[Ohio-talk] Updates to audio description on TV starting July 1

Wed Jun 20 16:15:02 UTC 2012

Hey Elizabeth,
Yes, this has pretty much made the rounds, but I keep asking the same 
questions, and no one much is answering.
The thing is that lots of description is already broadcast, but who is able 
to receive it?  I'm not much of a TV watcher myself, don't have cable or 
satellite, but was made aware of the problem recently while reviewing a 
radio made to receive DTV broadcasts.  It has a button for receiving 
alternate audio (that is, the channel where the description is broadcast) 
and what I found was that there wasn't any description to be found!  Talking 
to other blind tv viewers in Cincinnati and elsewhere, the picture I am 
piecing together is something like this.
Before the conversion in 2009, people were watching the described tv that 
does exist -- on PBS, some on CBS, some on Fox, and then some cable 
channels, etc.  However, since the conversion to digital, the stations 
*think* they are sending it out, but the viewers/listeners are not receiving 
it.  I've asked on lists if this is the case in other cities and gotten 
sparse response.  This is such a disaster waiting to happen -- wherein 
zillions of dollars could be spent on describing all manner of programs that 
isn't being delivered.  People who have tv need to be checking it out now to 
find out if it is being broadcast properly in your area or not.  A blind 
engineer I interviewed in conjunction with that special radio told me that 
what is happening in some instances is that the enginers at the stations 
aren't aware of all the tweaks they need to do (he didn't say "tweak", 
that's my simplification) and so, without customer feedback, they don't know 
the signal isn't being received.
Hope some of you who watch tv can check this out in your area.
Best,
Deborah

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sammons, Elizabeth" <Elizabeth.Sammons at rsc.ohio.gov>
To: <ehoppe at vsao.org>; <Acbo.director at gmail.com>; <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>; 
<Robe369 at sbcglobal.net>; <kathryn.frederick at dfas.mil>
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 10:45 AM
Subject: [Ohio-talk] Updates to audio description on TV starting July 1

>
>
> 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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