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The FCC has announced a tentative agenda for the Open Commission Meeting scheduled for 10:30 am on Thursday, April 23, 2020.  At this meeting, the Commission will consider a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Commission’s video description regulations. 

The NPRM would propose: 

  1. To expand the Commission’s video description regulations by phasing in an additional 10 designated market areas (DMAs) each year for four years, beginning on January 1, 2021.
  2. To modernize the terminology in the Commission’s regulations to use the term “audio description” rather than “video description.”

April 23 Meeting News Release:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-tentative-agenda-april-open-meeting-7
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363485A1.docx
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363485A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363485A1.txt

Public Draft of the Video Description NPRM
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363489A1.pdf

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and related agency telework and headquarters access policies, this meeting will be held in a wholly electronic format and will be open to the public on the Internet via live feed from the FCC’s web page at www.fcc.gov/live and on the FCC’s YouTube channel.  More information about the April 23 meeting:  https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/events/2020/04/april-2020-open-commission-meeting

Reasonable Accommodations:  Open captioning will be provided for this event at www.fcc.gov/live.  Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request.  Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via email to FCC504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice).  Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed. In addition, please include a way the FCC can contact you if we need more information.  Please allow as much advance notice as possible; last‐minute requests will be accepted but may be impossible to fill.

For information about the Video Description NPRM, please contact Diana Sokolow, Media Bureau, Policy Division, (202) 418-0588, email Diana.Sokolow@fcc.gov.  For general information about audio description, visit:  https://www.fcc.gov/audio-description.  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).

Updated:
Friday, April 3, 2020