ACTION ALERT - Let the FCC Know You Oppose New Policy Weakening Television Emergency Captioning Requirements.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) periodically sends out notices to broadcasters reminding them of their obligation to make their televised emergency bulletins accessible to viewers with hearing and vision disabilities by making such information equally accessible by both audio or by video (text or graphics).

On July 20, 2006, a routine reminder notice was sent out - followed by an unusual clarification on August 7, 2006. This clarification was an attempt to answer some questions that broadcasters had asked the FCC earlier in response to fines that were assessed against eight television stations in 2005 for failing to make their emergency bulletins accessible.

As a result of this clarification, newscasters in the top 25 television markets (reaching more than 40% of the US population) can easily avoid their obligations to caption their emergency bulletins. While it is true that television stations are permitted to use visual aids other than captioning to make their emergency bulletins accessible (e.g. maps, crawling text, graphics, or pictures on paper in front of a camera), none of these methods are equal to captioning in the amount of information that they provide. Broadcasters in the top 25 markets are already required to caption their regular newscasts and have established relationships with captioning providers that they can summon during an emergency. The problem is that the clarification says that the FCC will not investigate if a TV station claims that they could not use captioning during a local emergency.

TDI NEEDS YOUR HELP! TDI and other organizations for deaf and hard of hearing consumers feel that this action by the FCC will put our lives in danger.  Next time there is an emergency, you may only see maps on the TV, but you will not know the important details of the emergency such as the safest routes to travel, what you must do to "shelter in place" (or stay inside wherever you are), where to go to a shelter, when it is safe to come out again and resume normal activities? News broadcasters must serve everyone in their communities, and that includes making their emergency bulletins fully accessible so that all people can take whatever action is necessary to save their lives, secure their property and help loved ones.

PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO THE FCC and tell them to remove the clarification regarding emergency announcements issued on 8/7/06. Forward and share this email alert with your friends. Please send an email to the FCC at fccinfo@fcc.gov, and send a copy of your email to TDI at info@tdi-online.org.

Write in your own words as a deaf or hard of hearing television viewer. Here are some suggestions to use to tell why you need to see captions for all emergency announcements. Your reasons might include:

• That you will be able to understand safety instructions better.
• That they will help you develop and carry out your emergency plans together with confidence and include all family members, especially your children.
• That you have always watched television with captions and want to continue to do so in an emergency.

The above are only suggestions. You probably have your own reasons for wanting to use captioning during an emergency. Please write your own email today saying why you want and need the FCC to rescind (remove) its 8/7/06 clarification to television broadcasters.

Feel free to use this sample letter below or use your own words.

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Dear Commissioners,

This is to let you know that I fully support the petition filed by TDI and other national organizations with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on August 14, 2006 requesting that you rescind your clarification of 8/7/06 regarding captioning of emergency announcements on TV.

Given that the local broadcasters in the top 25 television markets currently have real-time closed captioning capabilities, and provide captions routinely for their local news shows, I fully expect them to provide closed captioning for all breaking news, including emergency announcements that are broadcast to their viewers.

For example, if I live in Texas, and there is a tornado, I would want my local TV station to tell me using closed captions when the tornado is about to strike, its current direction and speed, immediate action to take, and when it is safe to go outside again.

Closed captioning gives me many more details, nearly equal to what is audible. While visual information is welcome via other methods, such as crawls, signs, and graphics, the information that they convey is limited, and this can endanger my life, health, and safety, and property during an emergency. My survival needs are equally important to those of others in the community.

I support TDI's request that the FCC withdraw its August 7, 2006 clarification notice, and continue to maintain its effective enforcement of its current 79.2 regulations on emergency information broadcasts. Human lives are precious, and access to safety information is a vital American right!

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For more information:

Routine reminder notice to broadcasters on their obligations regarding emergency news bulletins sent out on July 20, 2006
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public
/attachmatch/DA-06-1483A1.pdf

Clarification to broadcasters on August 7, 2006
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1600A1.pdf

Nielsen List of Designated Market Areas
http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html

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About TDI: Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications, media and information technology for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. Since 1968, TDI has successfully advocated for a variety of federal legislation to improve the lives of people with hearing loss, including the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, both of 1990, and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In addition, TDI advocates for administrative rules and policies that will provide greater access to wireless technology, as well as complete and high-quality captioning of television programs. Since its inception, TDI has promoted equal access to 9-1-1 centers and other public safety answering points, and is now working to ensure full access for deaf and hard of hearing people to information during natural or manmade disasters and other types of emergencies. TDI annually publishes a national directory and resource guide, commonly known as The Blue Book, which is a popular resource book for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as The GA-SK Quarterly News Magazine. For more information about TDI, visit http://www.tdi-online.org/.

8-24-06