FCC Appoints Group to Study Digital Closed Captioning and Video Description Issues

On May 1, the Federal Communications Commission established a working group to be focused on matters pertaining to accessibility of television programming for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or are blind or have a vision disability.

The purpose of the working group will be to conduct an assessment of closed captioning and video description technical issues associated with the switch to digital television (DTV transition), and to recommend to the Commission's Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC) solutions to any technical problems arising with these services in conjunction with the DTV transition. The CAC first recommended the establishment of a technical working group on digital closed captioning and video description in comments submitted in MB Docket No. 07-148 (the FCC's DTV Consumer Education Initiative), on October 1, 2007, and again at subsequent CAC meetings in June 2008 and January 2009.

Establishment of the working group is also consistent with Acting Chairman Copps' statement before the CAC at the January 30, 2009 meeting, during which he emphasized the need for the Commission to take a leadership role in addressing these matters. The working group will be supported by staff from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB), jointly with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), who will provide technical support and guidance on the DTV transition and the provision of digital closed captioning and video description services. Staff will also provide interpretations of the Commission's closed captioning rules, but will not serve as voting members of the working group.

The group will meet May 18, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. at the Commission's headquarters in Washington (DC).