 73.3701 sets forth the eligibility for reimbursement from the REA for newly eligible LPTV/translator stations and FM stations as a result of the Commission’s broadcast television spectrum incentive auction and subsequent television channel repacking. The section also outlines the reimbursable expenses, as well as reimbursement procedures and certifications required from stations seeking reimbursement. Section 73.3701 extends the same record keeping requirements previously approved under this Collection for broadcast television station licensees and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) eligible for reimbursement under Section 73.7300(e).
6 LPTV, TV Translator, and FM Reimbursement Report and Order at para. 91.
7 Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions, Report and Order, GN Docket 12-268, 29 FCC Rcd 6567, 6820 (2014) (Incentive Auction Order).
8 Incentive Auction Order, 29 FCC Rcd at 6820, para. 619.
9 Id.
11 Media Bureau Finalizes Reimbursement Form for Submission to OMB and Adopts Catalog of Expenses, Public Notice, 30 FCC Rcd 11701 (MB 2015).
12 Incentive Auction Order, 29 FCC Rcd at 6817, para. 610.
13 Incentive Auction Order at 6817, para. 611, n. 1725.
14 See 47 CFR § 0.459.
15 Id.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | JSWANK |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-05-19 |