NFL and CBS Score Captioning Touchdown at Super Bowl XLIV

NEW YORK, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On February 7, 2010, the National Football League (NFL) and CBS Corporation ensured that Super Bowl XLIV made history with a record number of captioned commercials and promotions.  The NFL and CBS worked closely with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) to reach this remarkable goal, as well as to bring out the beauty of American Sign Language (ASL) during the National Anthem.

"The NAD is grateful to the NFL and CBS for providing an unparalleled level of access for millions deaf and hard of hearing Americans at this year's Super Bowl. We were truly a part of the audience," said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins.

Through this dedicated effort, 81% of nationally broadcast commercials and network promotions were captioned from beginning to end of the game. Not only were far more commercials captioned during this program than in any other television program, but advances were made in uncharted territory. CBS took the unprecedented step of captioning 84% of its promotions, which are previews of upcoming television shows and other network content. Also, for the first time, many deaf and hard of hearing people witnessed captioned movie trailers.

"CBS is pleased to have worked with the NAD, the NFL, and our advertisers to caption voluntarily many of the commercials and CBS promotional announcements in Super Bowl XLIV, the most watched television program in American history," said Martin Franks, Executive Vice President, Planning, Policy and Government Affairs, CBS Corporation.  "As captioning technology improves, and costs moderate, CBS and its advertising partners look forward to continued progress on the voluntary captioning of our promos and commercials."

There is no legal mandate to caption commercials by advertisers or promotions by the network broadcasting the game. The NAD advocates for full access to the entire television experience through legislation, but also encourages networks to caption even where not required by law. The NAD thanks the NFL and CBS for going above and beyond the law and considering the deaf and hard of hearing community a part of its valued audience.

In addition to such captioning achievements, the NFL and CBS ensured that American Sign Language (ASL) was an integral part of the National Anthem. The signer, a senior at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, was shown on the stadium's large screen and a portion of the performance was showcased on national television.

SOURCE CBS Corporation