26758 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 93 /Thursday, May 14, 1998 / Proposed Rules

1Pub. L. No. 104–104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996).

syndicated exclusivity surcharge, where

applicable,’’ after the phrase ‘‘the

current base rate’’.

3. Section 201.17(h)(2)(iv) is amended

by adding three sentences to the end of

the paragraph to read as follows:

§ 201.17 Statements of Account covering

compulsory licenses for secondary

transmissions by cable systems.

* * * * *

(h) * * *

(2) * * *

(iv) * * * The calculations shall be

based upon the gross receipts from

subscribers within the relevant

communities. No cable system shall

make its calculations based solely on

the number of subscribers receiving a

particular signal. For partially-distant

stations, gross receipts shall be the total

gross receipts from subscribers outside

the local service area.’’

* * * * *

PART 256—ADJUSTMENT OF

ROYALTY FEE FOR CABLE

COMPULSORY LICENSE

4. The authority citation for part 256

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 17 U.S.C. 801–803.

5. Section 256.2(a)(1) is amended by

removing the word ‘‘fee’’ and adding the

word ‘‘fees’’ before the phrase ‘‘, if

any,’’.

6. Section 256.2(a)(1) is amended by

adding the phrase ‘‘and (c)’’ after ‘‘(4)’’.

7. Section 256.2(c) is amended by

adding the phrase ‘‘(2) through (4)’’ after

the ‘‘(a)’’ in the phrase which reads ‘‘the

royalty rate shall be in lieu of the

royalty rates specified in paragraphs (a)

and (d) of this section,’’.

Dated: May 7, 1998.

Marybeth Peters,

Register of Copyrights.

[FR Doc. 98–12652 Filed 5–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 1410–31–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 0, 1, 13, 22, 24, 26, 27,

80, 87, 90, 97, and 101

[WT Docket No. 98–20; DA 98–827]

Facilitate the Development and Use of

the Universal Licensing System

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking;

extension of comment period.

SUMMARY: The Commission has released

an order which extends the filing

deadlines for comments on its Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 98–25)

regarding the Universal Licensing

System. We also waive the rules that

require the paper filing of comments

and replies. Consequently, the electric

filing of comments and replies will be

permitted. These steps have been taken

to permit more thorough, detailed

comments and replies on the proposed

rulemaking to be filed with the

Commission. The effect will be to

improve the quality of the Commission’s

final determinations in this rulemaking.

DATES: Comments are due on or before

May 22, 1998; reply comments are due

on or before June 8, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications

Commission, Room 222, 1919 M Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Wilbert Nixon or Chris Gacek of the

Policy & Rules Branch, Commercial

Wireless Division, Wireless

Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418–

7240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

following documents relate to the

aforementioned rulemaking Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking, WT Docket No.

98–20, FCC 98–25, 63 FR 16938, April

7, 1998, (ULS NPRM); Electronic Filing

of Documents in Rulemaking

Proceedings, Report and Order, GC

Docket No. 97–113, FCC 98–56, 63 FR

24121, May 1, 1998; Implementation of

Section 255 of the Telecommunications

Act of 1996, Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking, WT Docket No. 96–198,

FCC 98–55 (adopted April 2, 1998;

released April 20, 1998), paragraph 185.

The order may be found on the

internet at: <http://www.fcc.gov/

Bureaus/Wireless/Orders/1998/

da980827.txt>.

Federal Communications Commission.

Ramona E. Melson,

Chief, Policy & Rules Branch, Commercial

Wireless Division, Wireless

Telecommunications Bureau.

[FR Doc. 98–12835 Filed 5–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–M

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

47 CFR Chapter 1

[MM Docket No. 98–35; DA: 98–854]

Broadcast Services; Radio Stations,

Television Stations

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of

comment period.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the request of the

National Association of Broadcasters,

the Chief, Mass Media Bureau, acting

under delegated authority, extends the

comment and reply comment deadlines,

on whether any or all of its broadcast

ownership rules are no longer in the

public interest as a result of

competition, for sixty days. The new

deadlines will be July 21, 1998, for

comments and August 21, 1998, for

reply comments.

DATES: Comments are now due by July

21, 1998, and reply comments are due

by August 21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications

Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20554

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roger Holberg, Mass Media Bureau,

Policy and Rules Division, (202) 418–

2134, or Dan Bring, Mass Media Bureau,

Policy and Rules Division, (202) 418–

2170.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

synopsis of the Commission’s Order in

MM Docket No. 98–35, DA–854,

adopted and released May 7, 1998. The

complete text of this Order is available

for inspection and copying during

normal business hours in the FCC

Reference Center (Room 239), 1919 M

Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., and may

also be purchased from the

Commission’s copy contractor,

International Transcription Service,

(202) 857–3800, 1231 20th Street, N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20036. The Order is

also available on the Internet at the

Commission’s web site: http://

www.fcc.gov.:

1. On March 12, 1998, the

Commission, pursuant to Section 202(h)

of the Telecommunications Act of 1996

(‘‘Telecom Act’’),1 adopted a Notice of

Inquiry (‘‘Notice’’), 63 FR 15353, March

31, 1998, in this proceeding soliciting

comment on all of the Commission’s

broadcast ownership rules except for

those already being examined in

pending proceedings. The deadline for

filing comments was set at May 22,

1998, and for reply comments June 22,

1998.

