FCC issues new rules for cable providers

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopted new rules Thursday to ensure blind and visually impaired people have quick and easy access to emergency information being aired on TV.

The new rules require subscription cable providers and satellite operators to make emergency information available via a secondary audio stream on a tablet, smartphone or laptop if programming can be accessed through an app on the device.

Because emergency information that appears on TV is preceded by three tones, FCC said individuals who are blind or visually impaired will soon be able to use the tones as a signal to switch to a secondary audio stream

FCC’s rules will also require cable boxes that receive and play back TV programming to have a simple mechanism to switch to from main program audio to a secondary audio stream to hear emergency information.

The agency is also asking for the public to comment on how to best to prioritize emergency information if there is more than one on-screen announcement; whether information on school closings and school bus schedule changes should continue to be made available on secondary audio streams; and what else should be required of cable providers to ensure blind people have simple and easy ways to access secondary audio streams.