federal register - U.S. Government Printing Office

Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 28 / Tuesday, February 11, 1997 / Notices6247service tiers (‘‘CPSTs’’). Operatorselecting to use this methodology adjusttheir rates once per year to reflectreasonably certain and reasonablyquantifiable changes in external costs,inflation, and the number of regulatedchannels that are projected for the 12months following the rate change. Toenable operators to use this optional rateadjustment methodology theCommission created FCC Form 1240Annual Updating of MaximumPermitted Rates for Regulated CableServices. Subsequent to the availabilityof FCC Form 1240, the Commissionreceived numerous requests for waiverof certain rate adjustment requirementscontained in the Order. Therefore, on,November 1, 1996, the Commissionreleased an Order, DA 96–1804, whichgranted for all cable operators’ initialForm 1240 filing, a waiver of therequirement that only costs that haveactually been incurred may be includedin the true-up period. Specifically, anoperator’s initial Form 1240 filing maynow include projected changes in costs,inflation, channels and subscriberinformation attributable to the periodbetween the last date for whichhistorical cost data is available and theeffective date of the new rates. Theseprojections must be accompanied by aseparate calculation and explanation ofthe basis for the costs (for the periodbetween the last full month for whichactual cost data is available and theeffective date of the new rate).The creation of this blanket waivermodified the Form 1240 informationcollection requirement (though not theactual Form 1240, hence the July 1996edition remains intact) and thereforerequired the approval of the Office ofManagement and Budget (‘‘OMB’’). TheCommission received emergency OMBapproval on December 12, 1996. TheCommission now initiates a 60-daypublic comment period concerning theForm 1240 information collectionrequirement in order to obtain regularOMB approval for the collection.FCC Form 1240 is filed by cableoperators seeking to adjust maximumpermitted rates for regulated services toreflect changes in external costs. Cableoperators submit FCC Form 1240 totheir respective local franchisingauthorities to justify rates for the basicservice tier or with the Commission (insituations where the Commission hasassumed jurisdiction). FCC Form 1240is also filed with the Commission whenresponding to a complaint filed with theCommission about cable programmingservice rates and associated equipment.Information contained in FCC Form1240 filings has been used by theCommission and LFAs to adjudicatepermitted rates for regulated cableservices and equipment, for the additionof new programming tiers, to accountfor the addition and deletion ofchannels, and for the allowance for passthrough of external costs and costs dueto inflation.Federal Communications Commission.William F. Caton,Acting Secretary.[FR Doc. 97–3257 Filed 2–10–97; 8:45 am]BILLING CODE 6712–01–PPublic Information CollectionsApproved by Office of Managementand BudgetFebruary 5, 1997.The Federal CommunicationsCommission (FCC) has received Officeof Management and Budget (OMB)approval for the following publicinformation collections pursuant to thePaperwork Reduction Act of 1995,Public Law 104–13. An agency may notconduct or sponsor and a person is notrequired to respond to a collection ofinformation unless it displays acurrently valid control number. Forfurther information contact Shoko B.Hair, Federal CommunicationsCommission, (202) 418–1379.Federal Communications CommissionOMB Control No.: 3060–0165.Expiration Date: 01/31/2000.Title: Records to be Maintained andReports to be Filed—Part 41 Franks,Section 41.31.Form No.: N/A.Estimated Annual Burden: 408 totalannual hours; 6 hours per respondent(avg.); 68 respondents.Estimated Annual Reporting andRecordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.Description: Section 210 of theCommunications Act of 1934, asamended, 47 U.S.C. 210, requires thatcommon carriers subject to the Actmaintain records to reflect the name,address, etc., of persons holdingtelephone or telegraph franks, so as toenable the Commission and/or carriersto compile, if needed, reports in thisarea. Though the Commission is notcurrently requiring the actual periodicreporting of this data, it is informationwhich should continue to be maintainedin case the need arises to assure that thefranking privileges are being adequatelypoliced by the companies themselves.Section 41.31 of the Commission’s rulesimplements Section 210. Theinformation helps to ensure that franksare being addressed fairly. Failure tohave the information recorded wouldprohibit the Commission from beingable to respond to complaints and fromgenerally being able to police theactivity.OMB Control No.: 3060–0147.Expiration Date: 01/31/2000.Title: Extension of Unsecured Creditfor Interstate and Foreign—Section64.804.Form No.: N/A.Estimated Annual Burden: 104 totalannual hours; 8 hours per respondent;13 respondents.Estimated Annual Reporting andRecordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.Description: Collection of thisinformation is required by statute—Section 401 of the Federal ElectionCampaign Act of 1971, Public Law 92–225. Pursuant to Section 64.804 of FCCRules and Regulations, records of eachaccount, involving the extension by acarrier of unsecured credit to acandidate or person on behalf of suchcandidate for common carriercommunications services shall bemaintained by the carrier as to showseparately, for interstate and foreigncommunications services all charges,credits, adjustments, and security, ifany, and balance receivable. Section64.804 requires communicationscommon carriers with operatingrevenues exceeding $1 million whoextend unsecured credit to a politicalcandidate or person on behalf of suchcandidate for Federal office to report,twice a year, data including due andoutstanding balances. The informationis used by the agency to monitor theextent of credit extended to candidatesfor Federal office.OMB Control No.: 3060–0745.Expiration Date: 08/31/97.Title: Implementation of the LocalExchange Carrier Tariff StreamliningProvisions in the TelecommunicationsAct of 1996, CC Docket No. 96–187.Form No.: N/A.Estimated Annual Burden: 4090 totalannual hours; 37.18 hours perrespondent (avg.); 110 respondents.Estimated Annual Reporting andRecordkeeping Cost Burden: $170,000.Description: In the Report and Orderissued in CC Docket 96–187, theCommission adopted measures toimplement the specific streamliningtariff filing requirements for localexchange carriers (LECs) of theTelecommunications Act of 1996 (1996Act). In order to achieve a streamlinedand deregulatory environment for LECtariff filings, the item will permit LECsto file tariffs electronically. The 1996Act provides that LEC tariffs seekingrate increases shall be effective in fifteendays and LEC tariffs seeking ratedecreases shall be effective in sevendays. The Commission adopted itsproposal that carriers wishing to take