6246 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Notices

Name Case No.

Green Holdings, Inc .......................................................................................................................................................................... RF272–25553

Personnel Security Review ............................................................................................................................................................... VSA–0074

Scappoose Sand & Gravel Co ......................................................................................................................................................... RG272–984

Wilkins, Kaiser & Olsen, Inc ............................................................................................................................................................. RG272–983

[FR Doc. 97–3311 Filed 2–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information

Collections Being Reviewed by the

Federal Communications Commission

February 5, 1997.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications

Commission, as part of its continuing

effort to reduce paperwork burden

invites the general public and other

Federal agencies to take this

opportunity to comment on the

following information collection, as

required by the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. An

agency 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

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that

does not display a valid control number.

Comments are requested concerning (a)

Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

Commission, including whether the

information shall have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the Commission’s

burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance

the quality, utility, and clarify of the

information collected; and (d) 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.

DATES: Persons wishing to comment on

this information collection should

submit comments April 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to

Dorothy Conway, Federal

Communications Commission, Room

234, 1919 M St., NW., Washington, DC

20554 or via internet to

dconway@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

additional information or copies of the

information collections contact Dorothy

Conway at 202–418–0217 or via internet

at dconway@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval Number: 3060–0685.

Title: Annual Updating of Maximum

Permitted Rates for Regulated Cable

Services.

Form No.: FCC Form 1240.

Type of Review: Extension of approval

of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other forprofit entities; state and local

governments.

Number of Respondents: 4,500. (3,000

cable operators and 1,500 local

franchise authorities (‘‘LFAs’’).

Estimated Time Per Response: 1–15

hours.

Total Annual Burden: 47,250 hours.

We report the burden for all aspects of

this information collection as follows:

The modification of the Form 1240 rate

methodology requirement only pertains

to first-time filings of FCC Form 1240.

The modification merely results in

permitting operators to project and

recoup certain costs sooner, rather than

later; therefore there is no measurable

burden revision for this information

collection. If there were an additional

burden significant enough to be

measured, any burden added to an

operator’s first Form 1240 filing would

be negated by the decreased burden in

completing the operator’s second Form

1240 filing. The Commission therefore

reports no revised burden to complete

Form 1240 on a per filing basis.

However, based on latest data available,

the Commission adjusts the estimated

number of Form 1240 filings that are

annually filed by operators.

The Commission estimates that there

are no more than 3,000 Form 1240s filed

annually; roughly 1,500 (50%) with the

Commission and roughly 1,500 (50%)

with LFAs. Burden for operators: We

estimate that 25% of operators will

contract out the burden of filing and

that it will take 1 hour to coordinate

information with those contractors. The

remaining 75% of operators are

estimated to employ in house staff to

complete the filing. 750 filings (25%

contracted out) × 1 hour = 750 hours.

2,250 filings (75% in house) × 15 hours

= 33,750 hours. Additionally,

76.933(g)(2) states: If an LFA has taken

no action within the 90-day review

period, then the proposed rates may go

into effect at the end of the review

period, subject to a prospective rate

reduction and refund if the LFA

subsequently issues a written decision

disapproving any portion of such rates.

However, if an operator inquires as to

whether the LFA intends to issue a rate

order after the initial review period, the

LFA or its designee must notify the

operator of its intent in this regard

within 15 days of the operator’s inquiry.

We estimate this will occur in 25% of

the instances when Form 1240s are filed

by cable operators with their LFAs. 25%

of 1,500 = 375 inquiries at an estimated

1 burden for each inquiry = 375 hours.

Total burden hours to operators = 750

+ 33,750 + 375 = 34,875 hours.

Burden to LFAs: The Commission

estimates there will be 1,500 FCC Form

1240s filed with LFAs, annually.

Average LFA reviewing time for each

FCC Form 1240 is estimated to be 8

hours. 1,500 × 8 hours = 12,000 burden

hours. Additionally, we estimate 375

responses to operator requests pursuant

to 76.933(g)(2). 375 notifications at an

estimated 1 burden hour for each

notification = 375 hours.

Total burden hours to LFAs = (1,500

× 8 hrs.) + (375 × 1 hr.) = 12,375 hrs.

Total burden hours for all

respondents = 34,875 + 12,375 = 47,250

hours.

Total costs for Respondents:

$1,139,000. We estimate an annual

purchase of 1,000 diskette versions of

FCC Form 1240 @ $5 per diskette =

$5,000. Printing, photocopying and

postage costs incurred by operators and

LFAs is estimated to be $2 per entity

(4,500 entities × $2) = $9,000. We

estimate that assistance for completing

Form 1240 filings will be performed by

legal and accounting contractors at an

average of $100/hour for 25% of the

filings. $100/hour × 750 filings (25% of

Form 1240 filings) × 15 hours =

$1,125,000.

Total respondent costs: $5,000 +

$9,000 + $1,125,000 = $1,139,000.

Needs and Uses: On September 22,

1995, the Commission released the

Thirteenth Order on Reconsideration

(‘‘Order’’), FCC 95–397, MM Docket No.

