Media Bureau Seeks Comment on NBCU Video Description Waiver for USA Network
The Media Bureau seeks comment on a petition from NBCUniversal for a limited waiver of FCC video description requirements for its USA Network and other top-five nonbroadcast networks, said a public notice in Friday's Daily Digest. NBCU wants waiver of…
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video description rules until June 30, 2021, provided USA carries at least a 1,000 hours of described programming -- both repeats and new -- each quarter, and describes 75 percent of newly produced programming aired between 6 a.m. and midnight per quarter, the PN said. Video description rules require MVPDs to provide 87.5 hours of described programming per quarter on channels on which they carry a top-five national nonbroadcast network -- which includes USA. The rules also limit how much repeat programming can count toward the requirements and mandates described content to be aired either on prime time and during children’s programming. USA doesn’t televise regularly scheduled children’s programming and has a lineup highly focused on repeats, so it needs a waiver to allow MVPDs to carry it and still follow the video description rules, the PN said. Comments are due July 12, replies July 26.