Already in force
What the FCC already requires, and whether it applies to you.
Most of what is written about audio description points at a deadline in 2027. 47 CFR 79.3 is not a deadline. It is in force now, with a quota due every quarter, and it has been expanding by ten markets a year since 2025.
Who it covers
| Broadcast | Local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in the top 120 TV market DMAs. |
|---|---|
| Subscription TV | Cable, satellite and telco systems with 50,000 or more subscribers, on each of the top five most-watched non-broadcast networks they carry. |
The quota
87.5 hours per calendar quarter of audio-described programming — about seven hours a week. Of that:
- 50 hours must be prime time and/or children’s programming.
- 37.5 hours may be any programming shown between 6:00 a.m. and midnight.
47 CFR 79.3, and the FCC’s own consumer guide at fcc.gov/consumers/guides/audio-description.
It expands by ten markets every year
The rules phase in an additional ten DMAs each year, and continue until all 210 are covered on 1 January 2035.
| Markets | In scope from |
|---|---|
| DMAs 101–110 | 1 January 2025 |
| DMAs 111–120 | 1 January 2026 |
| DMAs 121–130 | 1 January 2027 |
| … ten more each year | … |
| DMAs 201–210 | 1 January 2035 |
Check your own DMA rank before acting on this. A station outside the current band has no quota yet, and will have one on a date you can plan for.
What this probably does not mean for you
Most network programming already arrives described. If you are an affiliate, the network feed is usually carrying description before it reaches you, and counting it is largely a paperwork exercise.
The real gap is almost always local and syndicated content — the news magazine, the high school sports package, the locally produced special. That is a much smaller job than the quota makes it sound, and it is the part nobody is doing for you.
Last checked 10 September 2026. These rules move: the ADA Title II deadline was extended in April 2026 and many pages still print the old date. If you are reading this long after the date above, check the citations rather than trusting the summary.