On November 26, 2019, we wrote about rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) to help locate callers in terms of not only the street address but also a caller’s vertical location within a multi-story building, asking “Which Door Should First Responders Kick In?” The new rules were published in the Federal Register on … Continue Reading
PRA notice suggests low-ball estimate, but what about, um, the 10 hours of outside attorney time the FCC told OMB about six months ago? Back in January the Commission announced its most recent overhaul of the biennial Ownership Reports that commercial and noncommercial broadcasters are required to file using, respectively, Forms 323 and 323-E. As … Continue Reading
As part of the Paperwork Reduction Act process necessary to secure another three-year OK from OMB, the FCC has solicited comments on its local public inspection file rules again.… Continue Reading
An FCC proposal would abandon "special use FRNs" in Ownership Reports and require social security number-based FRNs instead . . . for noncommercial licensees, too!… Continue Reading
"Effective dates" can be hard to pin down, thanks to contradictions, omissions and an overall lack of clarity by the FCC - take Form 477 as an example.… Continue Reading
The Media Bureau has reminded commercial broadcasters that their biennial Ownership Reports (Form 323) are due to be filed by December 1, 2012. But the Bureau doesn't mention some information that we think all Form 323 filers are entitled to know.… Continue Reading
The Commission has announced that the time has come for the next round of biennial Ownership Reports (Form 323) for commercial broadcasters -- and it's already pushed the deadline back a month, to December 1, 2011. But watch out -- the Commission's notice says nothing about the effective elimination of the all-encompassing SSN-based FRN requirement.… Continue Reading
The inquiry into whether there really is any need for the public inspection file has now been bucked over to OMB. And the FCC is digging its regulatory heels in.… Continue Reading
News on the net neutrality front! The Commission has shipped two "information collection" aspects of its"open Internet" rules over to the Office of Management and Budget for its review.… Continue Reading
All you STELA watchers who have been waiting on tenterhooks for more than six months can now breathe easy: the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved Section 73.686(e).… Continue Reading
Heads up! The deadline for letting the FCC know your thoughts and experiences relative to the local public inspection file rule is fast approaching.… Continue Reading
The last piece of the STELA constellation of rule changes is out for Paperwork Reduction Act comments before heading to OMB. This one involves the procedures for measuring the field strength of digital television signals.… Continue Reading
Net Neutrality has taken a tangible step forward now that the FCC is getting ready to ship two "information collection" aspects of the rules over to OMB for its review. But don't hold your breath - it'll take at least a couple of months to get there.… Continue Reading
OMB has preliminarily approved, with conditions and limitations, the Consumer Survey with which the FCC is looking to generate data for its 2010 Quadrennial Review of ownership rules and policies.… Continue Reading
Revised versions of Forms 301, 314, 315, 316 and 340 have been approved by OMB. The changes reflect the Commission's actions adopted in the rural radio proceeding last Winter.… Continue Reading
The proposed Consumer Survey we wrote about last Friday is now available online at the OMB website, along with some interesting "supporting documents". Check it all out, but act fast -- two of the 17 days the FCC has given us to review and comment on the survey have already passed.… Continue Reading
Paging Richard Dawson! The FCC may be needing you to come out of retirement soon to deliver the classic Family Feud catchphrase, "Our survey said". Why? Because the Commission is looking to unleash its own "Consumer Survey".… Continue Reading