92–266, which adopted a new optional

rate adjustment methodology permitting

cable operators to make annual rate

changes to their basic service tiers

(‘‘BSTs’’) and cable programming
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Notices 6247

service tiers (‘‘CPSTs’’). Operators

electing to use this methodology adjust

their rates once per year to reflect

reasonably certain and reasonably

quantifiable changes in external costs,

inflation, and the number of regulated

channels that are projected for the 12

months following the rate change. To

enable operators to use this optional rate

adjustment methodology the

Commission created FCC Form 1240

Annual Updating of Maximum

Permitted Rates for Regulated Cable

Services. Subsequent to the availability

of FCC Form 1240, the Commission

received numerous requests for waiver

of certain rate adjustment requirements

contained in the Order. Therefore, on,

November 1, 1996, the Commission

released an Order, DA 96–1804, which

granted for all cable operators’ initial

Form 1240 filing, a waiver of the

requirement that only costs that have

actually been incurred may be included

in the true-up period. Specifically, an

operator’s initial Form 1240 filing may

now include projected changes in costs,

inflation, channels and subscriber

information attributable to the period

between the last date for which

historical cost data is available and the

effective date of the new rates. These

projections must be accompanied by a

separate calculation and explanation of

the basis for the costs (for the period

between the last full month for which

actual cost data is available and the

effective date of the new rate).

The creation of this blanket waiver

modified the Form 1240 information

collection requirement (though not the

actual Form 1240, hence the July 1996

edition remains intact) and therefore

required the approval of the Office of

Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’). The

Commission received emergency OMB

approval on December 12, 1996. The

Commission now initiates a 60-day

public comment period concerning the

Form 1240 information collection

requirement in order to obtain regular

OMB approval for the collection.

FCC Form 1240 is filed by cable

operators seeking to adjust maximum

permitted rates for regulated services to

reflect changes in external costs. Cable

operators submit FCC Form 1240 to

their respective local franchising

authorities to justify rates for the basic

service tier or with the Commission (in

situations where the Commission has

assumed jurisdiction). FCC Form 1240

is also filed with the Commission when

responding to a complaint filed with the

Commission about cable programming

service rates and associated equipment.

Information contained in FCC Form

1240 filings has been used by the

Commission and LFAs to adjudicate

permitted rates for regulated cable

services and equipment, for the addition

of new programming tiers, to account

for the addition and deletion of

channels, and for the allowance for pass

through of external costs and costs due

to inflation.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–3257 Filed 2–10–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

Public Information Collections

Approved by Office of Management

and Budget

February 5, 1997.

The Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) has received Office

of Management and Budget (OMB)

approval for the following public

information collections pursuant to the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,

Public Law 104–13. An agency may not

conduct or sponsor and a person is not

required to respond to a collection of

information unless it displays a

currently valid control number. For

further information contact Shoko B.

Hair, Federal Communications

Commission, (202) 418–1379.

Federal Communications Commission

OMB Control No.: 3060–0165.

Expiration Date: 01/31/2000.

Title: Records to be Maintained and

Reports to be Filed—Part 41 Franks,

Section 41.31.

Form No.: N/A.

Estimated Annual Burden: 408 total

annual hours; 6 hours per respondent

(avg.); 68 respondents.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Description: Section 210 of the

Communications Act of 1934, as

amended, 47 U.S.C. 210, requires that

common carriers subject to the Act

maintain records to reflect the name,

address, etc., of persons holding

telephone or telegraph franks, so as to

enable the Commission and/or carriers

to compile, if needed, reports in this

area. Though the Commission is not

currently requiring the actual periodic

reporting of this data, it is information

which should continue to be maintained

in case the need arises to assure that the

franking privileges are being adequately

policed by the companies themselves.

Section 41.31 of the Commission’s rules

implements Section 210. The

information helps to ensure that franks

are being addressed fairly. Failure to

have the information recorded would

prohibit the Commission from being

able to respond to complaints and from

generally being able to police the

activity.

OMB Control No.: 3060–0147.

Expiration Date: 01/31/2000.

Title: Extension of Unsecured Credit

for Interstate and Foreign—Section

64.804.

Form No.: N/A.

Estimated Annual Burden: 104 total

annual hours; 8 hours per respondent;

13 respondents.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Description: Collection of this

information is required by statute—

Section 401 of the Federal Election

Campaign Act of 1971, Public Law 92–

225. Pursuant to Section 64.804 of FCC

Rules and Regulations, records of each

account, involving the extension by a

carrier of unsecured credit to a

candidate or person on behalf of such

candidate for common carrier

communications services shall be

maintained by the carrier as to show

separately, for interstate and foreign

communications services all charges,

credits, adjustments, and security, if

any, and balance receivable. Section

64.804 requires communications

common carriers with operating

revenues exceeding $1 million who

extend unsecured credit to a political

candidate or person on behalf of such

candidate for Federal office to report,

twice a year, data including due and

outstanding balances. The information

is used by the agency to monitor the

extent of credit extended to candidates

for Federal office.

OMB Control No.: 3060–0745.

Expiration Date: 08/31/97.

Title: Implementation of the Local

Exchange Carrier Tariff Streamlining

Provisions in the Telecommunications

Act of 1996, CC Docket No. 96–187.

Form No.: N/A.

Estimated Annual Burden: 4090 total

annual hours; 37.18 hours per

respondent (avg.); 110 respondents.

Estimated Annual Reporting and

Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $170,000.

Description: In the Report and Order

issued in CC Docket 96–187, the

Commission adopted measures to

implement the specific streamlining

tariff filing requirements for local

exchange carriers (LECs) of the

Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996

Act). In order to achieve a streamlined

and deregulatory environment for LEC

tariff filings, the item will permit LECs

to file tariffs electronically. The 1996

Act provides that LEC tariffs seeking

rate increases shall be effective in fifteen

days and LEC tariffs seeking rate

decreases shall be effective in seven

days. The Commission adopted its

proposal that carriers wishing to take