Closed-Captioning
For deaf and hearing-impaired viewers, the CBS Television Network captions on average 95 hours a week of its regularly scheduled network programming. CBS has long been an industry leader and innovator in the field of captioning. Closed-captioned CBS Network programming includes:
The entire CBS primetime lineup is captioned, including all regularly scheduled series, specials and mini-series.
CBS captions 60 MINUTES, 48 HOURS MYSTERY, the CBS EVENING NEWS with SCOTT PELLEY, the Weekend Editions of the CBS EVENING NEWS, THE EARLY SHOW, THE EARLY SHOW ON SATURDAY, CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, CBS MORNING NEWS and FACE THE NATION, as well as CBS News Specials, CBS News Special Reports and breaking-news coverage. In addition, by updating captioning to Central, Mountain and Pacific time-zone broadcasts on an as-needed basis, CBS News ensures that all its viewers have equal access as required by the FCC.
In addition to English-language closed-captioning, CBS also captions CSI: Miami in Spanish.
One hundred percent of CBS Sports programming is captioned, including the entire NFL schedule and the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
All children's programming on CBS is captioned, as is all daytime programming, THE PRICE IS RIGHT, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, THE TALK and LET’S MAKE A DEAL.
The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN and THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON are also captioned, as are religious specials.
FCC regulations, which were effective Jan. 1, 1998, mandated that 100 percent of new nonexempt programming must be closed-captioned by Jan. 1, 2006. The CBS Television Network has been in full compliance with the 100 percent mandate since the mid 1990's, well ahead of the requirements of these regulations.
CBS has also been an industry leader in voluntarily providing Internet closed-captioning for full episodes of CBS scripted comedies and dramas, along with CBS primetime reality show programming which is available for viewing at CBS.com. Full episodes of programming from other CBS dayparts available for viewing at CBS.com will continue to be added with closed-captioning throughout 2011 and into 2012.
For more information on closed-captioning, call the CBS Captioning and Video Description Department at (212) 975-7917.
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Video Description
Video description is the insertion of audio narrated descriptions of a television program's key visual elements into natural pauses in the program's dialogue, which makes video programming more accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. CBS makes video description available as a secondary audio service (also sometimes referred to as a secondary audio program or SAP) for selected programs.
On July 1, 2012 the FCC will reinstate regulations which mandate that CBS, and certain other broadcasters, provide 50 hours per calendar of video described programming. Since 2002, CBS has continuously and voluntarily provided video description for an average of 50 hours of programming per calendar quarter. CBS is proud to have been an industry leader and innovator in the voluntary provision of video description and is 100% pre-compliant with the pending reinstated FCC regulations.
During the 2011/2012 season, CBS will broadcast the following primetime programs with Video Description for the Visually Impaired:
CRIMINAL MINDS
NCIS
NCIS: LOS ANGELES
*CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
*Note: CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION will be broadcast with Video Description; however, CSI: MIAMI and CSI: NY will not have Video Description.
Advisories are provided for any additional programming, which is being made available with Video Description (i.e.: specials) as soon as they are confirmed.
For more information on video description, call the CBS Captioning and Video Description Department at (212) 975-7917.
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