[Mdpobc] Fwd: [nabs-l] Audio Description

Fri Jun 15 22:50:20 UTC 2012

Trudy L Pickrel
President MD Parents Blind Children
Owner TLC by the Lake poodles

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com>
> Date: June 15, 2012 5:25:20 PM EDT
> To: <mdpobc at nfbnet.org>, <mdabs at nfbnet.org>, <troubleclark at gmail.com>, <tlpickrel at hotmail.com>, <cmdayrdh at aol.com>, <gary.legates at comcast.net>, "Ninette Legates" <ninette.legates at comcast.net>, <mike at insightondisability.com>
> Subject: FW: [nabs-l] Audio Description
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of David Andrews
> Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 6:05 AM
> To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nabs-l] 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."
> 
> 
> 
> 
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