FCC To Require Closed-Captioning Capability On DTV Receivers

The FCC proposed to amend its rules to include requirements for the display of closed-captioned text on digital television receivers. This action was taken to ensure that closed-captioning services are available in the transition from analog to digital broadcasting.Closed-captioning information is encoded and transmitted along with the video signal of television broadcasts. The text is not ordinarily visible. In order to display closed-captions, viewers must use either a set-top decoder or a television receiver with integrated decoder circuitry. In 1990, congress passed the Telecommunications Decoder Circuitry Act. The Act requires that television receivers with picture screens 33cm or larger contain built-in decoder circuitry designed to display closed-captioned television transmissions. The Act also requires that the FCC take appropriate action to ensure that closed-captioning services continue to be available to consumers. In 1991, the FCC amended its rules to include standards for the display of closed-captioned text on analog television receivers. The development of digital broadcasting prompted the FCC to again update its rules.The FCC is proposing to incorporate sections of the EIA industry standard into its rules. The standard provides instructions for the encoding, delivery, and display of closed-captioning information for digital television systems. It supports user options that enable captioned displays to be customized by a viewer. For example, closed-caption decoders functioning pursuant to the standard may permit viewers to change various attributes of caption text such as its font, spacing, color or screen position. This allows viewers to change the appearance of captions to suit personal needs or tastes. The FCC proposes requiring that digital television receivers be capable of receiving and displaying closed-captioned data that is formatted according to the EIA standard.In 1997, the Commission adopted rules to phase in the closed-captioning of analog video programming. The rules require an increasing amount of captioned new programming over an eight-year transition period with 100 percent of all new non-exempt programming required to be captioned by Jan. 1, 2006.Once standard for the display of closed captions on DTV receivers are adopted programming prepared for display on DTV receivers will be subject to the transition schedule for the captioning of new programming.Is Internet access a cable service?Internet Ventures Inc. has asked the FCC to rule that Internet access via cable is a video programming service entitled to leased access under the 1984 Cable Act. Under the Act, a cable system having more than a certain number of activated channels must set aside channels for lease by programming providers. Internet Ventures, an Internet service provider (ISP) argues that video streaming over the Internet makes the Internet a source of video programming similar to that provided by a TV station. That would qualify ISPs for leased access. If Internet Ventures prevails, then medium-sized and large cable systems must open their leased access channels to ISPs, who can compete directly with cable company ISPs such as @Home. So far the FCC has resisted ISP efforts to draw the agency into cable access dispute. FCC Chairman Kennard even denounced the recent Portland cable access decision (opening the TCI-AT&T cable system there to access by unaffiliated ISPs) as a possible source of chaos, and he all but invited the cable industry to file petitions for declaratory relief. Commissioner Powell, in a recent speech to the Federal Communications Bar Association in Chicago, suggested the FCC should pre-empt municipal ordinances requiring cable franchises to grant access to unaffiliated ISPs. The FCC sought public comment on the Internet Ventures request, and may eventually have to rule on it one way or the other.Source: Harry Martin, ìBroadcast Engineeringî