FCC Refreshing Record on Caption Display Settings

The FCC Media Bureau wants to refresh the record on requiring electronics manufacturers and MVPDs to make closed caption display settings “readily accessible,” said a public notice Monday on docket 12-108. A 2015 further NPRM sought comment but didn’t lead to action. The call for a refreshed record is a response to comments in other accessibility dockets suggesting “issues persist” and on “the discoverability and ease of use challenges” at a recent FCC forum (see 2112020075), the PN said. It's seeking comment on requiring the settings controlling how captions are displayed to be easy to access, and the extent of authority to do so under the 1990 Television Decoder Circuitry Act. The PN asks which entities should be responsible for compliance and whether “both manufacturers and MVPDs should be obligated to facilitate the ability of consumers to locate and control closed captioning display settings?” Comments are due 30 days after Federal Register publication, replies in 15 more days.