[access-uk] Re: THE GREAT BRITISH SPELLING TEST
- From: "Carol Pearson" <carol.pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:26:39 -0000
Quite agreed, Paul. Anyway, never mind, we can spell (or maybe can't)
with or without them! <SMILE>
--
Carol
carol.pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of paul leake
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 12:54 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: THE GREAT BRITISH SPELLING TEST
their conclusions are tosh carol, they could have said the appropriate
words
had enought thought been given as to presentation!
Cheers
Paul
paul.leake@xxxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Pearson" <carol.pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 12:40 PM
Subject: [access-uk] THE GREAT BRITISH SPELLING TEST
> Hi all,
>
> Remember the original "Test the Nation" about which we all complained
> which, I think, the BBC upheld but the Independent Broadcasting
> Authority perhaps did not.
>
> Well, when "The Great British Spelling Test" came around on ITV, we
> discovered at the first question that we were not going to be told the
> various options so couldn't "spell". Mike contacted OFFCOM and has
> now received the following reply which we post here in case anyone
> else cares to write them.
>
> Please note, we did not mention Audio Description, because we simply
> needed the options to be spoken. Anyway, this is what OFFCOM has to
> say:
>
> The Great British Spelling Test
>
> Dear Mr Pearson
>
> The Great British Spelling Test
>
> I am replying to your complaint about the Great British Spelling Test,
> which was shown in ITV on 20 October 2004; I am sorry for the delay in
> getting back to you on this.
>
> You have expressed concern that the programme excluded blind people in
> that words were displayed on-screen but not read out. We have
> concluded that the item was not in breach of the relevant regulations,
> and our reasons are set out below.
>
> It is very important to help people with hearing or sight difficulties
> to understand and enjoy television programmes. Many programmes on BBC,
> ITV, Channel 4, S4C and Channel 5 therefore have subtitles or sign
> language to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Some
> programmes also have audio description
> - an extra soundtrack in which a narrator describes events for people
> who are blind or who have difficulty seeing. We call these services
> 'television access
> services'.
>
> Ofcom is required under an Act of Parliament - the Communications Act
> 2003 - to draw up, and from time to time review and revise, a code
> giving guidance on these television access services.
>
> We have now drawn up this Code, taking into account both comments
> received from interested parties and advice from the Advisory
> Committee of Older and Disabled People.
>
> The Code does not require broadcasters to provide television access
> services in respect of each and every programme, but it does set out
> targets for broadcasters. These targets are expressed as percentages
> of the total number of hours of programming shown by the broadcaster,
> excluding advertisements.
>
> ITV is currently required under the Code to ensure that 6% of the
> programmes it broadcasts include audio description. This target will
> increase to 8% for 2006 and 2007, and then to 10% in 2008. ITV must
> comply with these targets; however, Ofcom cannot tell ITV which
> specific programmes should be accompanied
> by audio description.
>
> We understand that most visually impaired people like to watch the
> same sort of programmes as the sighted audience, with news,
> documentaries, soap and drama high on their list. However, not all
> programmes – whether or not they are popular and highly-rated - are
> suitable for audio description.
>
> Some programmes are too fast moving for a description to be really
> helpful to the viewer. Quiz programmes and game shows, though very
> popular, offer little opportunity for audio description because they
> both have tightly-worded, almost continuous scripts. The Great British
> Spelling Test was a fast moving programme,
> where it would have been difficult for either the presenter to read
out
> the words or for an effective audio description to be provided.
>
> The Code says that television access services need not be provided if
> Ofcom is satisfied that this would be impracticable on grounds of
> technical difficulty. However, broadcasters are required to ensure
> that producers, editors and presenters are trained in techniques to
> describe the significance of images for
> the benefit of the blind and partially-sighted audience.
>
> We understand your disappointment that The Great British Spelling Test
> was not presented in a way that you were able to enjoy. In the coming
> years, broadcasters such as ITV will face higher targets for
> television access services and this may lead them to re-think the
> format of some programmes such as quiz shows.
>
> We appreciate the trouble that you taken to raise this matter with us.
> Even though we will not be pursuing your complaint on this occasion,
> it is important for us to know what the audience thinks.
>
> Yours sincerely
>
> Ritu Manhas
>
> :: Ritu Manhas
>
> Programme Executive
>
> Content and Standards
>
> +44 (0) 20 7981 3853
>
> ritu.manhas@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> :: Ofcom
>
> Riverside House
>
> 2a Southwark Bridge Road
>
> London SE1 9HA
>
> www.ofcom.org.uk
>
> **********************************************************************
> **
> ******************************************
> Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the
UK
> communications industries, with responsibilities across television,
> radio, telecommunications
> and wireless communications services.
>
> For further details and to register for automatic updates from Ofcom
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>
> --
> Carol and Mike Pearson
> carol.pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
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