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Parliamentary Campaigns

Parliamentary Campaigns. Accessing the digital revolution. Presentation to the All-Party Parliamentary Disablement Group 12 December 2000 Kate Nustedt, Head of Campaigns Mark Morris, Head of Political Affairs.

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Parliamentary Campaigns

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  1. Parliamentary Campaigns

  2. Accessing the digital revolution Presentation to the All-Party Parliamentary Disablement Group 12 December 2000 Kate Nustedt, Head of Campaigns Mark Morris, Head of Political Affairs

  3. Digital for allEnsuring the future is digital for all: Broadcasting and Telecommunications regulation • The case for improving access • A “live”electoral issue • RNID postcard campaign • Recent progress • RNID proposals

  4. The case for improving access (i) “Adequate access is essential to enable deaf and hard of hearing people to play a full part in society. “It is an ironic fact that while access to to television and other communications services may pose particular difficulties for people with disabilities, these services may actually be more essential to them than to the population at large.” Rt. Hon Chris Smith MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, RNID Hear for All national conference, opened by Lord Ashley of Stoke CH, October 2000

  5. The case for improving access (ii) • Failure of existing subtitling regulation - Incoherent regulatory regime that penalises good practice and denies subtitles-using viewers choice - No subtitling regulation of cable and satellite - Result: no subtitles on Sky News - Even on analogue, total inconsistency in regulation - As choice grows, access is shrinking - Insufficient consideration of the enormous benefits of subtitling in helping to counter the social isolation of older people and improving literacy among deaf and hard of hearing children - Danger that the digital revolution in television could pass deaf and hard of hearing people by

  6. The case for improving access (iii) • British Sign Language interpretation on TV - 50,000 people in the UK for whom BSL is their first language/preferred means of communication - Technical problems mean that current targets for BSL interpretation are low and often depend on re-transmission of programmes overnight - There is a real need for development of closed caption signing technology to improve quality of signed output

  7. Broadcasting regulationSubtitling - a “live” electoral issue • Key statistics - Use:NOP and Broadcasting (BARB) figures show that 5 million use subtitles regularly; 1 million use subtitles whenever possible - Cost: on average £400 per hour of TV programming, a tiny fraction of overall production costs

  8. Broadcasting regulationSubtitling - a “live” electoral issue • The grey vote - Older votes will decide the next general election - More than half - 55% - of people over 60 are deaf or hard of hearing - In 1997 in almost half of Parliamentary constituencies - 304 - pensioners comprised more than one in four of real voters

  9. RNID postcard campaign - Most popular membership campaign to date - Fantastic demand for postcards (to send to MPs) from deaf and hard of hearing people, families, friends and RNID members; - 50,000 postcards distributed - Excellent response from MPs across all parties:

  10. “The arguments you put do seem compelling.” Rt. Hon Peter Mandelson MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

  11. “I fully support the initiative of subtitling on all TV channels.” Rt. Hon Ian McCartney MP, Minister of State, Cabinet Office

  12. “I have considerable sympathy with the aims of RNID’s campaign.” Rt. Hon William Hague MP, Leader of the Opposition

  13. “Your subtitling postcard campaign certainly seems to have worked.” Peter Ainsworth MP,Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

  14. “I support your campaign for subtitling requirements for all broadcasters.” Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat Broadcasting Spokesperson

  15. “You can count on my support.” Ieuan Wyn Jones MP, Leader of Plaid Cymru

  16. “I am fully supportive of the RNID’s position.” Alasdair Morgan MP, SNP Parliamentary Leader (Westminster)

  17. “It is not just deaf and hard of hearing people that benefit from subtitles. As a family, we regularly use the subtitle service when the soundtrack carries a lot of background noise. Broadcasters really should subtitle pretty well everything for all our sakes!”Peter Luff MP, Conservative (Worcestershire Mid)

  18. Recent progress (i) • 1990 Broadcasting Act - first numerical targets for subtitling and signing • 1996 Broadcasting Act - more ambitious regime secured with cross-party support

  19. Recent progress (ii) • 1997 Parliament: - Parliament’s help in securing doubling of BBC digital TV targets to 10% annual increment and other welcome changes - Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee support for 100% subtitling on BBC digital terrestrial channels by 2009 or date of analogue switch-off, whichever is the earlier - MPs’ and Peers’ help with raising profile of issue, e.g. by tabling PQs - Government White Paper consultation and separate review of statutory requirements for subtitling, sign language and audio description on digital terrestrial (and cable & satellite) TV

  20. RNID proposalsCreating a competitive-neutral, level playing field (i) The principle - Regime should be equitable and platform-neutral with all channels subject to one flexible, legal framework and coming within the remit of the ITC:

  21. Industry support for creating a competitive-neutral, level playing field “Our particular issue on subtitling is we do not understand why that obligation should extend only to the digital terrestrial platform. It would seem logical to us that if we are in a world where different platforms compete with each other that they should be regulated in the same way and the satellite and cable platforms also should deliver subtitled programmes to their viewers, as we will do.” ITV oral evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into the funding of the BBC, 30.10.99

  22. RNID proposalsCreating a competitive-neutral, level playing field (ii) The principle - Results of RNID consultation show that broadcasters prefer statutory, rather than voluntary regulation:

  23. Industry preference for statutory, rather than voluntary regulation “Any changes to subtitling should stem directly from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.” • BSkyB response to RNID Voluntary Charter consultation, 1999 We “would take strong exception to any subtitling requirements effectively being regulated by the RNID, as opposed to the appropriate Government department andindependent regulator.” • Satellite and Cable Broadcasters’ Group response to RNID Voluntary Charter consultation, 1999

  24. RNID proposalsCreating a competitive-neutral, level playing field The practice - Target for digital channels (terrestrial and cable & satellite) to be 10% annual increment, to 100% by 2009/analogue switch-off, whichever is the earlier - Innovation to be nurtured through (a) bundling of targets; (b) honeymoon period for new channels; and (c) meeting targets by subtitling most popular programmes first, with minimal net cost to broadcasters and the advantage of maximising audience spread - Targets for volume and quality set and monitored by ITC - Cable and satellite TV to be set same targets as currently set for digital terrestrial

  25. Telecommunications Regulation Equal access to: • the Internet - through training and free, unmetered access • Telephony - by putting charges for telephone equipment for deaf people (420,000 people cannot use a normal phone, even with an amplification device) on an equitable basis to that for hearing people

  26. Accessing the digital revolution • Ensuring the future is digital for all is a political choice - Politicians really can revolutionise the lives of millions of deaf and hard of hearing people - The White Paper presents a unique opportunity to build equal access into the digital age by harnessing new digital technology as a force for inclusion - Please support us

  27. Accessing the digital revolution:what you can do to help • Ensure Parliament and Government recognise this as a “live” political issue • Support our campaign for a level playing field and indicate whether you are prepared to table PQs, sponsor/sign an EDM and/or apply for an Adjournment Debate in the New Year • Help us maintain the pressure for improved subtitling on BBC1 and BBC2 analogue and an increase in the number of videos subtitled.

  28. Visit our WEBSITE www.rnid.org.uk or visit our MICROSITE on www.ePolitix.com Parliamentary

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