[Electronics-talk] Audio Description

[David Andrews]

Unfortunately, I am not sure where it came from.

Dave

At 02:33 PM 6/15/2012, you wrote:
>Is this article from a website, and, if so, what is the URL?
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 3:05 AM
>Subject: [Electronics-talk] Audio Description
>
>
>
>Beginning July 1, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, plus the
>top five cable networks will begin providing
>audio descriptions of some of their programming
>for blind or sight-impaired viewers. The shows to
>be described range from ABC's Modern Family to
>CBS's NCIS to Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer to USA's Royal Pains.
>
>For now, stations in the top 25 markets and cable
>systems with 50,000 or more subs will be required
>to offer about four hours a week of the new
>service. The number of stations and hours will gradually increase.
>
>Starting July 1, the country's 21.5 million
>visually impaired people will be able to enjoy TV more than ever before.
>
>On that day, the Big Four broadcast networks and
>the top five-rated cable networks will begin
>offering four hours a week of so-called video
>descriptions that clue in blind and partially
>sighted viewers on what's going on when the
>characters aren't talking. The descriptions,
>audible only to viewers who want them to be
>audible, are squeezed in between the dialog.
>
>Video descriptions have been part of
>broadcasting, cable, home video, but never to the
>extent on TV as they will be beginning next month.
>
>It's not altruism driving the surge in
>descriptions. They were mandated by Congress in
>the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
>
>According to the FCC's implementing rules, the
>Big Four O&Os and affiliates in the top 25
>markets will have to air 50 hours each quarter ­
>or roughly four hours a week ­ of described programming.
>
>Cable and satellite systems with at least 50,000
>subscribers have to offer the same amount of
>described programming for the top five-rated
>cable networks ­ currently Disney, Nickelodeon, TBS, TNT and USA.
>
>And with just weeks to go before the deadline,
>the described programming plans of nine affected networks are shaping up.
>
>ABC's plan is to provide descriptions on some of
>its Tuesday and Wednesday shows. This summer,
>those shows include sitcoms Last Man Standing,
>The Middle, Suburgatory, Modern Family, Happy
>Endings and Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23.
>
>In the fall, ABC will likely include most of
>those shows and new sitcom The Neighbors and new drama Nashville.
>
>CBS has been providing audio descriptions for
>several programs since 2002. The lineup is CSI,
>Criminal Minds, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, plus movies and miniseries.
>
>NBC has broadcast a slew of shows with
>descriptions, including the Betty White reality
>show Off Their Rockers, drama Grimm and the
>summer series Saving Hope. Described sitcoms
>include The Office, Up All Night and Parks and Recreation.
>
>At Fox, The Simpsons has been audio described for
>several years. Beyond the animated sitcom, Fox
>isn't prepared to say what it would be offering.
>
>Disney Channel's described shows will include hit
>sitcoms Jessie, A.N.T. Farm and the animated Phineas and Ferb.
>
>Nickelodeon will offer descriptions for some of
>its biggest hits, like the long-running animated
>Dora the Explorer and preschool educational show Team Umizoomi.
>
>Turner Broadcasting will have described movies as
>well as TV series. Among the series: TNT's The
>Closer and TBS's Tyler Perry comedies House of Payne and For Better or Worse.
>
>USA's described programs will include off-network
>shows NCIS and Law & Order: SVU, plus originals like Royal Pains and Suits.
>
>"My hope is that more and more networks will
>embrace these accessibility initiatives," says
>Joel Snyder, president of Audio Description
>Associates. He serves as director of the American
>Council of the Blind's audio description project and is an adviser to the FCC.
>
>"If they do it right, they'll find ways to make
>money from it. If they make their shows
>accessible to these folks, there is a bigger
>market for advertisers to sell their products."
>
>For the most part, video-described programs won't
>include live shows or news. The networks, which
>are providing most of this content to their
>affiliates, need time to write description 
>scripts for voice artists to record.
>
>"It takes longer to get that done than closed
>captioning," says one network executive. "It also
>requires us to look at how our post-production
>schedules are set up. We have to work very
>closely with the folks at the post-production
>houses to make sure we get the programming to our
>vendors with sufficient time to get the video description correct."
>
>Producing the descriptions costs between $2,000 to $4,000 per hour.
>
>The networks and some associations for the blind
>are helping to ensure that people with vision
>problems know that descriptions are coming.
>
>"It's great for the networks to comply, but
>what's more important is getting the information
>out to folks," says Helena Berger, EVP-COO of the
>American Association of People with Disabilities.
>She is also a member of Comcast-NBCUniversal's joint diversity council.
>
>"What we can do on our end at AAPD is to use our
>communication channels, like our newsletter, our
>website and social media to get the word out to the community."
>
>Some of the networks are creating logos and audio
>tones so that people with vision problems know
>when a program has audio descriptions. So far,
>there isn't an industry standard.
>
>And TV listing providers like Tribune Media
>Services will provide data to programming
>services to let them know if a program is
>audio-described. Then, it's up to individual
>cable systems to add symbols or sounds to their on-screen listings.
>
>These described programs are the culmination of a
>12-year battle by the FCC and groups such as the
>Audio Description Institute. They thought they
>had won the battle in 2000 when the FCC adopted
>rules similar to the 2010 act, but a court agreed
>with broadcasters that the agency had overstepped its authority.
>
>Now backed by law, the new FCC rules gradually
>expand the description obligations to other TV
>stations. By July 1, 2015, major network
>affiliates in the top 60 markets will have to
>broadcast the descriptions. The FCC may require
>additional stations to air descriptions at a rate
>of 10 markets a year if it deems the cost is reasonable.
>
>According to broadcasters, it costs stations
>anywhere from $10,000 and $25,000 to install the
>gear necessary to handle the extra audio channel.
>
>Just because someone has a disability doesn't
>mean they don't want to be included in life,"
>says Debra Ruh, chief marketing officer at SSB
>Bart Group, a firm that helps companies make
>their computer services and websites fully
>compliant and accessible to people with
>disabilities. "Part of participating in life is
>being able to experience television. TV is a very
>important part of our culture."