FCC proposes rules for video description
Washington DC Nov. 22 -- The Federal Communications Commission last week announced proposed rules for video description of television programming, calling for broadcasters affiliated with the ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC networks in the top 25 television markets to provide at least four hours per week of video captioning, with more to be phased in as television switches from analog to digital broadcasting. The rules are modeled after those for closed captioning, said the FCC.
"We have a unique opportunity now, as industry pours billions of dollars into upgrading the communications infrastructure, to make sure that people with disabilities are not left behind," said FCC chair William Kennard. "Now is the time. Accessibility of services and products for all Americans has got to be a design feature, not an add-on."
While the move is designed to make television accessible to the 12 million people with visual disabilities, the FCC pointed out that the feature is as useful for people who don't have visual disabilities "who are doing several things at once, who need to attend to something during a program, or who leave the room during a program."
Public television stations have been airing video description programming for more than a decade; WGBH's Descriptive Video Service has described more than 1600 PBS programs. Yet few commercial broadcasters or cable systems provide described programming. Less than 1% of all television programming contains video description, said the FCC.
Comments on these proposed rules are due Jan. 24. To file comments online, go to http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html
Story from the FCC
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
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