[access-uk] THE GREAT BRITISH SPELLING TEST
- From: "Carol Pearson" <carol.pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 12:40:02 -0000
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
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--
Carol and Mike Pearson
carol.pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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