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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95211-95213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28185]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1034; FR ID 264570]

Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collections. Comments are requested 
concerning: 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; the 
accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 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; and ways to further reduce the 
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees.

[[Page 95212]]

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before January 31, 
2025. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be 
subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of 
information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB 
control number.
    As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and 
as required by the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invites 
the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity 
to comment on the following information collections. Comments are 
requested concerning: 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; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 
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; and ways to further reduce the 
information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1034.
    Title: Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems and their Impact on the 
Terrestrial Radio Broadcast Service; Form 2100, Schedule 335-FM--FM 
Digital Notification; Form 2100, Schedule 335-AM--AM Digital 
Notification.
    Form Number: Form 2100, Schedule 335-FM.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 215 respondents; 215 
responses.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 1 hour-8 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 345 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $128,250.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
sections 154(i), 303, 310, and 553 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended.
    Needs and Uses: On September 24, 2024, the Commission adopted the 
First Report and Order in the Modifying Rules for FM Terrestrial 
Digital Audio Broadcasting System, MB Docket No. 22-405, FCC 24-105 (FM 
Digital First R&O) proceeding, to allow digital FM station operation 
with asymmetric power on the digital sidebands. This asymmetric 
sideband operation will allow digital FM stations to operate with 
different power levels on the upper and lower digital sidebands, as a 
way to facilitate greater digital FM radio coverage without interfering 
with adjacent-channel FM stations, upon notification to the Commission 
on FCC Form 2100, Schedule 335-FM. Prior to adoption of the FM Digital 
First R&O, an FM digital station that wished to employ asymmetric 
sideband operation had to apply for an experimental authorization and 
renew that authorization annually. Initiating such operation by 
notification rather than experimental authorization will be simpler and 
less expensive to the licensee, and thus less burdensome. Additionally, 
eliminating the requirement of annual experimental authorization will 
remove a regulatory barrier and incentivize more digital FM stations to 
adopt such operations. This submission is therefore being made to OMB 
for approval of new or modified Information Collection requirements 
stemming from the FM Digital First R&O.
    The changes as adopted in the FM Digital First R&O require 
modifications to Schedule 335-FM and rule sections 73.404 and 73.406. 
Specifically, the FM Digital First R&O permits digital FM stations to 
use asymmetric sideband operation by notifying the Commission using 
Schedule 335-FM, and modifies that schedule by including fields to 
report the digital ERP being transmitted on each digital sideband, as 
well as the total digital ERP. Therefore, Schedule 335-FM is being 
amended to provide fields for the notifying station to indicate the 
digital ERP transmitted on each digital sideband, as well as the total 
digital ERP.
    The Commission also made an administrative change to the procedures 
used by FM station licensees seeking to increase digital power above -
14 dBc. Those requests, previously submitted by ``informal request,'' 
will now be submitted using Schedule 335-FM. After the effective date 
of the rules adopted in the First Digital R&O, digital FM stations must 
use Schedule 335-FM to request an increase in total digital ERP above -
14 dBc, using Table 1 to Sec.  73.404(f), and will also report certain 
digital power decreases on Schedule 335-FM. In sum, after the effective 
date of the FM Digital First R&O, a digital FM station will report the 
following actions (or request authority in the case of an increase of 
total digital ERP above -14 dBc) by submitting Schedule 335-FM: the 
initiation of hybrid digital operation; the initiation of asymmetric 
sideband operation at any power level, as well as the discontinuance of 
asymmetric sideband operation; an increase of total digital ERP above -
14 dBc; or a decrease in total digital ERP from a level above -14 dBc 
to a level at or below -14 dBc. As required with the current informal 
request process, a station choosing to operate with total digital ERP 
between -14 dBc and -10 dBc must attach an exhibit demonstrating that 
the proposed FM digital ERP is permitted for each digital sideband, 
using Table 1 to Sec.  73.404(f). This exhibit will now be an 
attachment to the Schedule 335-FM submission. As is the case with the 
current informal request process, a digital FM station choosing to 
operate with total digital ERP above -14 dBc may initiate such 
operation upon approval from the Commission.
    Schedule 335-FM is amended as follows:
    a. To include a question for the notifying station to report when 
asymmetric sideband operations commenced.
    b. To provide fields for the notifying station to indicate the 
digital ERP transmitted on each digital sideband, as well as the total 
digital ERP.
    c. To include a question for the notifying station to report that 
it has discontinued digital broadcasts and/or asymmetric sideband 
operations, and provide the date of the discontinuance.
    d. To include a question for the notifying station to report that 
the total digital ERP (listed in a previous item of the schedule) is 
greater than -14 dBc. A station choosing to operate with total digital 
ERP between -14 dBc and -10 dBc must attach an exhibit demonstrating 
that the proposed FM digital ERP is permitted for each digital 
sideband, using Table 1 in Sec.  73.404(f).

[[Page 95213]]

    e. To include a question for the notifying station to report a 
decrease in the total digital ERP to -14 dBc or below, and provide the 
date on which such decreased digital ERP operations commenced.
    Moreover, to implement the new or modified information collection 
requirements contained in the FM Digital First R&O, sections 73.404(e) 
and (f) of the rules are revised to allow digital FM stations to use 
asymmetric power on the digital sidebands and to use the ``Maximum 
permissible FM digital ERP per-sideband'' Table to comport with the 
current limits on FM digital ERP. Additionally, the newly adopted 
digital FM notification requirements are added to rule section 73.406 
in new paragraphs (d)(5) and (d)(6) as follows:

Sec.  73.406 Notification

    (d)(5) Any digital FM station taking any of the following actions 
must notify the Commission of such action on Form 2100, Schedule 335-
FM:
    (i) Upon initiation of hybrid digital operation;
    (ii) Upon initiation of asymmetric sideband operation at any power 
level. For FM stations employing asymmetric sideband operation as 
defined in Sec.  73.402(i), the notification must include a 
certification that the proposed digital sideband power on each sideband 
conforms to the Maximum Permissible FM Digital ERP set forth in Table 1 
to Sec.  73.404(f), and that the total digital sideband power will not 
exceed the total power if the digital sideband operation were 
symmetric. The notifying station may commence asymmetric sideband 
operation upon filing Form 2100, Schedule 335-FM, and may continue such 
operation unless notified by the Commission that such operation is not 
rule-compliant;
    (iii) Discontinuing asymmetric sideband operation and reverting to 
symmetric sideband operation. The digital FM station must file Form 
2100, Schedule 335-FM within 30 days of discontinuing asymmetric 
sideband operation; or
    (iv) Decreasing total digital Effective Radiated Power from a level 
above -14 dBc to a level at or below -14 dBc. The digital FM station 
must file Form 2100, Schedule 335-FM within 30 days of decreasing 
power.
    (6) Any digital FM station seeking authority to increase total 
digital Effective Radiated Power above -14 dBc must submit Form 2100, 
Schedule 335-FM. The submission must include a certification that the 
proposed FM digital Effective Radiated Power is permitted, using the 
table set forth in Table 1 to Sec.  73.404(f). Certifications must be 
based on the most restrictive analog field strength of the proponent at 
any nearby first-adjacent channel station's 60 dB[micro] contour. The 
station choosing to operate with total digital ERP above -14 dBc may 
initiate such operation upon approval from the Commission.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-28185 Filed 11-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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