hope that this helps some of you if you are users of TW. tERRIE
Begin forwarded message: From: "Joel Snyder" <[email protected]> Date: July 3, 2012 11:02:49 AM CDT To: <[email protected]> Subject: [acb-l] Time Warner Cable Untangled- Getting More From Television for Customers Who Are Blind or Have Vision Loss Hi all-- This is a quite positive blog post from Time-Warner, brought your way by avid description consumer Shirley Roberts (it's posted below and available with the sample clips at the following URL: http://www.twcableuntangled.com/2012/06/getting-more-from-television-for-cus tomers-who-are-blind-or-have-vision-loss/ ). Getting More From Television for Customers Who Are Blind or Have Vision Loss Beginning next month, Time Warner Cable will be part of a national effort to make it easier for our customers who are among the 22 million Americans who are blind or have vision loss to enjoy television better. And you can help. Starting July 1, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act requires cable operators, satellite companies and the like to provide at least 200 hours per year of programming with video descriptions of programs originated by the four major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox) and the top five Nielsen-rated cable networks (e.g., USA, Disney Channel, TNT, Nickelodeon and TBS). This works out to roughly 4 hours each week of prime-time and/or children’s programming (shows for kids 16 or younger). The descriptions will let television viewers who are blind or have vision loss know what is happening on screen when characters are not speaking. They will be audible only to viewers who request them and they’ll be wedged in between moments when there is no dialogue on screen. This link will show you an example of a video description, but be forewarned: the video autoplays and there are no volume controls: Sesame Street: Journey to Ernie excerpt You can also see another example embedded below: Highly rated cable networks that carry live or near-live programming in prime time, such as ESPN and Fox News, are exempted from this requirement. Original cable series as well as movies and off-network shows will have video descriptions. For example, USA has said series like Law & Order: SVU and Royal Pains will be described; Turner Broadcasting plans to describe The Closer on TNT and Tyler Perry comedies on TBS, among other shows. Disney Channel will describe the cartoon, Phineas & Ferb, and other shows, while Nickelodeon will describe Dora the Explorer as well as other series. That same day, affiliates of the top four broadcast networks—ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox—located in the top 25 TV markets also will begin offering about four hour per week of video descriptions. By July 2015, the effort will be expanded to include the top 60 TV markets. While some TV programs have aired with description, many more programs will now be available with description to help viewers with vision loss. Every three years, the FCC, based on new ratings data, will update the list of cable networks required to provide descriptions. The first 3-year update will be July 1, 2015. As you can imagine, letting people know about the availability of video description provided by the major programmers will be a significant undertaking. There is currently no cohesive plan in place that tells the public what programs are available with video description by TV provider. We’d love to offer one up, but it’s up to programmers, not us. If you know someone who could benefit from this information, please let them and their families know what will be available come July 1. In addition, some of the larger programming networks are creating logos and audio tones to let people know that a particular show will be enhanced with video descriptions. The programming guide channel on your television may eventually provide that information next to the name of a show. The web sites of the various cable networks and the site of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will have links leading to information about video descriptions At TWC, we are all about making television better. So we will work with program providers as they make information available and pass it on as quickly as we can to provide our customers with more details about the availability of video description. In addition, should you have questions, our Customer Service Representatives are always happy to help. JOEL SNYDER Director, Audio Description Project American Council of the Blind [email protected] -- 202 467-5083 www.acb.org/adp ™ ACB logo ADP logo _______________________________________________ acb-l mailing list [email protected] http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/acb-l
_______________________________________________ ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.) A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
