[vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
- From: "GERARD SHANAHAN" <gershan@xxxxxx>
- To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:42:44 -0000
Hi
Gerry, My old friend, I don't think people are picking on R.T.E. specifically,
I think it is because of RTE intricate position as was the E.S.B. up to some
time ago, i.e. an elect5ical power service provider and maintainer of the
electricity supply network. In the same way, the general reference to "R.T.E."
refers to its position as a public service provider of radio stations and
importantly at this time its subsidery R.T.E. network which has the
responsibility of maintaining the broadcasting equipment for all the
broadcasters in Ireland. To this end, Gerry Saorview really comes under the
management of the latter and does not come under the parameters of the
broadcasting authority of Ireland rather if one wishes to make an objection on
accessibility of set top boxes you will have to contact the communications
regulator after you make your complaint to soarview and at the point that you
are sufficiently unhappy with their reply in not presenting an accessible
alternative. so like the postscript on your emails, I do know where I want to
go but the route is like an Irish rural road system but Gerry I will know when
I get there if I'm not twarted by all the red tape, burocracy and soothing
flannel which has to be endured along the way.
Regards
Shano,
----- Original Message -----
From: Gerry Ellis
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:54 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Hi,
Publicity would be useful, but a lot of confusion has to be sorted out before
we can say which organisation is responsible for what.
RTÉ is not the only broadcaster affected by the digital switchover. I don't
hear much about any others.
Saorview, the specification for settop boxes and TVs with integrated
reception equipment, the Accessibility Rules and Irish/European legislation are
all separate issues with different organisations responsible for each.
Although she has responsibility in some areas of disability issues, Kathleen
Lynch does not have direct responsibility in the area of broadcasting.
RTÉ has done some work, and is continuing to do so. We need to be careful
about blasting them indiscriminently only for them to come back with a list of
successes.
Although we need to keep up pressure on several fronts, I suggest that the
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is the place where most pressure could help
at this time.
Take care,
Gerry ellis
If you don't know where you're going,
How will you know when you get there?
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Langan
Sent: 10 January 2012 09:59
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
in order to progress this issue furderwould it be possible to get one of the
contributors to this list to get on the Pat Kenny show. The more the public
hear of this kind of discrimination the better chance we have of making
progress.
regards Tom.
----- Original Message -----
From: Owen Kyne
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 9:14 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Hi All.
The decision by R. T. E. authority to discriminate would be made by one
official in the R. T. E. authority and there is a possibility that other
members of the authority may not be aware of the decision The Equality
Legislation would require to be amended to make the person who made the
decision personally liable and not the R. T. El authority The minister who has
responsibility in this area is Kathleen Lynch T. D. and it would be interesting
to know what responsibility has the National disability Authority in making
representations in matters like this.
Owen Kyne
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of GERARD SHANAHAN
Sent: 29 December 2011 16:39
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Robbie, re-reading your emails has provoked another thought linked to the
thoughtful phrase with which Gerry Ellis, my old comrade finishes his emails:
"if you don't know where your going, how do you know when you get there", well
all I can say in this case, concerning R.T.E., R.T.E. N.L., The B.A.I. and
Comm Reg and disability rights. We know what we want accessible television and
suitable technology but there are so many scare crow like figures in the field
of wheat that we can't make out which is the moving target of the farmer
checking his crop so we might as well add the Advertising Standards authority a
another agency to contact and complain to, Why? The soarview add uses the
phrase "Accessible digital television for everyone" or such phraseology. we
seem to be acquiring more and more agencies to tackle which in the long run
will defuse the momentum of any actions on our part, so should we just give up
now and save ourselves the bother? Can I ask Gerry , what exactly is being
achieved in the audience representitive group discussions? As regards the sub
titling, I can't directly speak about it's quality but I know that fully
sighted people with no defective vision can find it hard to read at times due
to the fact that the text is coloured i.e. white and the background is set on
the default programme picture rather than a contrasting band of colour. So as
for example, in a Scammal programme somemonths ago, the white text had a
background of white due to documentation on a table in the picture, Now How
thoughtless is that!! the producers should be made watch old subtitle films
where the text was white on a font high background of black but that would be
too conventional and old fashioned. Gerry
----- Original Message -----
From: RobbieS
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2011 1:51 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Hi Gerry,
Two proverbs come to mind:
t's good we're trying different ways to skin a cat. &
By their (RTÉ's) fruits, ye shall know them.
RTÉ admit they have broken the law regarding the 1% tartget by the 2006
Sectoral Plan; what worries me, is that their excuse for this shows that they
are not suitably put out by this and that we can expect more such from them in
future. Lets hope this new BAI process is more than just a can-kicking
exercise.
2. In setting ou the spec for saorview, RTÉ ignored the needs of vips.
Now, they claim changing the spec would be too expensive - all because of their
original neglect: this denial of equal service is, of course, against 2005
Disability Act and Dept. of Communiunications Sectoral Plan (2006).
