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

Wed Jun 20 17:01:41 UTC 2012

Hi,
I know there is a setting that you have to put you're TV on, but I'm not 
sure what it is for a non public TV provider, such as time Warner or direct 
TV.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Deborah Kendrick" <dkkendrick at earthlink.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 12:15 PM
To: "NFB of Ohio Announcement and Discussion List" <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org>; 
<ehoppe at vsao.org>; <Acbo.director at gmail.com>; <Robe369 at sbcglobal.net>; 
<kathryn.frederick at dfas.mil>
Subject: Re: [Ohio-talk] Updates to audio description on TV starting July 1

> 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."
>>
>> --
>>
>> Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission - 
>> www.rsc.ohio.gov<http://www.rsc.ohio.gov/>
>> Click to follow us at 
>> Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ohio-Rehabilitation-Services-Commission/155300754532533?sk=wall/>, 
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>>
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