Consumer Groups Oppose NCTA Petition for Looser Video Description Rules

The FCC shouldn’t change new video description rules in response to NCTA’s request for relaxation of regulations (see 1710040031) limiting how often repeat programming can count toward the 87.5 hour-per-quarter quota, the National Federation of the Blind and American Council of the Blind said in opposition filings in docket 11-43. Commissioners unanimously voted to expand the video description requirement in July, and companies have until next July to comply (see 1707120055). “We hope the Commission will continue to affirm its own commitment exercised this past July in its vote to expand video description,” said ACB. NFB said “87.5 hours is less than one hour of video-described programming per day.” Using a “single episode of an hour long program” through repeats to satisfy five hours of that quarterly quota is “counterproductive,” NFB said, acknowledging adapting to the new requirements could be tough for non-broadcast networks. NFB said one NCTA request was reasonable, saying, “After a period of time the networks should be able to re-air video-described programming and have it count toward the minimum hour requirement.” Problems within the regulation “should be approached with a legitimate solution, and not a quick loophole to exploit in a path toward easy compliance,” NFB said.