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PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
445 12th STREET, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554                                            DA 01-799
News media information 202/418-0500     Fax-On-Demand  202/418-2830     Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov    ftp.fcc.gov

                                                 March 30, 2001
                                
                    MASS MEDIA BUREAU ACTION
                                                               
                                                               
               AMENDED Emergency INFORMATION rule
                effective As of FEBRUARY 1, 2001
                                
                                
   On August 7, 2000, the Commission released an order, which among other things, amended section
79.2 of the Commission's rules.  The amendments require TV broadcasters and multichannel video
programming distributors (MVPDs) that provide emergency information to make that information more
accessible to persons with visual disabilities.  Thus, the rules require TV broadcasters and MVPDs to make
the "critical details" of emergency information accessible to persons with visual disabilities when they provide
that information as part of a regularly scheduled newscast, or a newscast that interrupts regular
programming.  TV broadcasters and MVPDs must accompany emergency information with an aural tone
when they provide that information in any other manner, such as through a crawl or a scroll.

   When it amended section 79.2 of its rules, the Commission ordered that the amended rules would "be
effective upon approval by the Office of Management and Budget" (OMB).  The Commission's staff has
received a number of inquiries about the status of OMB's approval process.  Accordingly, the Mass Media
Bureau issues this Public Notice to announce that OMB approved the amended rules on February 1, 2001
(OMB No. 3060-0967).  The amended rules thus have been effective since that date.


Consumer Information Bureau contact: Pam Gregory, 418-2498 (voice), or 418-1169 (TTY).
Mass Media Bureau contact: Eric Bash, 202-418-2130, or ebash@fcc.gov.