Modified programmer compliance certifications, complaint procedures, to take effect September 22, 2016 For nearly two decades the FCC has been working to insure that television programming is appropriately accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing through closed captioning technology. In 2014 it finally got around to developing quality control standards which it applied not … Continue Reading
New captioning rules set to take effect early next year do not directly reach many, if not most, "video programmers". The FCC is considering ways to address that circumstance.… Continue Reading
For the last year or so, the law has required a sizable chunk of U.S. video programming displayed on the Internet to be closed captioned. The FCC is now thinking about expanding that requirement.… Continue Reading
The Commission has issued its annual public notice reminding video distributors EVERYWHERE of their obligation to make all emergency information accessible to people with vision and hearing impairments.… Continue Reading
With tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires and the like already upon us -- and many more likely to come -- the FCC has reminded video providers of their obligation to make accessible to viewers with disabilities ALL crisis-related information. This obligation can extend well beyond the immediate geographic impact area of the crisis.… Continue Reading
The 298 broadcasters whose exemptions were yanked by the FCC last October must be in full compliance with the closed captioning rules by January 19 - or else apply for new exemptions. But those exemptions might be harder to get the second time around.… Continue Reading
The Commission's recent action reversing nearly 300 individual closed captioning exemptions has made it into the Federal Register, setting (among other things) the deadlines for comments and reply comments on its revised approach to such exemptions.… Continue Reading
What a difference five years make! Nearly 300 "permanent" exemptions from the closed captioning rules granted in 2006 have now been reversed, as the FCC announces new standards governing such exemptions.… Continue Reading
The captioning requirements will apply only to programming that was previously shown with captions over traditional media such as broadcast or cable. But they represent a stunning expansion of FCC jurisdiction over a vast host of consumer devices not previously regulated. Device manufacturers may well become alarmed.… Continue Reading
Apparently lots of video programming distributors have ignored the March 22 deadline for providing hte FCC contact information in connection with the closed captioning complaint process -- so the Commission has thoughtfully sent out a reminder.… Continue Reading
Heads up! The deadline for uploading contact information for closed captioning complaints and complainants is March 22 -- and the obligation to provide such contact information applies even to VPDs who are otherwise exempt from closed captioning requirements.… Continue Reading
Long in coming, the closed captioning complaint process has finally emerged. Contact information is due to be posted, and filed by the FCC, by March 22, 2010.… Continue Reading
The FCC's re-vamped process governing complaints relating to closed captioning -- first announced in November, 2008 but still not in effect -- inched closer to implementation recently, but only after one component of the process was sent back to the drawing boards.… Continue Reading
In the midst of wildfire season in California and hurricane season on the coasts, the Commission has reminded stations everywhere of their obligation to make emergency information accessible to those with either visual or hearing impairments.… Continue Reading
Back in November the Commission released a Declaratory Ruling, Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (DRONPRM) in which it (a) imposed a number of new obligations on TV licensees and other video programming distributors and (b) sought comment on how the revenue-based per channel exemption from closed captioning requirements should be applied to stations with multicast programming streams. Lo and behold, more than two months later, the DRONPRM was published in the Federal Register, in two separate items, on January 13, 2009. As a result, a couple of clocks are now running.… Continue Reading
In the guise of looking at closed captioning requirements for digital television and easing the complaint filing process, the Commission has added new contact information posting and filing requirements for television stations and other video programming distributors.… Continue Reading
Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) is
considering legislation that would require closed captioning and video
descriptions for video streamed on the Internet. The legislation, currently
known in draft form as the ""Twenty-First Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act of 2008"" would essentially impose the same closed captioning
on major video providers apply to television stations, while at the same time
making video descriptions of broadcast television programs mandatory. The bill
is a response to the growing segment of the population that watches video clips
on websites such as YouTube or ...
