[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 213 (Thursday, November 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64273-64274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24604]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends 
to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 3, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard C. Annan, Acting Director, 
Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, 
1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1522, Room 5174 South Building, 
Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 720-0784, FAX: (202) 720-
4120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR part 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members 
of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on 
information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an information collection that RUS 
is submitting to OMB for extension.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to: Richard 
C. Annan, Director, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural 
Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1522, Room 
5068, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1522. FAX: 
(202) 720-4120.
    Title: Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0134.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: As part of the nation's evolution to digital television, 
the Federal Communications Commission had ordered all television 
broadcasters

[[Page 64274]]

to initiate the broadcast of a digital television signal. Public 
television stations rely largely on community financial support to 
operate. In many rural areas the cost of the transition to digital 
broadcasting may exceed community resources. Since rural communities 
depend on public television stations for services ranging from 
educational course content in their schools to local news, weather, and 
agricultural reports, any disruption of public television broadcasting 
would be detrimental.
    Initiating a digital broadcast requires the installation of a new 
antenna, transmitter or translator, and new digital program management 
facilities consisting of processing and storage systems. Public 
television stations use a combination of transmitters and translators 
to serve the rural public. If the public television station is to 
perform program origination functions, as most do, digital cameras, 
editing and mastering systems are required. A new studio-to-tower site 
communications link may be required to transport the digital broadcast 
signal to each transmitter and translator. The capability to broadcast 
some programming in a high definition television format is inherent in 
the digital television standard, and this can require additional 
facilities at the studio. These are the new components of the digital 
transition.
    In designing the national competition for the distribution of these 
grant funds, priority is given to public television stations serving 
the areas that would be most unable to fund the digital transition 
without a grant. The largest sources of funding for public television 
stations are public membership and business contributions. In rural 
areas, lower population density reduces the field of membership, and 
rural areas have fewer businesses per capita than urban and suburban 
areas. Therefore, rurality is a primary predictor of the need for grant 
funding for a public television station's digital transition. In 
addition, some rural areas have per capita income levels that are lower 
than the national average, and public television stations covering 
these areas in particular are likely to have difficulty funding the 
digital transition. As a result, the consideration of the per capita 
income of a public television station's coverage area is a secondary 
predictor of the need for grant funding. Finally, some public 
television stations may face special difficulty accomplishing the 
transition, and a third scoring factor for station hardship will 
account for conditions that make these public television stations less 
likely to accomplish the digital transition without a grant.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 21 hours per response.
    Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 50.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.12.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,168 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from MaryPat 
Daskal, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, at (202) 720-7853. 
FAX: (202) 720-4120
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: October 29, 2004.
Curtis M. Anderson,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 04-24604 Filed 11-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P