Artists' Pipeline #39 - January 8, 2003

Greater accessibility of the arts and of city programs were recognized and demonstrated on October 16 at the new Crown Theatres in downtown Minneapolis. Both VSA arts of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Mayor's Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities presented awards to individuals and organizations for their achievements.

The new movie complex's technology - enabling patrons who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or of low vision to enjoy the movies - was introduced. It is the first theatre in Minneapolis with this new technology. In September, the AMC Theatres at Eden Prairie Center began offering captioned movies on a limited basis, and audio description capability has arrived there as well.

VSA's 6th annual Arts Access Awards, created by Deb Costandine, Saint Paul, went to:

• Yuri Arajs, Minneapolis artist.
• Lisa Goodman, Minneapolis city councilwoman.
• Dennis Lamberson, Brainerd theatre director.
• Morgan Grayce Willow, Minneapolis poet and teacher.
• Eric Peterson, Minneapolis actor and disability rights advocate.
• Apollo Resource Center, part of People, Inc. in Saint Paul.

Block E is located between Hennepin Avenue and First Avenue North, and between 6th and 7th Streets in downtown Minneapolis (between Target Center and City Center).

Since audio description tracks and/or closed captions were first added to films beginning in late 1997, increasing numbers of films are being released with these accessible features - and more cinemas are being equipped with technology (usually the MoPix system) to read those tracks, enabling patrons with vision or hearing disabilities to enjoy films more completely.

The following is a list of accessible films compiled by Mary Watkins of WGBH. While some films on the slate for 2003 are closed caption only (marked with "cc"), many will also be described; the status will be updated closer to the release date. For updates, go to the WGBH Home Page (www.access.wgbh.org).

Films available with description or closed captions:

• Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights, Sony Pictures, 2002 (cc).
• Ali, Sony Pictures, 2001.
• American Pie 2, Universal Pictures, 2001.
• Analyze That, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Buena Vista Pictures, 2001 (cc).
• Austin Powers in Goldmember, New Line Cinema, 2002.
• Bad Company, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002 (cc).
• Beauty and the Beast/IMAX, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• Big Daddy, Sony Pictures, 1999.
• Black Hawk Down, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• Blood Work, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Universal Pictures, 2001.
• Catch Me If You Can, DreamWorks Pictures, 2002.
• Charlie's Angels, Sony Pictures, 2000.
• Cider House Rules, Miramax Films, 1999.
• City by the Sea, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• The Contender, DreamWorks Pictures, 2000 (cc).
• Dinosaur, Buena Vista Pictures, 2000.
• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• 8MM, Sony Pictures, 1999.
• Entrapment, Twentieth Century Fox Films, 1999.
• ESPN'S Ultimate X - The Movie, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial/25th Anniversary Reissue, Universal Pictures, 2002.
• Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Sony Pictures, 2001.
• Gone in 60 Seconds, Buena Vista Pictures, 2000 (cc).
• The Green Mile, Warner Bros. Pictures, 1999 (cc).
• Hanging Up, Sony Pictures, 2000.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2001.
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• Hollow Man, Sony Pictures, 2000.
• I Spy, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• Insomnia, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• The Jackal, Universal Pictures, 1997.
• Jurassic Park III, Universal Pictures, 2001.
• A Knight's Tale, Sony Pictures, 2001.
• The Last Castle, DreamWorks Pictures, 2001 (cc).
• Lilo & Stitch, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• The Lion King/IMAX, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• Maid in Manhattan, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• The Mask of Zorro, Sony Pictures, 1998.
• Men in Black II, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• The Mexican, DreamWorks Pictures, 2001 (cc).
• Minority Report, Twentieth Century Fox Films, 2002.
• Mission to Mars, Buena Vista Pictures, 2000 (cc).
• Monsters, Inc., Buena Vista Pictures, 2001.
• Murder by Numbers, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• 102 Dalmatians, Buena Vista Pictures, 2000.
• Panic Room, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• The Patriot, Sony Pictures, 2000.
• Pearl Harbor, Buena Vista Pictures, 2001.
• The Princess Diaries, Buena Vista Pictures, 2001 (cc).
• Random Hearts, Sony Pictures, 1999.
• Red Dragon, Universal Pictures, 2002.
• Return to Neverland, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• Riding in Cars with Boys, Sony Pictures, 2001.
• The Ring, DreamWorks Pictures, 2002 (cc).
• Road to Perdition, DreamWorks Pictures, 2002.
• Scooby-Doo, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2002.
• Shrek, DreamWorks Pictures, 2001 (cc).
• Signs, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• Solaris, Twentieth Century Fox Films, 2002.
• Spider-Man, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, DreamWorks Pictures, 2002 (cc).
• Spy Game, Universal Pictures, 2001.
• Star Wars: Episode I -The Phantom Menace, Twentieth Century Fox Films, 1999.
• Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (IMAX), Twentieth Century Fox Films, 2002.
• Star Wars: Episode Two - Attack of the Clones, Twentieth Century Fox Films, 2002.
• Stuart Little, Sony Pictures, 1999.
• Stuart Little 2, Sony Pictures, 2002.
• Sweet Home Alabama, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002 (cc).
• The Time Machine, Universal Pictures, 2002.
• Titanic, Paramount Pictures, 1997.
• Toy Story 2, Buena Vista Pictures, 1999 (cc).
• Treasure Planet, Buena Vista Pictures, 2002.
• The Tuxedo, DreamWorks Pictures, 2002 (cc).
• 28 Days, Sony Pictures, 2000.
• Two Weeks Notice, Warner Bros. Pictures20, 2002.
• The Vertical Limit, Sony Pictures, 2000.
• The Wedding Planner, Sony Pictures, 2001.

