Final Rule: Title III of the ADA Requiring Movie Theaters to Provide Closed Captioning, Audio Description

November 23, 2016

Amidst the growing number of accessibility discrimination lawsuits being filed against US movie theater chains, the Department of Justice announced yesterday that a Final Rule of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III will soon be published to enforce a nationally consistent standard. This rulemaking will provide specific requirements that cinemas must now meet to satisfy their equal access obligations to patrons with hearing and vision disabilities.

For screenings of features produced with closed captioning, movie theaters will now be required to provide caption display devices, such as Sony’s Access Glasses or Dolby’s CaptiView, to patrons who request them. The law will also require these theaters to provide assistive listening devices for any film produced with an audio description track, which contains a personal narration throughout the film. Continue reading

Regal Cinema’s Closed Captioning Glasses

October 18, 2016

Earlier this month, a team of Aberdeen caption editors took an educational field trip to the cinema! We were excited to check out Sony’s closed captioning glasses offered at Regal Cinemas. We decided to watch Hillsong’s “Let Hope Rise” documentary.

FCC Shared Responsibilities: Caption Quality & Certification

September 13, 2016

A few weeks ago, we announced that the FCC published their final ruling on the responsibilities related to the provision and quality of closed captions on pre-recorded programming (FCC: Captioning Assurance Now a Shared Responsibility) effective September 22, 2016. To producers and owners of content, you are now directly responsible for providing and confirming the compliance of captioning work for non-exempt programming.

The Commission’s on-going attention to closed captioning quality, along with the NAD’s persistent class action lawsuits against universities, Netflix, Hulu, movie theaters, and airlines, are further proof that captioning work still remains inconsistent throughout the industry.

As a captioning company, we passionately support any efforts put in place to ensure that the industry can support and enforce these standards. Continue reading

FCC Shared Responsibilities: Defining the Roles

August 30, 2016

On February 18, 2016, the FCC implemented amendments to its rules on closed captioning of televised video programming to help clarify which bodies are responsible for the quality and the technical aspects of delivery of closed captions on television. In a publication posted to the Federal Register last week, the FCC has assigned September 22, 2016 as the effective date for these new responsibilities.

In short, the FCC will now be holding the individual Video Programmers (producer, ministry, etc.) responsible for meeting the closed captioning quality standards in addition to holding TV stations responsible for broadcasting closed captions correctly. Video Programmers will also be required to register directly with the FCC in the future. More on that to come in the following weeks.

Follow the law or be ready to face the FCC directly. Continue reading

FCC: Captioning Assurance Now a Shared Responsibility

August 23, 2016

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Today, the Federal Communications Commission has published their final ruling on the responsibilities related to the provision and quality of closed captions on television programming. The FCC will now be moving to a shared responsibility model that, while still imposing primary responsibility on video program distributors (VPDs), will now shift some of that responsibility directly to the video programmers (VPs) that produce the content. Each entity will be responsible for closed captioning issues that are primarily within their control. Continue reading

New Minnesota Law to Focus on Video Accessibility

August 8, 2016

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Effective August 1, 2016, a new law authored by Minnesota politician Brian Daniels now requires all televisions in common areas at medical facilities in Minnesota to turn on the closed captioning feature. Continue reading

Aberdeen Implements Tachyon’s Software-based Standards Conversion

June 15, 2016

Aberdeen Broadcast Services completes implementation of industry leading standards conversion software Tachyon.

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The quality of our client’s programs is at the forefront of everything we do at Aberdeen. Adding CinnaFilm’s Tachyon product to our digital encoding workflows means higher quality frame rate conversions for those requiring international delivery or a 24P adaptation for broadcast. Currently, Aberdeen encodes and delivers thousands of standards converted programs per month to over 400 broadcast outlets all over the world. This latest technology advancement allows Aberdeen to further increase the quality of the programs we distribute. Continue reading

Hillsong Church Launches New 24/7 TV Channel

June 1, 2016

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Today, in a partnership with Trinity Broadcasting Network, Hillsong Church has launched The Hillsong Channel. The 24-hour channel will feature Hillsong Church’s globally recognized worship performances, conferences, documentaries, children’s programming, talk shows, and messages from Christian leaders – including Hillsong Senior Pastor Brian Houston and wife Bobbi Houston. Continue reading

GEB America: 2016 Full Power TV Station of the Year

March 25, 2016

Aberdeen would like to extend our heartfelt praises to our client, and trusted AberFast station partner, GEB America on being the recipient for the 2016 Full Power TV Station of the Year Award presented at NRB Proclaim conference last month. The award was given as part of NRB’s Annual Media Awards program, which honors and celebrates excellence in production, service to the community, faithfulness to the mission, commitment to the Gospel, and personal integrity.

March 2 is Read Captions Across America Day!

March 2, 2016

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Many people know about Read Across America day. Every year on March 2 (Dr. Seuss’ birthday), kids head off to school (sometimes in their pajamas!) and they celebrate reading. Teachers set up cozy areas of the classroom where kids can relax and get lost in their favorite books.

But have you heard of Read Captions Across America? It is celebrated just like Read Across America but with an added twist—kids are encouraged to “read” educational programing that has the closed captioning turned on. The purpose is to raise awareness that closed captioning can promote literacy and foster reading skills. This celebration was founded by the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) in partnership with the National Education Association. Continue reading

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