Copps Praises Fox, CBS, Others for Video Descriptions

Allows the blind to become "audio viewers"

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/3/2011 11:50:45 AM

Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps gave a shout out to broadcasters on Thursday who are currently providing video description service for their programming.

That came as the FCC voted Wednesday to implement the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, signed into law last fall. Among that bills mandates are that large-market broadcasters and large MVPDs begin delivering those descriptions and that those MPVDs pass through broadcast descriptions (with an exemption for live programming).

Video descriptions allow the blind to become "audio viewers" as it were via descriptions of scenes that supplement dialog.

Although the FCC's video description rules were thrown out by the courts more than a decade ago some, some broadcasters and cable operators continued the practice. "I do want to commend CBS, FOX, PBS, TCM and TNT for providing this important service in the interim on their own accord," said Copps Thursday.