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VPDs Should Be Responsible for Caption Errors, Programmers Say

Video programming distributors are in the best position to resolve closed captioning complaints, said representatives of Disney, Scripps, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox and Viacom in meetings with aides to FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn Tuesday, according to…

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an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 05-231. “The Commission should leave liability with the 'last link' in the distribution chain, as has been the case since the advent of captioning rules.” Multichannel video programming distributors have “an ongoing billing relationship with the subscriber” and “the vast majority of errors typically occur once programming reaches MVPDs’ facilities,” the content companies said. Programmers will work with MVPDs to resolve such complaints, but liability should lie with the VPD, they said. They responded to a proposal from Comcast/NBCUniversal.