As we reported in July of 2014, the DOJ is working on final regulations that would require movie theatres with digital screens to show movies with closed captioning and audio description.
At a cost to the industry that DOJ estimated will be between $138.1 and $275.7 million, the proposed regulations would require that all movie theatres with digital screens (other than drive-ins) provide a minimum number of devices for visually and hearing impaired moviegoers based on seating capacity, acquire movies with these features where available, ensure that there is at least one person on-site to locate and operate this equipment, and inform customers of the availability of these features in movie times shown in wide variety of advertising materials.
We just learned that a draft Final Rule has gone to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, which is the final stage of the rulemaking process. The projected Final Rule publication date is May of this year. That said, these projected dates have often been moved before (especially when it comes to website regulations), so we are not holding our breath.
Stay tuned to the blog for more updates.
Edited by Kristina Launey and Minh Vu.