Films to be released in 2003:

• Adaptation, Sony Pictures, January 10, 2003 (cc).
• National Security, Sony Pictures, January 17, 2003 (cc).
• Darkness Falls, Sony Pictures, January 24, 2003 (cc).
• Biker Boyz, DreamWorks Pictures, January 31, 2003 (cc).
• Daredevil, Twentieth Century Fox Films, February 14, 2003.
• Old School, DreamWorks Pictures, February 21, 2003 (cc).
• Tears of the Sun, Sony Pictures, March 7, 2003 (cc).
• Identity, Sony Pictures, March 21, 2003 (cc).
• Head of State, DreamWorks Pictures, March 2003 (cc).
• Anger Management, Sony Pictures, April 11, 2003.
• Basic, Sony Pictures, April 18, 2003 (cc).
• X-Men 2, Twentieth Century Fox Films, May 2, 2003.
• Daddy Day Care, Sony Pictures, May 9, 2003 (cc).
• Envy, DreamWorks Pictures, June 2003 (cc).
• Hollywood Homicide, Columbia Pictures, June 13, 2003 (cc).
• Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle, Sony Pictures, June 27, 2003.
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, DreamWorks Pictures, July 2003 (cc).
• Bad Boys 2, Sony Pictures, July 2003 (cc).
• Gigli, Sony Pictures, July 2003 (cc).
• SWAT, Columbia Pictures, August 2003.
• Radio, Columbia Pictures, Fall 2003.
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Sony Pictures, Fall 2003 (cc).

"I wanted to let you know that I really appreciate knowing what movies are coming up at the DVS theaters. Last night my husband and I went to see "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." The description was outstanding. The best part is that no sighted assistant has to whisper what is happening on the screen. The movie can be enjoyed independently. It makes going to the movies such a wonderful experience when there is DVS available." (Mary K.)

In Minnesota two cinema complexes are now equipped with MoPix systems. The Rear Window captioning technology allows movie dialogue and narration to be captioned for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, and an Audio Description track on the film allows patrons who are blind or of low vision to hear the visual aspects of the film described. While not all films are yet encoded with this technology, increasing numbers are (see related article). The systems are provided through cooperation with the Media Access Group at WGBH in Boston. To find out show times of new movies which are captioned or described or both, contact:
AMC Eden Prairie Mall 18, 4000 Flying Cloud Drive, 952-656-0010
Crown Theaters Block E 15 (http://www.crown-theatres.com/theatres/minnea_block_e.html), 600 Hennepin Ave., Downtown Minneapolis, Phone: 612-338-1466.

The only large format theater in Minnesota that shows films with video descriptions is the William L. McKnight - 3M Omnitheater at the Science Museum of Minnesota on Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul. For showings, call 651-221-9411.

MoPix-equipped theater locations (http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/nowshowing.html), films and showtimes are available on the Web at. The site is accessible via screen readers and searchable by state. There may be a slight delay in the site being freshened each week (Fridays). Bookmark this site to streamline your movie-going. Information about films and showtimes at Famous Players locations is found at: www.famousplayers.com/Static/AV_Enhancements.asp.

