“This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement”
Comment Date: July 12, 2019
Reply Comment Date: July 26, 2019
On June 13, 2019, the FCC released a Public Notice to invite public comment on USA Network’s (USA) request for a limited waiver of the Commission’s rules requiring certain pay TV companies to provide 50 hours of video description per calendar quarter on the top five non broadcast networks, either during prime time or on children’s programming, and an additional 37.5 hours of video description per calendar quarter between 6 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. local time.
Specifically, USA requests a waiver of these requirements so long as:
- USA airs at least 1,000 hours of described programming each quarter without regard to repeats, and
- describes at least 75 percent of any newly produced, non-live programming that is aired between 6:00 a.m. and midnight per quarter.
USA requests a waiver until June 30, 2021 and requests that this waiver be extended to any other non-broadcast network that meets these conditions.
Links to Public Notice:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/comment-dates-set-usa-networks-petition-limited-waiver
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-563A1.doc
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-563A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-563A1.txt
Link to Petition:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/10503242949735
For general information about video description, please visit the FCC’s webpage: https://www.fcc.gov/general/video-description. For more information, please contact Jonathan Mark at (202) 418-2120 or Jonathan.Mark@fcc.gov. Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844) 432-2275 (videophone). Individuals using a text teletypewriter (TTY) may call the FCC’s TTY number at (888) 835-5322.