Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 56 / Monday, March 24, 1997 / Proposed Rules 13853

LECs and third parties. (2) Does

providing access to network elements

other than access to vertical features of

unbundled switches implicate

intellectual property rights of

equipment vendors or other third

parties? Why or why not? (3) Does

providing access to services for resale,

in accordance with section 251,

implicate intellectual property rights of

equipment vendors or other third

parties? Why or why not? (4) What are

the potential burdens on requesting

telecommunications carriers if they are

required to independently negotiate

licensing agreements with equipment

vendors or other third parties before

obtaining access to unbundled network

elements? Are there ways to eliminate

or reduce those burdens on requesting

telecommunications carriers? In

addition, we encourage parties to

comment on MCI’s proposal that

incumbent LECs bear the burden of

negotiating any extension or

augmentation of intellectual property

rights that might be implicated in

interconnection agreements.

Interested parties should file

comments on MCI’s petition by April

15, 1997, and reply comments by May

6, 1997, with the Secretary, FCC, 1919

M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554.

A copy should also be sent to Janice

Myles, Common Carrier Bureau, FCC,

Room 544, 1919 M Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20554, and to the

Commission’s contractor for public

service records duplication, ITS, Inc.,

2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140,

Washington, D.C. 20037. Parties filing

comments should include the Policy

Division internal reference number,

CCBPol 97–4, as well as the docket

number, CC Docket No. 96–98, on their

pleadings. MCI’s petition is available for

inspection and copying during regular

business hours in the FCC Reference

Center, Room 239, 1919 M Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20554, as well as in

the Common Carrier Bureau’s Public

Reference Room, Room 575, 2000 M

Street, N.W., Washington, D. C. 20554.

Copies can also be obtained from ITS by

calling (202) 857–3800. Comments and

reply comments must include a short

and concise summary of the substantive

arguments raised in the pleading.

We will treat this proceeding as nonrestricted for purposes of the

Commission’s ex parte rules. See

generally 47 CFR §§ 1.1200–1.1216.

Parties may not file more than a total of

ten (10) pages of ex parte submissions,

excluding cover letters. This ten-page

limit does not include: (1) written ex

parte filings made solely to disclose an

oral ex parte contract; (2) written

material submitted at the time of an oral

presentation to Commission staff that

provides a brief outline of the

presentation; or (3) written material

filed in response to direct requests from

Commission staff. Ex parte filings in

excess of this limit will not be

considered as part of the record in this

proceeding.

Federal Communications Commission

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–7527 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

47 CFR Parts 25, 26, 73, 76 and 100

[MM Docket No. 95–176; DA 97–568]

Closed Captioning of Video

Programming

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of

reply comment period.

SUMMARY: This Order extends the period

for the public to file reply comments in

this rulemaking from March 24, 1997

until March 31, 1997. This action will

allow the public to more adequately

reply to comments previously filed in

response to the Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking (‘‘NPRM’’) seeking

comment on proposed rules for the

closed captioning of video

programming.

DATES: Reply comments are now due on

or before March 31, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications

Commission, Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marcia Glauberman, John Adams or

Alexis Johns, Cable Services Bureau,

(202) 418–7200, TTY (202) 418–7172.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By this

Order, we extend the time period for

filing reply comments in this docket

until March 31, 1997. Section 305 of the

Telecommunications Act of 1996 (‘‘1996

Act’’) added a new Section 713, Video

Programming Accessibility, to the

Communications Act of 1934, as

amended (‘‘Communications Act’’).

Section 713 requires the Commission to

prescribe, by August 8, 1997, rules and

implementation schedules for the closed

captioning of video programming. On

January 9, 1997, the Commission

adopted a NPRM, summarized at 62 FR

4959 (February 3, 1997), in this docket,

seeking comment on proposed rules,

implementation schedules and

exemptions as authorized by Congress

in Section 713. The NPRM established

March 24, 1997, as the deadline for

filing reply comments.

This action is taken pursuant to

authority found in Sections 4(i), 303(r)

and 713 of the Communications Act of

1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i),

303(r) and 613.

Federal Communications Commission

Meredith J. Jones,

Chief, Cable Services Bureau.

[FR Doc. 97–7321 Filed 3–21–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P