NEW RULING WILL HELP HEARING IMPAIRED RECEIVE
SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION

May 3, 2000 — Last month's FCC ruling, requiring television broadcasters to visually display critical emergency messages on television broadcasts for hearing impaired viewers, will be a big boost to NOAA's National Weather Service's warning program, said retired Air Force Brigadier General Jack Kelly, director of the agency.

He hailed the move as a step that potentially will save more lives when severe weather threatens a community. "We must continue to look for ways to incorporate all citizens in the receipt of severe weather warnings," Kelly said.

In a country impacted by 1,000 tornadoes, 10,000 thunderstorms and 2,500 floods each year, having more effective ways to issue severe weather warnings, Kelly said, will benefit the 28 million Americans who are hearing impaired.

Under the FCC ruling, hearing impaired audiences will receive tornado, hurricane and flash flood warnings sooner than when the new closed caption requirement goes into effect, which likely could take several years.

Another feature of the FCC ruling requires emergency information not provided through closed captioning to be aired through a text scroll or crawl on the screen. The FCC said this rule will apply regardless of whether the need to air the emergency information occurs during a regularly scheduled newscast, an unscheduled break during regular programming, or as part of continuing news coverage of an event.

Kelly added, "The media are a strong partner in our mission to help protect life and property during severe weather events. This new ruling only improves the life-saving results this partnership can hope to achieve."

Severe Weather Awareness

NOAA's Weather Page

NOAA Media Contacts:
John Leslie, NOAA's National Weather Service, (301) 713-0622.

 

 

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