Miss-Delectable
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http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/1493
Mar 1, 2005 - After three local television stations in San Diego seemingly failed to provide emergency information about October 2003 wildfires in a visual format accessible to hearing-impaired viewers, the Federal Communications Commission has proposed fines totaling $65,000. The Commission says this is the first time it has leveled sanctions under a 2000 rule requiring TV stations to provide emergency information using closed captioning or other visual formats.
The agency said it initiated an investigation after a community member complained that KUSI, KFMB and KGTV were each broadcasting information about closures and evacuations due to wildfires without providing the crucial messages to the hearing-impaired. After reviewing tapes of the stations’ broadcasts, the agency concluded that each station had on several occasions neglected to provide the same emergency information to its hearing-impaired viewers as it broadcast to its hearing audience.
In a written statement announcing the proposed fines, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said, "People with hearing disabilities have a right to the same timely emergency information as stations provide to their hearing audiences."
For their part, KUSI and KFMB -- which are to be fined $25,000 and $20,000 respectively -- have denied that they failed to provide the required information and format in a timely manner. KGTV’s Vice President Dereck Dalton told the San Diego Union Tribune, "We regret that we did not fully meet the FCC standard for informing hearing-impaired viewers during our multiple-day expanded coverage of this unprecedented local disaster." He also said the station, in addition to paying a fine of $20,000, is making improvements and meeting with representatives of the deaf and hearing-impaired communities.
The stations have 30 days to pay the fines or contest them.
Mar 1, 2005 - After three local television stations in San Diego seemingly failed to provide emergency information about October 2003 wildfires in a visual format accessible to hearing-impaired viewers, the Federal Communications Commission has proposed fines totaling $65,000. The Commission says this is the first time it has leveled sanctions under a 2000 rule requiring TV stations to provide emergency information using closed captioning or other visual formats.
The agency said it initiated an investigation after a community member complained that KUSI, KFMB and KGTV were each broadcasting information about closures and evacuations due to wildfires without providing the crucial messages to the hearing-impaired. After reviewing tapes of the stations’ broadcasts, the agency concluded that each station had on several occasions neglected to provide the same emergency information to its hearing-impaired viewers as it broadcast to its hearing audience.
In a written statement announcing the proposed fines, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said, "People with hearing disabilities have a right to the same timely emergency information as stations provide to their hearing audiences."
For their part, KUSI and KFMB -- which are to be fined $25,000 and $20,000 respectively -- have denied that they failed to provide the required information and format in a timely manner. KGTV’s Vice President Dereck Dalton told the San Diego Union Tribune, "We regret that we did not fully meet the FCC standard for informing hearing-impaired viewers during our multiple-day expanded coverage of this unprecedented local disaster." He also said the station, in addition to paying a fine of $20,000, is making improvements and meeting with representatives of the deaf and hearing-impaired communities.
The stations have 30 days to pay the fines or contest them.
It is old news in San Diego among the deaf community about the poor access to CC on the local news stations. The news station did improve in the past ten years but they STILL are lousy-- no CC during the live interviews. :roll: So it doesn't help when the emergency situation is live!