"What can I do to get closed captioned and described films closer to my home?" Tell the major theater chains that you're eager to see accessible films, eat their popcorn and be a regular customer. Phone numbers and addresses of their headquarters are found at: Mopix, U.S. Theater Chains (http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/chains.html).

"What can I do to get an anticipated film released with captions and descriptions?" First, find out which studio is distributing films you want to attend. Go to sites such as: "Movies.com -Your guide to new movies online" (www.movies.com) or e-mail access@wgbh.org or call 617-300-3400 v, 617-300-2489 TTY. Write to the studio and let them know you're out there, and you're anxious to see their film/s. If a studio has already released a film that you're disappointed is not accessible to you, let them know that as well. And while you're writing, send a word of thanks to the studios that do release accessible films. The link to the list of movie studios is http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/studios.html.

If you would like to learn about closed captioned and described films directly from the Media
Access Group at WGBH, which provides a weekly e-mail list of accessible films, subscribe at
http://ncam.wgbh.org/mailinglist.html.

Movielink is a studio-backed site that allows films to be "rented" and viewed through an Internet connection or downloaded to a personal computer for viewing later. A Broadband connection is recommended for speedier downloading. While Movielink does not yet offer closed captioning or audio description, they are "currently exploring additional features that will enhance our service. We appreciate any feedback on ways to improve your experience."

Edited from a December 17th article by Tracy L. Scott in The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3920-2002Dec17.html).

In December, the Frank Capra Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" featured former president George H.W. Bush in a major role. He could not be seen, but he could be heard by viewers whose televisions have the Secondary Audio Program (SAP) option. The show aired Dec. 7 & 8 on NBC.

A video description track, provided by TheatreVision, allows viewers with vision impairments to hear a description of the action that takes place on-screen. The television's remote device activates the secondary audio feature. Most newer sets come equipped with the technology, which often is used to add a secondary Spanish-language audio track to television programs as well.

The described audio feature was introduced in 1985 by WGBH, a PBS station in Boston that developed Descriptive Video Service (DVS). Several companies now offer such a service, but each offers something unique.

TheatreVision, the first to provide descriptive service in movie theaters, is now available at select movie houses in Los Angeles and Burbank, Calif. They often use celebrities to provide narration. Actors volunteer their services, as do directors and writers. Helen Harris, president of RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa) International, the developers of TheatreVision, said that using celebrities and people who portrayed characters in the movie to describe the action adds a "different touch of excitement."

However, most of the widely-used descriptive services prefer not to use famous personalities.

"We do not believe in celebrity narrators. That calls much too much attention to the narration," said Larry Goldberg, director of the National Center for Accessible Media. Instead, WGBH and the National Captioning Institute (NCI) in Vienna use voice-over artists who are trained not to be intrusive. Goldberg said DVS also tries to avoid judgments. "Instead of describing a character as 'angry,' we might say, 'his face is red, and he's sweating above the brow,' " he said. "We let the listener make the call."

Joel Snyder of NCI said his company also provides closed-captioning for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Narrative Television Network, located in Tulsa, has been providing descriptive audio since 1988. According to its president, Jim Stovall, the company has described "more hours of programming than anyone in the business." Stovall attributes the company's success to reasonable prices and fast turn-around. Founded, owned and operated by blind or visually impaired individuals, NTN has four full-time narrators. Stovall, who is blind, said it is important that the listener recognize the voice of the person doing the describing and not confuse that narrator with one of the characters.

Other organizations describe action for live theater and industrial tapes. The Metropolitan Washington Ear, an advocacy group for people who are blind, describes for live theaters in the Washington area. They trained describers of performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and elsewhere in the country, including the Guthrie Theater. According to Washington Ear president and founder Margaret Pfanstiehl, they hope to persuade Loew's Theatres to add the TheatreVision option at its new Georgetown location.

Broadcasters and networks have as much to do with the availability of descriptive audio as the groups that advocate for and provide the service. In addition to choosing which programs will offer the secondary track and which providers to use, networks decide whether to use SAP for descriptive audio or for the Spanish-language alternative.

Although many networks voluntarily provide descriptive audio, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) recently took part in a lawsuit to overturn federal mandates that required stations in the top 25 markets to provide an average of four hours a week of the service.

The federal regulation was overturned in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in November. (See "Court Overturns" article.) However, groups representing visually impaired viewers have not noticed a decrease in the number of stations and programs providing descriptive video. CBS says it "will continue to add video description to those shows we have been doing, as we continue to explore the best ways to meet the needs of those in our audience whose sight impairment affects their ability to enjoy our programs."

