News and Press Releases

CRTC Ruling on Described Television Programming a Huge Leap Forward for Accessible Media

VANCOUVER,B.C. JULY 9, 2001: A CRTC decision setting September 1 as the start date for prime-time broadcasts of described Canadian television programming is a huge leap forward for accessible media, says Paul Thiele, president of The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc.(NBRS), a media charity.

"This truly is an exciting event for the many Canadians with diminished vision and their families, as well as for seniors," said Mr. Thiele. "For more than six years our AudioVision Canada division has worked with program producers, public and private television broadcasters and the CRTC to find ways to make television more accessible to Canadians who cannot see the TV screen or cannot see it well. At public hearings earlier this year, we and others made the case that it now is technically and financially feasible for Canadian television networks and others to broadcast described Canadian programs and do so during prime-time hours."

In a July 5 decision renewing for a maximum seven years the licence of the French-language TVA network, the Commission said that as of September 1 it expected TVA to include two hours a week of described programming in its prime-time schedule, increasing to three hours weekly in years three and four and to four hours thereafter. Repeats would be limited to 50%.

Description is a technology by which a recorded description of key visual elements of a theatrical or television drama is added to the sound track in a way that does not interfere with the original dialogue, allowing someone who cannot see the screen to follow the story line. It has been a feature of the American PBS service since 1992.

Later this summer the Commission is to announce decisions related to renewal applications of CTV and CanWest Global, Canada's two largest private English-language television networks. Described programming was discussed at their public hearing.

"The significance of this CRTC ruling on described programming cannot be under-estimated," said Mr. Thiele. "It is an historic Canadian broadcast milestone."

He noted that more than 3 million Canadians are print-restricted, including 700,000 whose vision is less than the legal definition of blindness.

For Further Information
John Stubbs, Director NBRS Operations
Marc Rosen, Director AudioVision Canada Phone 416-422-4222; Fax 416-422-1633;
e-mail info@nbrscanada.com