9238 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 40 / Friday, February 28, 1997 / Notices

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Voluntary Customer Surveys to

Implement E.O. 12862 Coordinated by

the Office of Opinion Research on

Behalf of All IRS Operations Functions.

OMB Number: 1545–1432.

Abstract: This is a generic clearance

for an undefined number of customer

satisfaction and opinion surveys and

focus group interviews to be conducted

over the next three years. Surveys and

focus groups conducted under the

generic clearance are used by the

Internal Revenue Service to determine

levels of customer satisfaction, as well

as determining issues that contribute to

customer burden. This information will

be used to make quality improvements

to products and services.

Current Actions: We will be

conducting different customer

satisfaction and opinion surveys and

focus group interviews during the next

three years than in the past. At the

present time, it is not determined what

these surveys and focus groups will be.

Type of Review: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Affected Public: Individuals or

households, business or other-for-profit

organizations, and farms.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

83,841.

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 5

minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 7,000.

The following paragraph applies to all

of the collections of information covered

by this notice:

An agency may not conduct or

sponsor, and a person is not required to

respond to, a collection of information

unless the collection of information

displays a valid OMB control number.

Books or records relating to a collection

of information must be retained as long

as their contents may become material

in the administration of any internal

revenue law. Generally, tax returns and

tax return information are confidential,

as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103.

Request for Comments

Comments submitted in response to

this notice will be summarized and/or

included in the request for OMB

approval. All comments will become a

matter of public record. Comments are

invited on: (a) Whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

agency, including whether the

information shall have practical utility;

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate

of the burden of the collection of

information; (c) ways to enhance the

quality, utility, and clarity of the

information to be collected; (d) ways to

minimize the burden of the collection of

information on respondents, including

through the use of automated collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology; and (e) estimates of capital

or start-up costs and costs of operation,

maintenance, and purchase of services

to provide information.

Approved: February 21, 1997.

Garrick R. Shear,

IRS Reports Clearance Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–4950 Filed 2–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4830–01–U

UNITED STATES INFORMATION

AGENCY

VOA Seeks Private Sector Partners

AGENCY: United States Information

Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Voice of America (VOA)

is the United States Government’s

world-wide broadcasting service and a

major component of the U.S.

Information Agency’s (USIA)

International Broadcasting Bureau. VOA

has an unparalleled worldwide news

gathering service, with more than 22

bureaus around the globe; it produces a

wide variety of programming in English

and 52 other languages, reaching about

92 million people around the globe; it

has a 55-year worldwide reputation for

accuracy and excellence, making it far

and away the best known and respected

American source of news and

information in the world; its music

programs have brought and now bring

American popular culture to remote

areas of the world; millions of people

have learned English by listening the

English teaching and Special English

programs of VOA; many of its language

services, such as the Spanish and

Portuguese Services for Latin America

(VOA Latin America) now work with

hundreds of affiliate stations.

Like other major media enterprises,

the VOA is now prepared to explore a

variety of possible arrangements with

telecommunications/broadcasting

corporations. VOA is prepared to accept

proposals for joint ventures, corporate

underwriting, and other relationships

designed to further its mission while

reducing the expenditure of taxpayer

dollars. The Agency is authorized,

pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 1437, to

encourage and utilize private agencies’

participation, including existing

American press, publishing, radio, et al.,

in carrying out its mission.

Accordingly, the U.S. Information

Agency and its International

Broadcasting Bureau are seeking private

sector partners for its various VOA

programs and program services. It is

specifically interested in exploring

proposals from companies that would

like to provide financing for VOA Latin

America and/or other components of

VOA.

Expressions of interest should be

submitted in writing by April 1, 1997,

to John G. Busch, Office of Contracts,

301 4th St., S.W., Room M–22,

Washington, DC 20547; telephone no.

202–205–5480; fax no. 202–205–5466;

or Internet: JBUSCH@USIA.GOV. All

correspondence will be considered.

Dated: February 21, 1997.

John G. Busch,

Senior Contracting Officer, Office of

Contracts.

[FR Doc. 97–5025 Filed 2–27–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8230–01–M