October 17, 2023 Results of Solicitation for Opinions on Draft Amendments to the Guidelines for Information Accessibility in the Broadcasting Field and the Amended Version

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) solicited opinions from Friday, September 1 through Monday, October 2, 2023, regarding drafted amendments to the Guidelines for Information Accessibility in the Broadcasting Field, which set forth the target for the dissemination of subtitled broadcasts, commentary broadcasts, and sign language broadcasts in and after fiscal 2018, and received 13 opinions.
Based on the results of the solicitation for opinions, MIC has amended the Guidelines for Information Accessibility in the Broadcasting Field and now opens the same to the public along with the results of the solicitation for opinions.

1. Background

Based on the provisions of Article 4, Paragraph 2 of the Broadcasting Act (Act No. 132 of 1950), MIC has established administrative guidelines stipulating the promotion of subtitled broadcasts, commentary broadcasts, and sign language broadcasts (hereafter referred to as “subtitled broadcasts, etc.”), encouraging terrestrial broadcasters, satellite broadcasters, and wire broadcasters to make efforts toward the proliferation of subtitled broadcasts, etc.
MIC established the Guidelines for Information Accessibility in the Broadcasting Field (hereafter referred to as the “Guidelines”) in February 2018. The Guidelines set a target for disseminating subtitled broadcasts, etc., up to fiscal 2027, with a review approximately five years considering technological trends and other factors.
In response, MIC has been holding the Study Group on Enhancement of Broadcasting for People with Audiovisual Disabilities, etc. (chaired by OTO Yoshihiro, Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Journalism, Sophia University) since November 2022, which compiled and published a report in August 2023. Based on the recommendations of this report, MIC prepared the draft amendments to the Guidelines and solicited opinions from Friday, September 1 through Monday, October 2, 2023, and received 13 opinions.
With consideration of the recommendations of the report and the opinions submitted, MIC has amended the Guidelines and now opens the same to the public along with the results of the solicitation for opinions.

2. Contents of the amended Guidelines for Information Accessibility in the Broadcasting Field

See Attachment 1.

3. Results of solicitation for opinions

The submitted opinions and MIC’s views on them are shown in Attachment 2. This matter will also be posted in the Public Comment section of the e-Government (e-Gov) portal (https://www.e-gov.go.jp) (including a barrier-free version).

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