Captions in Our Future? Depends on the FCC!

I didn't think I would ever get done! After I saw the alerts from Ed and Mishkazena regarding the huge number of requests for captioning exemptions to the FCC, I decided to tackle a huge project. It took most of the weekend! The huge list of requests in a Word doc, and the list on the FCC website, was not organized by state. So I decided to organize it myself to make it easier for people to submit their comments in the SHORT time frame we have for action.

The result can be seen at http://www.captions.org/FCC_List.cfm (Object to Captioning Exemptions). Scroll down the list (sorry the page is wide because the titles of some petitions were very long!) Select the ones near you, then use the result in a personal letter to the FCC (e-mail addresses are provided).

While I was working on this project, I made some interesting observations:

1. Many petitioners are using high-priced DC lawyers! They cry poverty, yet they are paying expensive lawyers to file the petitions for them! The use of law firms made it difficult to figure out the actual location of the petitioners, but with the help of Google I was able to identify at least the states that they are actually in. In a few cases I created additional records to reflect the fact that the companies had a presence in multiple locations.
2. Several are production companies that specialize in making infomercials for multiple clients. Infomercials are not exempt from captioning requirements (see FCC page at
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/Orders/1997/da972701.txt and search on keyword "infomercials.")
4. Some were filing multiple petitions for different shows from same producer - e.g.
U.S. Media Concepts. I created a single record for U.S. Media Concepts.
5. Some are actually owned by larger media companies.
6. Although the majority are churches, it is not just churches! The list includes real estate companies, doctors, universities, community colleges, car dealerships, tourist organizations, an entire city, a school district, a state department of education, a show on parenting, and high school sports.