Can't Require Audio Description of Web Content: Broadcasters

The FCC lacks authority to require audio description of content on the internet and broadcasters need the eight- and 12-hour grace periods allowed to caption video clips delivered via IP, said representatives of the top four networks, NAB and Meredith on a call Wednesday with staff from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs and Media bureaus. “Uploading IP-captioned clips is more than a simple copy-and-paste exercise, and involves work-flow processes that can sometimes present challenges,” per a filing posted in docket 21-140 Friday. “Technical challenges” remain for carrying audio description on secondary audio feeds, but those could be addressed by ATSC 3.0, the filing said. “That remains uncertain at the moment.”