2. On April 20, 1998, the National

Association of Broadcasters (‘‘NAB’’)

filed a ‘‘Motion for Extension of Time of

Comment and Reply Comment

Deadlines’’ seeking a sixty-day

extension of the comment and reply

comment deadlines. NAB states that it

has identified several areas pertinent to

the biennial review in which it plans to

complete research and analysis. It

believes that the results of these studies,

and additional studies currently being
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 93 /Thursday, May 14, 1998 / Proposed Rules 26759

2 47 CFR 1.46.

discussed among NAB’s staff and other

parties, will be helpful to the

Commission’s inquiry. Furthermore,

NAB asserts, the issues raised by the

Notice, and the NAB’s position on them,

will be major subjects of its Joint Board

of Directors meeting scheduled June 27–

30, 1998.

3. We will grant the requested

extension. Although the Commission

has a policy of not routinely granting

extensions of time for filing comments

in rulemaking proceedings 2 this

proceeding raises a number of complex

issues concerning the nature,

dimension, and competitiveness of the

several markets in which the subject

rules operate. A well-documented

record will best conduce to an informed

decision as to which of the

Commission’s broadcast ownership

rules are no longer necessary in the

public interest as a result of

competition. Additionally: (1) The

National Association of Broadcasters

represents many of the parties that will

most directly be affected by any actions

we take in this proceeding; (2) it has

shown good cause why a sixty-day

extension will enable it to provide more

well-informed comments; and (3) no

party will be prejudiced by this

extension. Rather, all may make good

use of this added time to prepare and

present well-supported comments on

these important issues.

4. This action is taken pursuant to the

authority found in Sections 4(i) and

303(r) of the Communications Act of

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

303(r), and sections 204(b), 0.283, and

1.45 of the Commission’s Rules.

Federal Communications Commission.

Roy J. Stewart,

Chief, Mass Media Bureau.

[FR Doc. 98–12668 Filed 5–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

49 CFR Part 393

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA–97–3201]

RIN 2125–AE15

Parts and Accessories Necessary for

Safe Operation; Rear Impact Guards

and Rear Impact Protection

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM); request for comments.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is proposing to

amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Regulations (FMCSRs) to require that

certain trailers and semitrailers with a

gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of

4,536 kilograms (kg) (10,000 pounds) or

more, and manufactured on or after

January 26, 1998, be equipped with rear

impact guards that meet the

requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle

Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 223. The

rear impact guards would be installed to

ensure that the trailer or semitrailer

meets the rear impact protection

requirements of FMVSS No. 224. This

rulemaking is intended to ensure that

the rear impact protection requirements

of the FMCSRs are consistent with the

FMVSSs and to improve the safety of

operation of commercial motor vehicles

(CMVs) by reducing the incidence of

passenger compartment intrusion

during underride accidents in which the

passenger vehicle strikes the rear of the

trailer. With regard to trailers

manufactured before January 26, 1998,

the FHWA is not proposing that motor

carriers be required to retrofit a rear

impact guard that conforms to FMVSS

No. 223. However, motor carriers

operating these trailers would be

required to continue complying with the

FHWA’s current requirements for rear

impact guards and rear impact

protection.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before July 13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit written, signed

comments to the docket number that

appears in the heading of this document

to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets,

Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590–0001. All

comments received will be available for

examination at the above address from

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., et., Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays. Those

desiring notification of receipt of

comments must include a selfaddressed, stamped envelope or

postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Larry W. Minor, Office of Motor Carrier

Research and Standards, (202) 366–

4009, or Mr. Charles Medalen, Office of

the Chief Counsel, (202) 366–1354,

Federal Highway Administration,

Department of Transportation, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C.

20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m.

to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

Internet users can access all

comments received by the U.S. DOT

Dockets, Room PL–401, by using the

universal resource locator (URL): http:/

/dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours

each day, 365 days each year. Please

follow the instructions online for more

information and help.

An electronic copy of this document

may be downloaded using a modem and

suitable communications software from

the Federal Register Electronic Bulletin

Board Service at (202) 512–1661.

Internet users may reach the Federal

Register’s home page at: http://

www.nara.gov/nara/fedreg and the

Government Printing Office’s database

at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/suldocs.

Background

On January 24, 1996 (61 FR 2003), the

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) published a

final rule creating Federal Motor

Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs)

Nos. 223, Rear Impact Guards, and 224,

Rear Impact Protection. The

requirements apply to trailers

manufactured on or after January 26,

1997.

The first standard, FMVSS No. 223

(49 CFR 571.223), specifies performance

requirements that rear impact guards

must meet before they can be installed

on new trailers and semitrailers. It

specifies strength requirements for the

impact guards as well as test procedures

that manufacturers and the NHTSA will

use to determine compliance with the

standard. The standard also requires the

guard manufacturer to permanently

label the impact guard to certify that the

device meets the requirements and to

provide instructions on the proper

installation of the guard.

The second standard, FMVSS No. 224

(49 CFR 571.224), requires that most

new trailers and semitrailers with a

gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of

4,536 kg (10,000 pounds) or more be

equipped with a rear impact guard

meeting FMVSS No. 223. Requirements

for the location of the guard relative to

the rear end and sides of the trailer are

also specified in the vehicle standard. In

addition, the vehicle standard requires

that the guard be mounted on the trailer

or semitrailer in accordance with the

instructions of the guard manufacturer.

History of Current FHWA Requirements

The first Federal requirements

concerning heavy vehicle rear underride

protection were issued in 1952 by the

Bureau of Motor Carriers of the

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

(presently the Office of Motor Carriers of

the Federal Highway Administration).

The regulation, which is still in effect

(49 CFR 393.86), requires heavy trucks,

trailers, and semitrailers to be equipped

with a rear-end protection device