FCC Seeks Input to Slim Down Paperwork Burden
Published Date: 12/18/2025
Notice
Summary
The FCC is asking the public and agencies to help reduce paperwork by reviewing and commenting on their information collection process. This affects anyone who provides info to the FCC, especially small businesses with fewer than 25 employees. Comments are due by February 17, 2026, and the goal is to make things easier, clearer, and less costly for everyone involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Broadcast Auction Exhibits Required
Broadcast-auction participants must submit exhibits disclosing ownership, bidding agreements, bidding-credit eligibility, and engineering data. The collection (OMB Control No. 3060-0896) covers 2,000 respondents and 5,350 responses, with estimated time per response of 0.5 to 2 hours, an annual hour burden of 6,663 hours, and an annual cost burden of $12,332,500.
Exhibits Tie to Bidding Credits and Anti-Collusion
The FCC uses submitted exhibits to verify applicants are qualified for auctions, to ensure license winners are entitled to new-entrant bidding credits, to prevent collusion via joint-bidding exhibits, and to resolve mutually exclusive engineering applications for non-table services.
Small Businesses Asked About Paperwork Burden
The FCC is asking the public to comment on ways to reduce information-collection paperwork, and specifically requests ways to further reduce the burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. Written comments are due on or before February 17, 2026.
No Penalty Without Valid OMB Number
The FCC states it may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number, and no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection that does not display a valid OMB control number.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
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