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MediaScribe
Deadline Extended: ADA compliance deadline moved to April 26, 2027.Learn what changed →
Use Case: Television Broadcast

Government Access Television, Accessible to All

Government access channels exist to serve the entire community. MediaScribe ensures every viewer can follow along—including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speak another language at home.

Why It Matters

Government Television Serves Everyone

PEG channels are the front line of local government transparency. When council meetings and public hearings are broadcast without captions, you exclude the residents who depend on this vital civic information.

The PEG Mission

Government access television exists to connect residents with their local government. Accessibility isn't just compliance—it's core to your mission.

  • Transparency for all residents, not just some
  • Equal access to civic information
  • Building trust between government and community
  • Serving diverse, multilingual populations

The Budget Reality

Operating on cable franchise fees and municipal budgets, most PEG channels can't afford $150-300/hour for professional captioners.

  • Limited staff, often part-time or volunteer
  • Cable franchise fees declining as cord-cutting grows
  • Competing priorities for tight budgets
  • Traditional captioning economically impossible
Channel Coverage

Built for Government Media

Tightrope Media Systems has served community and government media for over 25 years. MediaScribe is designed with your unique needs in mind.

Government Access (G)

City council, county board, and commission meetings broadcast to cable subscribers.

Public Access (P)

Community-produced programming serving diverse local audiences.

Educational Access (E)

School board meetings, educational content, and academic programming.

Multi-Channel Operations

Organizations managing multiple government and community channels.

Compliance Requirements

Why Captions Are Required

Government access television faces multiple compliance requirements for captioning and accessibility.

FCC Requirements

The FCC requires closed captions on video programming delivered via broadcast or cable, including government access channels.

ADA Title II

Government entities must ensure video content is accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing residents.

April 2027 Deadline

WCAG 2.1 AA compliance required for all government digital content, including broadcast archives.

Title VI Language Access

Federally-assisted programs must provide meaningful access to LEP individuals.

Seamless Integration

Works With Your Existing Equipment

MediaScribe connects via standard SDI to your existing headend equipment. No complex IT projects, no infrastructure overhaul—just professional captioning that works with what you have.

Compatible Systems:

Cablecast
Castus
TelVue
Leightronix
Custom Headends
Streaming Platforms
Broadcast Workflow
1
Video Input (SDI)
From cameras, switchers, or playback
2
MediaScribe Processing
AI captioning + translation
3
CEA-608 Embedding
Broadcast-standard closed captions
4
Cable Distribution
Captioned output to headend
Viewers receive FCC-compliant closed captions

Caption All Your Programming

From live council meetings to pre-recorded content, MediaScribe handles your full programming schedule.

City Council Meetings4-8 hrs/week
Planning & Zoning2-4 hrs/week
Commission Meetings4-8 hrs/week
Board Meetings2-6 hrs/week
Public Hearings2-4 hrs/week
Community Events2-10 hrs/week
MediaScribe pricing is designed for government media budgets—not enterprise pricing.
Platform Features

Everything for Accessible Broadcasting

MediaScribe provides all the tools PEG channels need for compliant, accessible programming.

SDI Integration

Standard SDI connections integrate seamlessly with existing headend equipment—Cablecast, Castus, TelVue, and more.

Platform Overview

Real-Time Captioning

Live captions generated instantly during broadcasts. No advance scheduling or captioner booking.

Live Captioning

CEA-608 Output

Broadcast-standard closed captions embedded in video signal for cable distribution.

Output Formats

70+ Languages

Viewers access translations via QR code. Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and 67 more languages.

Supported Languages

Cablecast Integration

Direct API integration automatically publishes captioned content to your Cablecast system.

Integrations

Audio Descriptions

AI-powered descriptions for visual content, meeting WCAG 1.2.5 requirements.

Audio Descriptions
Customer Stories

Trusted by PEG Channels Nationwide

MediaScribe was exactly the service we needed—it's user-friendly, accurate, and actually digestible for a small PEG facility like ours.
Johnny Gifford
Executive Director
Brattleboro Community TV, Vermont
Results
  • Up and running in under 24 hours
  • 99% accuracy
On our end, it's so easy. You start it before the meeting starts and you stop it when it's over.
Lonnie Garland
Technical Manager
South Washington County, Minnesota
Results
  • Part-time operators manage easily
  • 7 cable channels across 20,000+ homes

Ready to Make Your Channel Accessible?

See how MediaScribe can help your station serve every viewer—with pricing designed for government media budgets.

No obligation
Personalized for your agency
See implementation timeline