FCC Consumer Advisory Committee
Recommendation Regarding DTV Closed Captioning and Video Description
The Commission Should Take Immediate and Ongoing Actions to Resolve Problems Associated 
with the Provision of Closed Captions and Video Description Provided on Digital Television 
Programming.  In light of the rapidly approaching cessation of analog transmissions nationwide, 
the FCC should take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that individuals who rely on closed 
captioning and video description are not cut off from access to emergency information and other 
televised material when the DTV transition takes place.  To achieve this, the CAC recommends 
the following actions: 
1. The Commission should immediately conduct an assessment of current and anticipated 
problems associated with the transmission and display of digital captioning and video 
description. This effort should involve gathering information on how to resolve these problems, 
as well as making this information publicly available on an expedited and ongoing basis, through 
an information clearinghouse and other measures. In this manner, all interested parties, including 
engineers, manufacturers, programming distributors, and consumers, would have access to 
available technical solutions. 
2. As part of the effort to achieve number one (1) above, the Commission should convene a 
technical working group on digital closed captioning and video description that includes 
representatives from the broadcast, cable and satellite industries, manufacturers of consumer 
electronics, manufacturers of equipment used in or connected with the processing and encoding 
of captions and video description, consumer electronic retailers, captioning and video description 
providers, and consumers of captioning and video description. The working group would: 
· Identify current and anticipated problems with the transmission and display of digital 
captioning and video description; 
· Evaluate the captioning and video description capabilities of digital equipment and; 
· Develop solutions to ensure that captions and video description are passed through 
intact to the consumer.
3. The Commission should assume a leadership role in ensuring that TV station engineers 
receive the guidance and assistance they need to correct technical problems related to closed 
captioning and video description as these solutions are developed. 
4. The Commission should step up its enforcement of existing closed captioning obligations that 
already apply to DTV manufacturers and distributors of DTV programming under the 
Commission's rules.
5. The Commission should appoint dedicated staff in its call center(s) to respond specifically to 
questions and concerns associated with the transmission and display of closed captioning and 
video description.
Adopted: January 30, 2009 (three abstentions)
Debra R. Berlyn, Chairperson
Consumer Advisory Committee