Closed Captioning Second Report and Order

In this Second Report and Order, the Federal Communications Commission allocates the responsibilities of video programming distributors (VPDs) and video programmers with respect to the provision and quality of closed captions on television programming. These actions are intended to ensure that people who are deaf and hard of hearing have full access to such programming.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said, “Today’s Commission action on closed captioning is about responsibility. Those who produce and distribute video for television have a shared responsibility to ensure that closed captioning is both available and accurate. Likewise, this agency has a responsibility to seize on this moment in time which, for the first time in human history, offers us real opportunities to address the communications challenges faced by tens of millions of Americans with disabilities. We are making significant progress on this front and I thank my fellow Commissioners for joining me in this important work.”