Channel 4 in the UK has announced that it will increase audio description (AD) to 20% of all programming on the channels it owns, including Channel 4, More 4, E4 and Film 4.
The increase on Channel 4 will be brought about by the audio description of two popular programs, Hollyoaks and Deal or No Deal, by September 2010. The remaining channels will increase to 20% by January 2011. Channel 4 is also gearing up for the audio description of the 2012 Paralympic Games.
The minimum quota for AD, set and monitored by the UK communications regulator Ofcom, currently stands at 10% for the main channels including Channel 4, BBC One, BBC Two and ITV. Ofcom, in its Television Access Services Review, released on 11 June, decided not to increase the minimum AD quota, and referred the final decision to the secretary of state. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is currently campaigning to have the quota increased across all digital channels.
For more information, see the RNIB website.
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