Closed Captioning Consumers blitz FCC with Protests against Anglers Decision

CLOSED CAPTIONING CONSUMERS BLITZ FCC WITH PROTESTS AGAINST ANGLERS DECISION
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
Hundreds of angry, frustrated letters have streamed into the Federal Communications Commission's offices over the last month since the agency made it easier for non-profit broadcasters to opt out of closed captioning requirements. In mid-September the Commission gave closed captioning exemptions to two religious broadcasters: "Anglers for Christ Ministries, Inc," and "New Beginnings Ministries." Both groups claimed that providing on-screen video text, which allows people with hearing disabilities to follow television programs, represented an excessive financial hardship. The FCC granted the waivers, but went further, noting that in future cases if a non-profit demonstrates that it receives no compensation from video program distributors and that "in the absence of an exemption, may terminate or substantially curtail its programming," the FCC will expedite a closed captioning exemption request. Since then disability rights groups have protested the ruling, warning that it will make it much easier for programmers to opt-out of closed-captioning, and charging that the FCC has already given hundreds of groups waivers without any real evidence that closed-captioning represents a barrier for them. The FCC "departed from long practice and improperly established a new class of programming that is exempt from the closed captioning requirements without proper notice and comment," seven leading disability groups charged in a public filing dated October 12th. They want an emergency stay on the decision. Representative Edward Markey of Massachusetts also filed a complaint on the matter with the FCC.
http://lasarletter.com/freepage.php?id=200610271