[nfbmi-talk] FW: [The-Facts-Machine] Descriptive TV is Here

[jeffc4 at lavabit.com]

Hello all,
it's is jeff crouch here.
My question is how do we inable the sub audio chanel for the video tv
discriptions.

This makes me happy, because i love the show last man standing, because
the start charitor is a ham radio opprator just like me.

73
kd8qiq
jeff crouch

>
>
>
>
> From: the-facts-machine at googlegroups.com
> [mailto:the-facts-machine at googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Vickie Rolison
> Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 6:36 PM
> To: the-facts-machine at googlegroups.com
> Subject: [The-Facts-Machine] Descriptive TV is Here
>
>
>
> Subject: [Nfb-announce] 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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