Petition on Closed Captioning Registration (FCC Docket No 05-231)

In early 2016, the FCC issued its Second Report and Order on Closed Captioning authorizing an online registration system for all video producers in America.  The goal of the system is to register complaints from consumers, to make sure that the public understands who is responsible for closed captioning on video systems and to ensure that video producers state whether they are exempt or non-exempt from the Commission’s captioning rules.

ACM supports the registration system as a means to ensure PEG channels receive consumer feedback from local viewers.  However, the Commission’s Order placed responsibility for annual registration with the Federal government on ALL video producers in America not just on channels.  We believe the Commission overlooked the hundreds of thousands of amateur and non-profit video producers that use PEG channels everyday and didn’t recognize the burden that annual registration with the Federal government will cause churches, youth groups, political groups and the host of people who produce content on America’s channels.

ACM filed a petition to waive the registration requirement for public access producers using exempt channels in late 2016 and the Commission has closed public comment on the matter.  As of this date, the Commission has not acted on the petition and the matter remains unresolved.

ACM will update channels and producers as soon as the issue is resolved.   In the meantime, the FCC’s registration system has not been implemented.