81 FR 17708 - Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 61 (March 30, 2016)

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 61 (Wednesday, March 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17708-17709]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07116]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1213]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) invites 
the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity 
to comment on the following information collection. Comments are 
requested concerning: Whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Commission, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the 
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees.
    The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of 
information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No 
person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a 
collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a 
valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 31, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the comments the 
Title as shown in the Supplementary Information section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1213.
    Title: Application to Participate in a Reverse Incentive Auction, 
FCC Form 177.
    Form Number: FCC Form 177.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 600 respondents and 
600 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for the currently approved information collection 
is contained in sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications 
Act, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2204 and 
73.3700(h)(4)(i), (h)(4)(ii), and (h)(6) of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.2204, 73.3700(h)(4)(i), (h)(4)(ii), and (h)(6).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 900 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: None.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Certain information collected 
on FCC Form 177 will be treated as confidential for various periods of 
time during the course of the broadcast incentive auction (BIA) 
pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 1452(a)(3) and section 1.2206(b) of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2206(b). To the extent necessary, 
respondents may request confidential treatment of information collected 
on FCC Form 177 that is not already being treated as confidential 
pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules. See 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: A request for approval of this information 
collection will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) after this 60-day comment period in order to obtain the full 
three year clearance from OMB. On February 22, 2012, the President 
signed the Spectrum Act, which, among other things, authorized the 
Commission to conduct incentive auctions, and directed that the 
Commission use this innovative tool for an incentive auction of 
broadcast television spectrum to help meet the Nation's growing 
spectrum needs. See

[[Page 17709]]

Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, Public Law 112-
96, sections 6402, 6403, 125 Stat. 156 (2012) (Spectrum Act). The 
Commission's broadcast incentive auction (BIA) will have three main 
components: (1) A reverse auction in which broadcast television 
licensees will submit bids to voluntarily relinquish their spectrum 
usage rights in exchange for defined shares of proceeds from the 
forward auction; (2) a repacking of the broadcast television bands; and 
(3) a forward auction of initial licenses for flexible use of the newly 
available spectrum. The information collection requirements reported 
under this new collection are the result of various Commission actions 
in which the Commission adopted general rules to govern the auction--
including various application disclosures and certifications that must 
be made by broadcast television licensees to establish their 
eligibility to participate in the reverse auction--in order to 
implement the new and novel incentive auction approach for use in the 
BIA.
    Under this information collection, the Commission will collect 
information that will be used to determine whether an applicant is 
legally qualified to participate in a reverse incentive auction. To aid 
in collecting this information, the Commission has created FCC Form 
177, which the public will use to participate in reverse incentive 
auctions, including the Commission's upcoming broadcast incentive 
reverse auction. The Commission's auction rules and related 
requirements are designed to ensure that the competitive bidding 
process is limited to serious qualified applicants, deter possible 
abuse of the bidding and licensing process, and enhance the use of 
competitive bidding to assign Commission licenses and permits in 
furtherance of the public interest. The information collected on FCC 
Form 177 will be used by the Commission to determine if an applicant is 
legally qualified to participate in the reverse auction. Commission 
staff will review the information collected on FCC Form 177 as part of 
the pre-auction process, prior to the start of the reverse auction. 
Staff will determine whether each applicant satisfies the Commission's 
requirements to participate in the reverse auction. Without the 
information collected on FCC Form 177, the Commission will not be able 
to determine if an applicant is legally qualified to participate in the 
reverse auction and has complied with the various applicable regulatory 
and statutory auction requirements for such participation.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary. Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-07116 Filed 3-29-16; 8:45 am]
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