FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
OFF IC E O F 
THE C H A IR MAN 
The Honorable Mark Pryor 
Chairman 
March 19, 2014 
Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
United States Senate 
512 Dirksen Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 
Dear Chairman Pryor: 
Thank you for your letter urging Commission reconsideration of its decision to exempt 
video clips from the IP closed captioning rules implemented under the Twenty-first Century 
Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). 
Per its earlier commitment, the Commission' s Media Bureau released a Public Notice on 
December 13, 2013 , seeking additional information that will help inform the Commission on the 
state of closed captioning ofiP-delivered video clips. The Notice asks a series of questions, 
including several related to closed captioning of IP-delivered news clips. The attendant 
comment cycle for the Notice closed on March 5, 2014. I look forward to seeing the results of 
this inquiry and considering whether additional Commission action is warranted to ensure video 
programmmg access. 
The Commission is committed to fulfilling our obligation to ensure that our rules provide 
people who rely on captions with full video programming access, in accordance with 
Congressional intent. At the February Commission meeting, the Commission adopted standards 
to ensure high closed captioning quality, so that all Americans, especially those with hearing or 
other disabilities, have the same access to news, public affairs, sports and entertainment on 
television programming as everyone else. FCC action in this area is long overdue and continued 
progress on these issues will remain high on my agenda. 
I appreciate and am heartened by your interest in this matter. We have included your 
letter in the record of the proceeding. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
k-H(t 
Tom Wheeler 
FEDER A L COMMU N ICAT IONS COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON 
O F FI C E O F 
TH E C H AIRMAN 
The Honorable Edward Markey 
United States Senate 
218 Russell Senate Office Building 
Washington, DC 20510 
Dear Senator Markey: 
March 19, 2014 
Thank you for your letter urging Commission reconsideration of its decision to exempt 
video clips from the IP closed captioning rules implemented under the Twenty-first Century 
Communications and Video Accessibility Act of2010 (CVAA). 
Per its earlier commitment, the Commission's Media Bureau released a Public Notice on 
December 13, 2013, seeking additional information that will help inform the Commission on the 
state of closed captioning ofiP-delivered video clips. The Notice asks a series of questions, 
including several related to closed captioning ofiP-delivered news clips. The attendant 
comment cycle for the Notice closed on March 5, 2014. I look forward to seeing the results of 
this inquiry and considering whether additional Commission action is warranted to ensure video 
programmmg access. 
The Commission is committed to fulfilling our obligation to ensure that our rules provide 
people who rely on captions with full video programming access, in accordance with 
Congressional intent. At the February Commission meeting, the Commission adopted standards 
to ensure high closed captioning quality, so that all Americans, especially those with hearing or 
other disabilities, have the same access to news, public affairs, sports and entertainment on 
television programming as everyone else. FCC action in this area is long overdue and continued 
progress on these issues will remain high on my agenda. 
I appreciate and am heartened by your interest in this matter. We have included your 
letter in the record of the proceeding. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. 
Sincerely, 
Tom Wheeler