[nfbmi-talk] Fw: Fw: [Blindad] Fw: TVNewsCheck Article: ObamaPoised ToSignVideoDescription Bill

Fri Oct 1 18:15:11 UTC 2010

Hi,

Yes, I saw the info Fred sent about it. Guess the A C B has been working on 
this for a long time. I'm not much on TB as I prefer Newsline and  n l s 
books as many others do. There must be some who feel that these descriptions 
are important.

I  feel the emergency notices are important to have though announced on the 
TV.

I have downloaded at least 100 described movies with audio only and rarely 
get a chance to listen to them.

Best,

Georgia
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Posont" <donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com>
To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <gmwurtzel at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 8:35 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: Fw: [Blindad] Fw: TVNewsCheck Article: ObamaPoised 
ToSignVideoDescription Bill

>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "fred olver" <goodfolks at charter.net>
> To: "NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>; "NFB 
> of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 6:20 AM
> Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Fw: [Blindad] Fw: TVNewsCheck Article: Obama Poised 
> ToSignVideoDescription Bill
>
>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Brad Keller" <kellerb03 at gmail.com>
>> To: "Blind Ad List" <blindad at babel-fish.us>
>> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 5:15 AM
>> Subject: [Blindad] Fw: TVNewsCheck Article: Obama Poised To 
>> SignVideoDescription Bill
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Obama Poised To Sign Video Description Bill
>>>
>>> By Kim McAvoy
>>>
>>> TVNewsCheck, September 29, 2010 3:26 AM EDT
>>>
>>> Within two weeks, President Obama is expected to sign into law 
>>> legislation
>>> authorizing the FCC to adopt rules mandating local TV broadcasters carry
>>> video descriptions for the blind.
>>>
>>> The measure, the Twenty-First Century Communications & Video 
>>> Accessibility
>>> Act of 2010, was adopted by the Senate in August and passed the House 
>>> last
>>> night.
>>>
>>> Once implemented, it would force the Big Four broadcast networks and 
>>> their
>>> affiliates in the top 25 markets to provide four hours per week of 
>>> primetime
>>> and children's programming with video descriptions. It exempts live or 
>>> near
>>> live programming. These requirements will take effect one year after the
>>> bill's enactment.
>>>
>>> The nation's top five cable TV networks would also have to provide the
>>> service.
>>>
>>> The FCC adopted rules similar to the pending legislation in 2000, but
>>> broadcasters and program producers challenged the FCC's authority to 
>>> mandate
>>> such a service. A federal appeals court agreed and threw out the rules 
>>> in
>>> 2002.
>>>
>>> Congress is also granting the FCC  authority to increase TV stations'
>>> obligations from four to seven hours of video descriptions per week 
>>> after
>>> four years. And in six years, stations in the top 60 DMAs would have to
>>> comply with the FCC's video description rules.
>>>
>>> After 10 years, the FCC would be authorized to extend video description
>>> duties to up to 10 additional DMAs each year until all 210 markets are
>>> covered.
>>>
>>> Congress also wants local TV broadcasters to make emergency crawls 
>>> audible
>>> in the top 60 DMAs.
>>>
>>> The description service imposes some costs on program producers and
>>> broadcasters. Some TV stations already have the necessary equipment to
>>> receive the descriptions from their networks and broadcast it along with 
>>> the
>>> regular audio channel. But others may have to spend anywhere from 
>>> $10,000 to
>>> $25,000 to pass through the network service. The price tag could go much
>>> higher for stations that have to make infrastructure upgrades.
>>>
>>> The legislation also requires closed captioning of online video content 
>>> and
>>> ensures that smart phones and other digital media devices are accessible 
>>> to
>>> the deaf and blind.
>>>
>>> The measure makes it "easier for the blind and deaf to have access to 
>>> the
>>> Internet, smart phones, television programming and other communications 
>>> and
>>> video technologies," says Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a key backer of the
>>> measure.
>>>
>>> "Whether it's a Braille reader or a broadband connection, access to
>>> technology is not a political issue; it's a participation issue," Markey
>>> says. "Two decades ago, Americans with disabilities couldn't get around 
>>> if
>>> buildings weren't wheelchair accessible; today, it's about being Web
>>> accessible."
>>>
>>> The driving force behind the legislation has been the Coalition of
>>> Organizations for Accessible Technology, which includes the American
>>> Foundation for the Blind, the American Council of the Blind and the 
>>> American
>>> Association of People with Disabilities. The coalition has been pushing 
>>> for
>>> the legislation for three years.
>>>
>>> "Really for the first time blind and vision-impaired Americans will have
>>> equal access to enjoy primetime television programming. We're not going 
>>> to
>>> have to rely upon others to understand what's going on during nonverbal
>>> parts of shows," says Eric Bridges of the American Council of the Blind.
>>>
>>> Bridges says the new law would benefit between 25 million and 30 million
>>> blind and visually impaired Americans.
>>>
>>> Copyright 2010 NewsCheckMedia LLC. All rights reserved. This article can 
>>> be
>>> found online at:
>>> http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2010/09/29/45730/obama-poised-to-sign-video-description-bill
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> announce mailing list
>>> announce at acb.org
>>> http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/announce
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> Blindad at babel-fish.us
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>>
>>
>>
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