Federal Communications Commission	FCC 23-10


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re:	Video Description: Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, MB Docket No. 11-43, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking  (March 16, 2023)

 So many shows, so little time.  That is what it feels like for most of us turning on the television today.  But if you are one of the millions of people in this country with vision loss, what you can watch depends on the availability of audio description.  This is a technology that inserts narrated descriptions of the key visual elements of a television program during the natural pauses in dialogue.  It helps those who are blind or visually impaired follow along so that they do not miss facial expressions, physical gags, or key scene changes.  

It was more than a decade ago that Congress made audio description generally available when it passed the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.  It’s a law I know well because I worked on it as counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.  When it was passed, it required that the Commission make audio description available on programming in the largest 60 television markets across the country.  A little over two years ago, the Commission expanded this requirement to roll it out to the largest 100 television markets.  Today we propose to finish the job by reaching all 210 markets in the United States.  In other words, we want to deliver to everyone, everywhere on the promise of this law—so let’s get to it.  After all, there is a lot of programming out there to watch. 

Thank you to the staff who worked on this effort, including Hillary DeNigro, Maria Mullarkey, and Diana Sokolow from the Media Bureau; Diane Burstein, Will Schell, Suzy Singleton, and Ross Slutsky from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; and Susan Aaron, Dave Konczal, and Bill Richardson from the Office of General Counsel.


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