On January 8, 2016, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, Second Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 16-1 (323/CORES Order and Reconsideration Order). The 323/CORES Order and Reconsideration Order adopted changes to the ownership reporting requirements that are intended to further improve the ownership data collection. The 323/CORES Order and Reconsideration Order adopts a Restricted Use FRN within CORES that individuals may use solely for the purpose of broadcast ownership report filings. In light of the Commission’s adoption of the Restricted Use FRN, the 323/CORES Order and Reconsideration Order eliminates the availability of the interim Special Use FRN for broadcast station ownership reports, except in very limited circumstances. The 323/CORES Order and Reconsideration Order prescribes revisions to Form 323-E that conform the reporting requirements for noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations more closely to those for commercial stations, including revisions to collect race, gender, and ethnicity information for attributable interest holders; require that CORES FRNs or Restricted Use FRNs be used; and conform the biennial filing deadline for NCE broadcast ownership reports with the biennial filing deadline for commercial station ownership reports. The 323/CORES Order and Reconsideration Order also makes a number of other improvements to the forms that are intended to reduce the filing burdens on broadcasters, streamline the filing process, and increase the quality and usability of the data submitted to the Commission. These changes include extending the biennial filing deadline, reducing the number of filings required, improving the reporting of other broadcast interests, and additional improvements.
Please see the non-substantive change justification for the reason behind this change submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.