Broadcast networks offer little regular audio description of their prime-time programs for the 6.3 million Americans who are blind and visually impaired. For a weekly list of shows available in descriptive video, log on to: Audio Described TV programs (www.washear.org/dailylogs.htm).

On Nov. 8, the Federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a Federal Communications Commission order mandating major television networks to provide limited amounts of described video programs for people with visual impairments. The decision sided with the Motion Picture Association of America and the networks' contention that the FCC did not have a Congressional mandate to make such a rule in July 2000.

The National Television and Video Access Coalition, which includes the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the American Council of the Blind (ACB); the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB); and the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), expressed its resolve to keep video description alive on prime-time and children's television programs, and to expand the service which makes visual information contained in televised programs accessible, via verbal description, to people who cannot see their TV screens.

Coalition Chair Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl of Silver Spring, Md., president of the Metropolitan Washington Ear, said, "Described television is, for people who are blind or visually impaired, what closed captioning is for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. We have worked for a dozen years to make this service available, and we are not about to have it disappear from commercial television networks just when blind people are beginning to discover the pleasure of television in the same way that other people take the medium for granted. Our supporters within the industry and within the disability community will continue to promote this access."

Charlie Crawford of Silver Spring, Md., ACB executive director, said that the technique of describing visual information verbally via the Secondary Audio Programming channel has been embraced enthusiastically by members of his organization, which includes blind and visually impaired people of all ages, all over the USA.

Christopher Gray, of San Francisco, president of the ACB, added, "The population of blind and visually impaired people continues to expand as the baby boom generation enters senior citizenship. People who lose their vision later in life have grown up watching TV, and they aren't going to like the idea of having to do without access to this mainstream medium, just when it began to appear that described video would allow them to continue to enjoy it."

Video description, developed for television in the late '80s by Boston public broadcaster WGBH, provides viewers who are blind or visually impaired with narration of key visual elements, actions, scene changes, and facial expressions during natural pauses in dialogue. Narrated description is delivered via the second audio program, a standard feature on stereo televisions and SAP-equipped VCRs since 1990. PBS has provided description of programming for over a decade, and the Narrative Television Network and Turner Classic Movies cable network also provide this program feature on a regular basis.

In July 2000, the FCC adopted rules designed to increase the accessibility of television and emergency information for viewers with visual disabilities (http://ftp.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/News_Releases/2000/nrmm0030.html). The rules required that the top commercial networks and the major cable networks provide 50 hours per calendar quarter of described programming to the nation's top 25 television markets.

Pfanstiehl said "The Access Coalition will continue to advocate for this essential access. The nation's 12 million citizens with visual impairment are eager to see that the industry maintain and expand the number of programs which include description, and we applaud those commercial broadcast and cable networks that began providing description as of the date the FCC's mandate went into effect." For instance, in July 2002, the ACB gave an 'Access Award' to the Fox television network who began providing description even before the mandate went into effect, and who extended the service to its most popular prime-time programs. ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, as well as the top five cable networks: Lifetime, Nickelodeon, TBS, TNT and USA Network have joined with PBS and Turner Classic Movies to provide described programming such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS, Law & Order on TNT, Lifetime movies, world television premieres of theatrical films and specials on ABC and USA Network, and Rugrats and Blue's Clues on Nickelodeon.

Arthur Singer of San Francisco, CA, has suggested some strategies to use to obtain video description from broadcasters. He says that if indeed Congress did not, as the Court ruled, provide the FCC with the authority to mandate video description, then legislation similar to the provisions mandating closed captions for people who are deaf will be required to give the FCC authority to mandate video description.

A. Enact legislation to give the FCC authority to mandate video description like the FCC has for mandating closed captioning:
The Broadcasting lobby is strong, and has not been made to honor their agreement to provide information for the public interest in return for their exclusive licenses, he says. They argue that video description is content-based or forced speech versus the view of advocates for video description as only spoken stage directions and description of facial features, and thus ensuring equal access for people who are blind and visually impaired to American cultural activities.

B. Voluntary & Economic Argument:
The blind and advocacy organizations that favor video description could contact the broadcast networks that have been providing video description, and tell them that a large group of blind and visually impaired people are now watching television programming including advertising. Because of video description, they are being exposed to commercial products and because of these advertisements are purchasing these products.

