[EAS] FCC Grants 5-Year Waiver of Audible Crawl Rule

[Gary Timm]

On May 26, 2018, TV stations were to have implemented what has come to be known as the Audible Crawl Rule, requiring TV stations to aurally describe any visual emergency information they present, such as radar maps and other dynamic images.  This Part 79 rule applies to ANY emergency information, not just EAS.  Since no such technology exists that can accomplish such a task, the FCC has granted several waivers to extend this deadline since the original compliance date in 2015.  The FCC has now granted an additional 5-year waiver requested by NAB, which sets the new compliance date for this rule to May 26, 2023.

Here is the NAB posting on this issue from earlier this week:

FCC Grants 5-Year Waiver of Audible Crawl Rule

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a five-year extension of an existing waiver to television broadcasters from the requirement to aurally describe visual emergency information aired during non-news programming, such as radar maps and other dynamic images. The FCC approved a waiver request that NAB filed jointly with the American Council of the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind. The FCC found good cause to grant the request because a clear solution to ensure timely, accurate, and reliable descriptions of dynamic images conveying visual emergency information over existing broadcast systems remains unavailable. The Order requires NAB to submit a mid-term status report in November 2020 that details any progress made toward finding accessible solutions or alternatives to providing critical emergency details delivered in a graphic format, and the extent to which this waiver continues to be necessary.

For discussion and details on this waiver, see FCCMemorandum Opinion and Order / DA 18-553:

https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/052575168635/DA-18-553A1.pdf

Gary Timm
WI SECC