From: AccessInfo@xxxxxxx <AccessInfo@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, June 14, 2019 2:26 PM
To: AccessInfo@xxxxxxx
Subject: FCC Seeks Comment on USA Network's Petition for a Waiver of Its
Video Description Requirements
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:
1. USA airs at least 1,000 hours of described programming each quarter
without regard to repeats, and
2. 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
https://www.fcc.gov/general/video-description. For more information, please
contact Jonathan Mark at (202) 418-2120 or Jonathan.Mark@xxxxxxx
<mailto:Jonathan.Mark@xxxxxxx> . 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.
