FCC Captioning Quality Rules: Comment Deadlines Established and Effective Dates Announced

December 31, 2014
Source: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

On December 15, 2014, the FCC released a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Second FNPRM) to invite comment on several issues that relate to ensuring quality captioning of video programming on television. The questions in this Second FNPRM include:

Should video programmers be required to file contact information and certification of captioning compliance with the FCC?

How can video programmer contact information and certifications be made widely available to the public?

The deadlines for comments are:
Comment due date: January 20, 2015
Reply comment due date: January 30, 2015

In addition, on December 29, 2014, the FCC released a Public Notice announcing that the following rules, adopted by the FCC last February, will take effect on March 16, 2015:

Rules establishing captioning quality obligations and standards

Captioning Best Practices

Requirements for video programming distributors to keep records of their monitoring and maintenance activities

Procedures related to informal complaints regarding the use of the Electronic Newsroom Technique (ENT)

ENT compliance procedures relating to the ENT rules that went into effect on June 30, 2014

The one-time ENT progress report, which is due no later than June 30, 2015

The link for the Second FNPRM:
http://www.fcc.gov/document/captioning-video-programmer-registration-and-compliance-certification

The link to the Public Notice announcing the Second FNPRM comment deadlines:
http://www.fcc.gov/document/comment-deadlines-announced-captioning-quality-second-fnprm

The link to the Public Notice announcing the effective dates of specific captioning rules:
http://www.fcc.gov/document/notice-effective-dates-omb-approved-captioning-rules

For additional information, contact Eliot Greenwald, Disability Rights Office, at (202) 418-2235, eliot.greenwald@fcc.gov, or call the ASL Consumer Support Line, at (844) 432-2275 via direct videophone. For more information about the requirements for closed captioning of video programming on television, please visit: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/closed-captioning-video-programming-television.

Link: Go to website for News Source
http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/disability-rights-office-headlines