roundtable: FCC NOI

roundtable: FCC NOI

FCC NOI

Larry Goldberg (larry_goldberg@wgbh.org)
7 Dec 1995 12:54:05 -0500 

Message-Id: <n1393782333.34534@wgbh.org>
Date: 7 Dec 1995 12:54:05 -0500
From: "Larry Goldberg" <larry_goldberg@wgbh.org>
Subject: FCC NOI
To: "TPR" <roundtable@cni.org>


At this week's Captioning Symposium that the CPB/WGBH National Center for
Accessible Media (NCAM) held in NYC, FCC chairman Reed Hundt announced a
Notice of Inquiry regarding captioning and video description.  This is a 
major initiative that could lead to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and 
eventual FCC regulations.  Comments are due Jan. 29, 1996.

The lead paragraph of the NOI press release reads (full press release and 
full electronic version of the NOI is or will soon be on the FCC's website -
www.fcc.gov - under the Mass Media Bureau):

"The FCC has issued a historic Notice of Inquiry regarding two services 
that benefit millions of Americans with disabilities: closed captioning 
and video description of television programming.  The Commission seeks 
comment on the current availability, cost, and uses of these two services.  
It also requests the public's views on the appropriate means of promoting 
the wider use of closed captioning and video description in programming 
delivered by television broadcasters, cable operators, and other video 
program providers."

A very interesting side-note is that this NOI is the first time a web 
site has been cited in an FCC document for a footnote or resource and it 
is GBH's Web site that is cited!

Larry Goldberg
<larry_goldberg@wgbh.org>



<<<<<< Attached TEXT file named "NOI-release" follows >>>>>>
NEWS Report No. MM 95-115     
MASS MEDIA ACTION             
December 4, 1995

FCC LAUNCHES HISTORIC INQUIRY ON PROMOTING CLOSED           CAPTIONING AND
VIDEO DESCRIPTION OF VIDEO PROGRAMMING       

The FCC has issued a historic Notice of Inquiry regarding two services that
benefit millions of Americans with disabilities: closed captioning and video
description of television programming.  The Commission seeks comment on the
current availability, cost, and uses of these two services.  It also requests
the public's views on the appropriate means of promoting the wider use of
closed captioning and video description in programming delivered by television
broadcasters, cable operators, and other video program providers.  

Legislation currently pending in Congress would, for the first time, generally
mandate the closed captioning of television video programming, and also would
require the FCC to study the uses of video description.  The record developed
in this proceeding will enable the Commission to expedite the implementation
of this legislation if enacted into law.              

Closed captioning provides important benefits primarily for individuals with
hearing disabilities by displaying the audio portion of a television signal as
printed words on the television screen.  Video description is a more recent
innovation that benefits individuals with vision disabilities.  It provides
audio descriptions of a program's key visual elements that are inserted during
the natural pauses in the program's dialogue.       

There are presently no Commission rules regarding video description.  As for
closed captioning, the Commission has adopted a number of rules to promote
closed captioning technology.  In 1976, it adopted rules reserving line 21 of
the vertical blanking interval for the transmission of closed captioning.  In
1991, it adopted rules implementing the Television Decoder Circuitry Act,
which generally requires television receivers that are 13 inches or larger to
be equipped with circuitry capable of receiving and displaying closed
captioning.   

    The Notice of Inquiry, which was initiated by and coordinated with the
Commission's Disabilities Issues Task Force and Mass Media Bureau, seeks
comment on the following general issues:               

1. The public interest benefits of closed captioning and video description;   
   
2. The current availability of closed captioned and video described television
programming, including the degree to which availability varies by program
source, program type, market size and other factors;
3. The potential impact of advanced television and digital technologies on the
availability of closed captioning and video description;       
4.  The cost of closed captioning and video description, as well as the
current sources of supply and funding for these services;       
5. The market incentives for closed captioning and video description;       
6. What if any measures the Commission should take to promote closed
captioning and video description; and       
7.  In the event mandatory requirements are deemed necessary, the general form
that they should take.  

The item seeks comment on which entities should be subject to such
requirements, appropriate exemptions from any requirements, technical and
quality standards, transition mechanisms, and strategies to improve
competition and innovation in the provision of these services.     

Comments are due to the FCC on January 29, 1996 and reply comments on February
14, 1996.  

Action by the Commission December 1, 1995 by Notice of Inquiry (FCC 95-484).
Chairman Hundt and Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness and Chong.        
                          
- FCC -News Media contact: Kara Palamaras at (202) 418-0500. 
Mass Media Bureau contact: Charles W. Logan at (202) 776-1653.

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