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

Sat Jun 16 12:28:55 UTC 2012

Does anyone know how to turn on the audio description?  This post says several shows already have description but I don't know how to turn on this service.
Wendy

Sent from my touch 

On Jun 15, 2012, at 6:50 PM, Trudy Pickrel <tlpickrel at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> 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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