C. Public, Press & Boycotts:
The blind and advocacy organizations favoring video description could inform the public through letters to the editor, contacts with local reporters, local government and neighbors that the broadcast industry is excluding people who are blind or visually impaired from American cultural activities by their failure to provide video description, and that the development of video description has allowed the blind and visually impaired the ability to join in American cultural activities and be included in cultural discussions. Since the broadcast industry has viewed the issue only in terms of cost, boycotts of major sponsors of the networks could lend support to legislation sponsored by Congressional disability supporters.

In order to receive DVS on television, viewers must have either a television with stereo, a VCR with the Second Audio Program (S.A.P.) - both of which are now standard - or a stand-alone S.A.P. receiver. To access the narrated visual descriptions on a television program or home video, simply activate the S.A.P. feature, which can be located by consulting the equipment manual or by calling the equipment manufacturer. A stand-alone S.A.P. receiver, which functions somewhat like a radio, can be tuned in to a channel that broadcasts the description soundtrack. The S.A.P. device may be used in addition to a television or for audio only and is available in either pre-tuned or adjustable versions. S.A.P. receivers may be purchased from FM Atlas, 218-879-7676.

The Media Access Group at WGBH publishes a periodical DVS Guide and electronic E-Guide with current information on video description news. To receive the E-Guide, e-mail access@wgbh.org or call 617-300-3600. It is available on the Internet at http://dvs.wgbh.org.
To receive it in Braille or on audio via the DVS Information Line, call 800-333-1203.

The current issue notes that January's PBS American Experience presents "Chicago: City of the Century," with description for viewers who are blind or visually impaired. It will air Jan. 13-15 at 9 pm (check local listings). By the end of February this film will be available on DVD with description, talking menus/audio navigation and 75 minutes of bonus described material.

In February, American Experience will present "Partners of the Heart" with description. This film tells the inspiring, little-known story of the collaboration between a prominent white surgeon at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and an African American with a high school education who, together in 1944, pioneered a ground-breaking procedure that would go on to save the lives of thousands of so-called "blue babies." It airs Feb. 10 at 9 pm on PBS (check local listings), and a DVD with additional material will be available on DVD in spring 2003.

DVS Home Video has re-released two described films that were discontinued from its catalog: "Casablanca" and "Singin' in the Rain." For the latest DVS Home Video releases, call 800-333-1203 or visit http://access.wgbh.org. To order a video catalog in Braille or large print, call 617-300-3600.

Through a partnership with DVS and the U.S. Department of Education, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) cable channel broadcasts about 150 classic movies with description. Check your local listings for the TCM cable channel; then, to access the descriptions, activate the S.A.P. feature on your stereo TV or VCR. Don't miss the DVS Showcase every Saturday night at 6:00 EST. For a complete listing of movies described on the TCM cable channel, call the DVS Information Line: 800-333-1203, or go to http://dvs.wgbh.org.

Following the Audio Description International conference March 23 -24, 2002 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, a new Audio Description listserv was created to share what's going on around the country with audio description for live performances, TV and movies, as well as best practices.

ADInternational is an unmoderated yahoogroups list. To subscribe to ADInternational, send a post to: ADInternational-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Leave the subject line and message body empty. Once you subscribe you will receive confirmation by e-mail. Then you can start sending e-mail messages to members of this group at adinternational@yahoogroups.com. Each e-mail you receive will give you an option to unsubscribe. To learn more about the ADInternational group, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adinternational.

Another listserv has been set up in Ireland called description@listserv.heanet.ie.

Here is what TV networks audio describe (and how to offer programming or advocacy input):

