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Making Programmers Responsible for Caption Content Would Lead to 'Confusion,' QVC Says

Rule changes that would direct consumers to contact video programmers about problems with closed captioning would lead to “confusion and delay,” QVC said in a comment posted in docket 05-231 Tuesday. Video programming distributors (VPDs), not programmers, have “a direct…

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relationship” with their subscribers, QVC said. Programmers don’t have access to VPD equipment information and can’t determine if a caption problem is caused by a pass-through of captions or by the VPD equipment, QVC said. Since programmers would need to know what VPD the consumer subscribes to and the precise equipment used, dealing with caption issues through programmers would be time consuming, QVC said. A VPD dealing with the same issue would have the required information at its fingertips, QVC said. Programmers shouldn't be required to file contact information with the commission or make such information public in connection with closed captioning issues, QVC said.