Why Is the FCC Asking About Closed Captioning Paperwork Again?

The notice in plain terms

A Federal Register notice appeared on October 26, 2026. It carries the docket number OMB 3060-0761 and the title "Section 79.1, Closed Captioning of Video Programming, CG Docket No. 05-231." The document is not a new rule. It is a routine review required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The FCC must ask whether the existing reporting and recordkeeping requirements are still necessary, whether the burden estimates are accurate, and whether the burden can be reduced. Comments are due by December 28, 2026.

The collection covers three broad groups. Business or other for-profit entities make up the first. Individuals or households make up the second. Not-for-profit entities make up the third. Together they account for 36,543 respondents who generate 459,091 responses annually. The time per response ranges from 0.5 hours (30 minutes) to 30 hours. Reporting happens on annual, monthly, ongoing, and one-time schedules. Recordkeeping and third-party disclosure obligations are also included. The statutory hook is section 713 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 613, implemented through 47 CFR 79.1.

What the paperwork actually covers

The existing collections include several distinct activities. Video programming providers, producers, and owners file petitions for exemptions from the closed captioning rules. Commenters submit responses and replies to those petitions. Viewers file complaints alleging violations. Video programming distributors (VPDs) and video programmers respond to those complaints. Recordkeeping supports those responses. Compliance ladder obligations kick in when a pattern or trend of violations appears. Separate recordkeeping tracks monitoring and maintenance activities. Caption quality best practices procedures are documented. VPD contact information must be made available to viewers in phone directories, on the Commission's website, on VPD websites if they exist, and in billing statements to the extent VPDs issue them. Video programmers file contact information and compliance certifications with the Commission.

The total annual burden is estimated at 657,271 hours. The annual cost burden is estimated at $35,137,876. These figures are not new penalties. They represent the aggregate time and money respondents spend to comply with current requirements. The notice explicitly states that no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection that does not display a valid OMB control number. The current control number is 3060-0761.

Who feels the weight

Operators of video programming distributors — cable systems, satellite services, streaming platforms that fall under the definition — already maintain records of caption