• ABC, Inc. (www.abc.com) - 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521-4551; email: Netaudr@abc.com.
  Described shows:
  Big Picture Show;
  Walt Disney Presents.
• CBS (www.cbs.com) - 51 W. 52nd St., New York, NY 10019; 212-975-4321; email: AUDSVCS@cbs.com.
  Described shows:
  JAG;
  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation;
  Sunday Night Movie.
• NBC (www.nbc.com) - 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112; 212-664-4444; email: nbcshows@nbc.com.
  No description of prime-time programs.
• PBS (http://www.pbs.org) - 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-739-5000.
  Described shows:
  American Experience;
  Masterpiece Theatre;
  Mystery!;
  Nature;
  NOVA;
  Scientific American Frontiers;
  Ken Burns series.
• Fox Broadcasting (www.fox.com) - P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900; email: askfox@foxinc.com.
  Described shows:
  Boston Public;
  That '70s Show;
  The Bernie Mac Show;
  The Simpsons;
  Malcolm in the Middle.
• Lifetime Television (www.lifetimetv.com) - 34-12 36th St., Astoria, NY 11106; 718-706-3600; click link that says "Write to us" or go to www.lifetimetv.com/about/write.html. Their video description schedule page is www.lifetimetv.com/cgi/tv_videodescrip.pl.
• Turner Network Television (www.tnt.tv) - Turner Entertainment Networks, 1050 Techwood Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30348-5264; 404-827-1717; email: tnt@turner.com.
• USA Networks (www.usanetwork.com) - 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020; 212-408-9100; hit "Feedback" link, then "sendmail" link of the show or category you wish to comment on, such as movies@usanetwork.com.
• Nickelodeon (www.nick.com) - 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; 212-258-8000.
• WTBS (Superstation) (www.turner.com/tbs); hit "global/nav_contact" link and then
  hit "Ask a Question" link to go to a feedback form.
  Cable stations weren't required to provide description under the previous rule. However, a list of their contact information is also available from WGBH or VSA arts of Minnesota.
• PAX TV (www.pax.tv) - 601 Clearwater Park Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33401; 561-659-4122.
• A&E Network (www.aande.com) - 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017; 212-661-4500.
• American Movie Classics (AMC) (www.amctv.com) - 200 Jericho Quadrangle, Jericho, New York 11753; 516-803-4300.
• Animal Planet - 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814; 301-986-0444; http://animal.discovery.com.
• Black Entertainment Television (BET) (www.bet.com) - 1235 W. Place NE, Washington, DC 20018; 202-608-2000.
• Bravo TV (www.bravotv.com) - 200 Jericho Quadrangle, Jericho, New York 11753; 516-803-4500.
• CNBC (www.cnbc.com) - Consumer News and Business Channel - 2200 Fletcher Ave., Fort Lee, NJ 07024; 201-585-CNBC.
• CNN (www.cnn.com) - One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348-5366; 404-827-1500.
• The Cartoon Network (www.cartoonnetwork.com) - Box 105264, 1050 Techwood Dr. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318; 404-827-1717.
• Country Music Television (CMT) (www.cmt.com) - 2806 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN 37213; 615-457-8501.
• Comedy Central (www.comcentral.com) - 1775 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; 212-767-8600.
• Courtroom Television Network (Court TV) (www.courttv.com) - 600 Third Ave., 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10016; 212-973-2800.
• The Discovery Channel (www.discovery.com) - 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814; 301-986-0444.
• The Disney Channel (http://disneychannel.disney.go.com/disneychannel) - 3800 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91505; 818-569-7500.
• E! Entertainment Television (www.eonline.com) - 57500 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036-3709; 323-954-2400.
• ESPN (http://msn.espn.go.com/main.html) - 935 Middle Street, ESPN Plaza, Bristol, CT 06010-7454; 860-766-2000.
• Food Network (www.foodtv.com) - 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036212-398-8836.
• fX Networks (www.fxnetworks.com/main.html) - 1440 South Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 209, Los Angeles, CA 90067; 310-286-3800.
• Headline News (www.cnn.com/HLN) - One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30348; 404-827-1500.
• The History Channel (www.thehistorychannel.com) - 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017.
• Home Box Office: HBO Online (www.hbo.com), Cinemax (www.cinemax.com) - 1100 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036; 212-512-1000.
• The Learning Channel (TLC) (http://tlc.discovery.com) - 7700 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814; 301-986-0444.
• MTV (www.mtv.com) - 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; 212-258-8000.
• The National Network (TNN) (www.thenewtnn.com) - 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; 212-258-6000.
• Sci-Fi Channel (www.scifi.com) - 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020; 212-408-9100.
• Showtime/TMC (http://sho.com) - 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; 212-708-1600.
• The Travel Channel (http://travel.discovery.com) - 2690 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30339; 404-801-2400.
• UPN TV (www.upn.com) - 11800 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025; 310-575-7000.
  No description of prime-time programs.
• WB Television Network (www.warnerbros.com) - 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522; 818-954-6000.
  No description of prime-time programs.
• VH-1 (www.vh1.com) - 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036; 212-258-8000.
• The Weather Channel (www.weather.com) - 2600 Cumberland Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339; 404-434-6800.