I've found the email adderss of someone in Monaghan through which
complaint about this can be made (Comreg); I'll have more time to fish it out,
have a go, and post it here during the Christmas.
Having said that, the person who has done most work on this for BLA has
been Pat McCarthy, and perhaps, a swopping of recipes would be useful. Pat has
kindly allowed me to put his number here: 086-2714307.
I'm sure, he's amenable to giving and accepting advice to or from anyone
interested in any facet of the RTÉ thing. He's really covered them all.
Regards,
Robbie
Also, anyone who reads Sections 53-54 will se that thse sections seem to
supercede Sectoral Plans, and RTÉ have ignored the lot.
You can bring a horse to water....
Robbie
On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 12:23 AM, RobbieS <robbiesin@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Gerry,
Sorry to be so brief but I don't have the time to research tat the moment.
I have given hapter and verse to RTÉ in my complaints against thejm (for
what it's worth).
Apart from the usual 26-38 of the Disability Act, there is also, specific
to RTÉ and other broadcasters, sections 53 and 54 of the same Act which apply
specifically to Public Sector Broadcasters.
Either way, it is obvious - and RTÉ have admitted so - that RTÉ are in
breech of the Sectoral Plans to date [which I have read in full + updates] -
but they seem to think that only those with money behind them matter.
Are they right?
Robbie
On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 11:29 PM, Gerry Ellis
<gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi,
What legal obligations? RTE neither make settop boxes nor did they set
down the specifications for settop boxes. RTE-NL set down the specs based on an
international set of requirements, but this is separate from RTE.
If you have some legal details that would help in pursuing this issue I
would love to hear about them as they may add some leverage.
Take care,
Gerry ellis
If you don't know where you're going,
How will you know when you get there?
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of RobbieS
Sent: 17 December 2011 16:55
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
For the record, all credit to Pat McCarthy of the Blind Legal Alliance
for getting the BAI to at least go through these motions.
then, true to form in such matters, they wouldn't even inform him that
they'd acceeded to his demand/request.
RTÉ have put two fingers up to the Disability Act 2005 where vips are
concerned.
For instance, they claim that:
a). it's not parctical in terms of cost at this late stage to have an
accessible set-top box. Their neglect of the matter in the first place has led
to this situation, but there will probably be no accountability for this
flagrant breech ot their legal obligations.
Also, RTÉ claim that they couldn't meet the niggardly 1% target for
audio-description because they couldn't find companies in ireland to do it - as
if they couldn't do an in-house job if they were really serious about it.
Come to think of it, wouldn't an in-house job be cheeper, with no
tendering process or profit-margin required?
Up the BLA,
Robbie
On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 4:45 PM, GERARD SHANAHAN <gershan@xxxxxx> wrote:
Mark, I'm so disappointed, talk about splitting hairsIt reminds me of a
friend who hired a prosperous electrical contractor to fit a door bell: 1
supervisor, 1 bell fitter and 2 men to put in 12 feet of electrical cable and
connect the bell to the bell push.....No wonder nothing gets done in this
country Comre, BAI, R.T.E. NETWORKS, SOARVIEW, EVERYONE IS DOING SOMETHING BUT
NO ONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR NICHE PROBLEM SOLVING. Shouldn't we send a
submission to comreg on accessibility of technology...This could turn into a
debate and the digital change over will have taken place before we even get an
acknowledgement of submission. regards confounded, confused and deluded Gerry
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Magennis" <Mark.magennis@xxxxxxx>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 10:21 AM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Gerry,
Set top boxes are not covered by the access rules. The Access Rules only
cover content access services - audio description, subtitling, and sign
language. In fact, the BAI itself is only concerned with television content.
Technical aspects of broadcasting and networks are under the remit of ComReg.
Mark
On 14 Dec 2011, at 21:41, GERARD SHANAHAN wrote:
Gerry, B.A.I. have provided documentation on access for consultation on
www.bai.ie/?page_id=2006 I've just downloaded them but haven't read them yet
maybe other people should have a look and make submissions before closing date.
Do you know if the topic of accessible set top boxes is within the parameters?
Gerry
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gerry Ellis"
<gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 8:47 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Hi,
These Access Rules are set by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, but
are
given statutory strength through the Sectoral Plans of the Disability Act.
The old plans required 2% of Audio Description and 2% of Subtitling, but
neither of these targets were met.
I think it would be great if VICS made a submission on the review either
by
itself or as part of the TV Access group.
I would suggest that reference to the 21st Century Communications and
Video
Accessibility Act from the United States would be helpful as it has far
more
ambitious targets than anything that is likely to come from the BAI
itself.
See details of the call for submissions at:
http://www.emara.org/news/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7054
Take care,
Gerry ellis
If you don't know where you're going,
How will you know when you get there?
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