466 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 1998 / Proposed Rules

Included in this industry are

commercial, religious, educational, and

other television stations. Also included

are establishments primarily engaged in

television broadcasting and which

produce taped television program

materials. There were 1,509 television

stations operating in the nation in 1992.

That number has remained fairly

constant as indicated by the

approximately 1,563 operating

television broadcasting stations in the

nation as of October 31, 1997. For 1992

the number of television stations that

produced less than $10.0 million in

revenue was 1,155 establishments.

Thus, the proposed rules will affect

many of the approximately 1,563

television stations; approximately 1,200

of those stations are considered small

businesses. These estimates may

overstate the number of small entities

since the revenue figures on which they

are based do not include or aggregate

revenues from non-television or nonradio affiliated companies. In addition to owners of operating

television stations, any entity who seeks

or desires to obtain a television

broadcast license may be affected by the

proposals contained in this item. The

number of entities that may seek to

obtain a television broadcast license is

unknown.

Federal Rules That Overlap, Duplicate,

or Conflict With the Proposed Rules

The initiatives and proposed rules

raised in this proceeding do not overlap,

duplicate or conflict with any other

rules.

Any Significant Alternatives Minimizing

the Impact on Small Entities and

Consistent with the Stated Objectives

This Notice solicits comment on a

variety of alternatives discussed herein.

Any significant alternatives presented in

the comments will be considered. The

proposed rules and policies are required

to implement provisions of the 1996

Act. These proposed rules and policies

may affect broadcast television

licensees, some of which are small

businesses. The Commission believes

that the proposed rules and policies

may be necessary to the recovery of a

portion of the value of the public

spectrum and to promote the

development of innovative uses of the

DTV capacity. The Commission seeks

comment on the alternatives proposed

in the Notice and on whether there is a

significant economic impact on any

class of small licensee or permittee as a

result of any of the proposed

approaches.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 1

Television, Television broadcasting.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–144 Filed 1–5–98; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 122397D]

New England Fishery Management

Council; Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting.

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery

Management Council (Council) will

hold a 2-day public meeting on January

14 and 15, 1998, to consider actions

affecting New England fisheries in the

exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting is scheduled for

Wednesday, January 14, 1998, at 10

a.m., and Thursday, January 15, 1998, at

8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at

the Colonial Hilton Resort, 427 Walnut

Street, Wakefield, MA; telephone (617)

245-9300. Requests for special

accommodations should be addressed to

the New England Fishery Management

Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA

01906-1097; telephone: (781) 231-0422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

J. Howard, Executive Director, New

England Fishery Management Council

(781) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Wednesday, January 14, 1998

After introductions the Council

meeting will begin with a Stock

Assessment Workshop advisory report

on the status of spiny dogfish, surf

clams, weakfish, and striped bass.

Following the report, the Monkfish

Committee will provide information on

recent changes to the management

measures proposed for inclusion in

Amendment 9 to the Northeast

Multispecies Fishery Management Plan

(Multispecies FMP) and review the

concerns of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council. During the afternoon session, the

Interspecies Committee will outline its

priorities for the upcoming year: Longterm objectives and a Council strategic

plan; approaches to easing management

restrictions; consistency of Multispecies

FMP objectives; the Multispecies FMP

exempted fisheries program; concerns

over latent effort in some fisheries;

inconsistencies in vessel upgrading,

replacement, and permit-splitting

restrictions; policy statement on the

introduction of harvesting innovations,

and new fisheries technology; NMFS’s

proposed list of authorized gear/

fisheries; area management of fisheries;

and the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative

Statistics Program fishing vessel logbook

form.

The Overfishing Definition Review

Panel will discuss new overfishing

definitions developed to comply with

the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA);

species will include Atlantic sea

scallops, sea herring, silver hake, and

possibly other groundfish species. The

Sea Scallop Committee will review its

discussions on alternatives to reach the

new SFA-mandated overfishing targets,

mechanisms for opening and closing

management areas, and the inclusion of

days-at-sea (DAS) leasing as a measure

to be implemented through a framework

adjustment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop

Fishery Management Plan (Scallop

FMP). The Council also will discuss

further the recommendation to close

mid-Atlantic areas to protect small

scallops and the development of a

framework adjustment to allow

scalloping in areas where it is currently

prohibited because of groundfish

conservation concerns. Finally, the

Council will consider additional

management measures for

implementation in 1998, such as other

reductions in DAS to meet the Scallop

FMP fishing mortality objectives.

Thursday, January 15, 1998

Thursday’s meeting will begin with

reports from the Council Chairman,

Executive Director, NMFS Regional

Administrator, Northeast Fisheries

Science Center and Mid-Atlantic

Fishery Management Council liaisons,

and representatives of the Coast Guard

and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries

Commission. The Council will discuss

and seek approval of final action on

Framework Adjustment 25 to the

Multispecies FMP. The adjustment will

include the following measures to meet

the 1998 fishing year rebuilding plan

objectives: One or a combination of

three options for area closures in the

Gulf of Maine (sequential one or two

month closures that progress from the

Cape Cod to Penobscot Bay areas during

March through September, with

additional areas closed seasonally or, in

one option, year-round); 400-1,000 lb/

day (181.4–453.6 kg/day) trip limit for
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 1998 / Proposed Rules 467

Gulf of Maine cod; an increase in the

haddock trip limit; a raised footrope

trawl requirement in the Small Mesh

Areas 1 and 2; and a one-year

postponement of the mandatory use of

vessel monitoring systems on vessels

fishing under individual DAS in the

Gulf of Maine (north of the cod trip

limit exemption line). Following the

groundfish discussions, the Whiting

Committee will provide an update on its

scoping process and review the issues

discussed at the joint oversight

committee/advisory panel meeting held

to discuss and identify issues to be

considered during development of a

fishery management plan. The Council

meeting will adjourn after the

conclusion of any other outstanding

Council business.

Although other issues not contained

in this agenda may come before this

Council for discussion, in accordance

with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management Act,

those issues may not be the subject of

formal Council action during this

meeting. Council action will be

restricted to those issues specifically

listed in this notice.

Special Accommodations

This meeting is physically accessible

to people with disabilities. Requests for

sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to Paul

J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5

days prior to the meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: December 30, 1997.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 98–175 Filed 1–5–98; 8:45 am]

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