Wales Deaf Broadcasting Council

Cyngor Darlledu i’r Byddar Cyymru

Registered Charity No: 298758

Public Service Broadcasting in Wales

I am writing this letter in response for your Committee’s call for evidence in respect of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). This response on behalf of the Wales DBC restricts itself to access to programmes by deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

Access to TV programmes is governed by various Acts and regulated by Ofcom, except for S4C, which is covered by the S4C Authority. In the words of Ofcom "all broadcasters are subject to regulation by Ofcom in relation to Access services (including subtitling and signing). Full details are available at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/ctas/ "

The Wales DBC was founded in 1988 and its aim is to ensure that the highest possible number of programmes are accessible as possible. Access can be either by the provision of subtitles and or Sign Language. The stated aim of PSBs is to maximise subtitle provision, but there are restrictions within Wales on this ideal. In the case if ITV Wales for example, the morning Welsh News on GMTV is not subtitled, but the morning BBC news is subtitled. The explanation given for this is simply lack of finance by the ITV group.

Letters to this effect are enclosed as evidence. Concern has also been expressed about the quality of the ITV Wales evening news subtitles. Dialogue of interviews are sketchy at best or missing altogether. But from the point of view of the regulator, Ofcom, the programme is subtitled and is counted in the target set by Ofcom. Ofcom seeks to avoid disputes with broadcasters as often as possible and deaf viewers lose out as a result. Indeed Ofcom have said to us that "As has been explained to you in previous correspondence, the 2003 Communications Act requires Ofcom to set English language subtitling targets for broadcasters, which are expressed as percentages of the total number of hours of programming broadcast by their services (excluding advertisements). The targets do not relate to individual programmes and we therefore can not mandate that individual programmes or strands are subtitled. In the case of GMTV therefore, we can not compel the broadcaster to ensure that its morning local bulletins are subtitled (including the ITV 1 Wales bulletins produced under contract for GMTV) and in the case of ITV 1 Wales, we can not mandate that Wales This Week is subtitled. " A copy of the exchange with Ofcom is attached as evidence.

BBC on the other hand prides itself as presenting nearly 100% subtitled programmes, but when a locally made programme takes the place of a UK wide advertised one, it may not be subtitled. For example, BBC may not achieve targets for technical reasons, as the attached letter shows. ITV Wales also sometimes does not subtitle local programmes, for example 'Wales This Week’, although it has produced excellent local programmes in HTV days. Costs are a factor here. Please see attached e-mail from ITV Wales explaining why some ITV Wales programmes are not subtitled

S4C produces a good range of programmes subtitled in Welsh and English. There are 2 options for viewers to select on subtitles. For example on analogue programmes text channel 888 has English subtitles and 889 Welsh subtitles. Digital S4C has similar choices. Some programmes are subtitled in both Welsh and English, some English only. The English subtitles were originally created to attract monoglot hearing English speakers as there were insufficient Welsh speakers to attract advertising revenue. After strenuous lobbying by the Wales DBC over the years the subtitles were adapted to 'deaf quality’ standards to cater for deaf viewers as well. The difference, for example, is the provision of background sound subtitles for when a 'phone rings. In the past copyright issues prevented S4C from subtitling Welsh language songs into English subtitles, though this issue seems to have been overcome.

The provision of Sign Language interpretation and presentation has traditionally been something of a challenge for broadcasters. They simply don’t like it as from their point of view it distracts hearing peoples attention. On ITV Wales a very brief news summary is provided by deaf presenters on Wales Tonight. Deaf people continually complain that the summary is too short and should be expanded.

BBC Wales has Sign Interpreted News on BBC 2 in the afternoon. This is a longer and more comprehensive provision. S4C has Signed programmes on its digital channel on Saturday afternoon. However as the attached report of May 2002 shows, this was not achieved without a struggle as S4C attempted to be excluded from providing Sign Language. On BBC Sign Language has to be provided, but it is confined to the 'ghetto’ hours when few people are likely to see it and complaints from hearing viewers are likely to be at a minimum. Advances in technology are likely to enable the Signed facility to be switched on as required in the same way as subtitles are.

The conclusion is that PSB in Wales needs to be carefully monitored in order to ensure that access for deaf viewers is maintained to the highest possible standard and level. As evidenced above, this is not happening at the moment. Costs are still an important factor in excluding Deaf viewers from programmes and Ofcom have proved to be quite useless in dealing with concerns about inadequate access to individual programmes. It should be said that we have found S4C to be very helpful in dealing with our complaints, they are usually quick to respond to concerns and to attempt to correct them.

I would be grateful if my address is not disclosed.

Cedric Moon
Acting Hon Secretary
Wales DBC