[Federal Register: December 31, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 251)]
[Notices]               
[Page 72312-72313]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr31de98-106]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

 
Notice of Public Information Collections Being Reviewed by the 
Federal Communications Commission

December 23, 1998.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commissions, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or 
sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for 
failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control 
number. Comments are requested concerning (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's 
burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information collected; and (d) 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.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before March 1, 1999. 
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 contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Les Smith, Federal Communications 
Commission, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via the 
Internet to lesmith@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collections contact Les Smith at (202) 418-0217 or 
via the Internet at lesmith@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0862.
    Title: Handling Confidential Information.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities; Not-for-
profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Governments.

[[Page 72313]]

    Number of Respondents: 600.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1 hr./log; 3 hrs./confidentiality 
submission.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping; On occasion reporting 
requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 800 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $23,000.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission adopted a Model Protective Order 
(MPO) which can be used when it is appropriate to grant limited access 
to information that the Commission determines should not be routinely 
available for public inspection. The MPO requires that the party 
granted access to the confidential materials keep a written record of 
all copies made and to provide this record to the submitter of the 
confidential materials on request. Order para. 27. This approach was 
adopted to facilitate the use of confidential materials under an MPO, 
instead of restricting access to the materials. The copy log under the 
MPO will be used to help assure the party submitting the confidential 
materials that there is limited access to the materials. Without the 
copy log for MPOs, the submitter of confidential information would not 
be assured that there is limited distribution of sensitive information. 
The Commission also amended 47 C.F.R. 0.459(b) to set forth the type of 
information that should be included when a party submits information to 
the Commission for which it seeks confidential treatment. Order para. 
13. This listing of the types of information to be submitted was 
adopted to provide guidance to the public for confidentiality requests. 
The information provided under amended Section 0.459(b) will help the 
Commission determine whether a request for confidential treatment 
should be granted. Without the guidelines for submissions requesting 
confidential treatment of materials, the Commission would not have the 
information it requires to make an informed decision concerning such 
requests.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-34628 Filed 12-30-98; 8:45 am]
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