Freeview and lack of Subtitles.

As is usual at Christmas Freeview was full of repeats or programs with no subtitles but I looked forward to watching one decent program , "An Inspector calls" on the Drama channel of Freeview Tuesday 26.12.2017. "An Inspector calls" is considered to be one of the classics of mid-20th century English theatre. The only problem from my point of view is that I am one of the approximately 19% of the total population who is deaf and requires subtitles to understand anything on TV. Its a waste of time talking to Freeview about this problem because they use the copout of, All of the channels on Freeview are responsible for what they do. In other words, Nufinct to do with us mate all we do is to take the money.
I'm now looking for a replacement to Freeview for which I don't mind paying.

It isn't Freeview though it's the channels - I'd be very surprised if any show that doesn't has subtitles on Freeview has them on another platform.

Maybe it should be another requirement of having a Freeview EPG slot that a certain proportion of shows have to be subtitled.

As Brekkie says, it's very likely to be the channel not the platform. If the programme didn't have subtitles on Freeview than it would very strange if there were subtitles on another platform, be it another free platform like Freesat or a pay platform like Sky or Virgin Media.

Ofcom's Code on Television Access Services sets targets for the amount of TV subtitling, signing and audio-description that eligible broadcasters are required to provide. According to this document, the Drama channel was one of the channels in 2017 that was required to provide Level One television access services, that is full requirements: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/81322/channels_required_to_provide_television_access_services_in_2017.pdf

Ofcom's advice on complaining about lack of subtitles or other access services is as follows:



Taken from: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/how-to-report-a-complaint/subtitling-signing-or-audio-description

UKTV, the network of channels that runs the Drama channel, has a contact form you can use here: https://corporate.uktv.co.uk/about/contact-us/

(FYI I have used the UKTV contact form before and received a prompt response to my enquiry).

The thing to realise is that Freeview isn't a platform or a service or a broadcaster, it's essentially just a marketing name for TV through an aerial AKA terrestrial TV

It's not a 'cop out', it's perfectly correct.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/accessibility-research/tv-access-services-2017

According to the above, Dave's annual quota for subtitles (as regulated by Ofcom) in 2017 is 80%, and in H1 achieved 87.3%

This is for the channel and - as stated by others above - is regardless of platform. It's nothing to do with the marketing body Freeview.

I have noticed actually a lot of the UKTV channels, despite airing a hell of a lot of BBC content and other content that would have originally gone out with subtitles on their parent networks, don't have them on the UKTV repeats. W is quite "good" (for want of a better term) at doing this. For example the EastEnders late night repeats don't have (or at least are not marked as having) subtitles even though BBC One has near enough 100% subtitle coverage and I dare say its the same file that gets played out?

Indeed as the others have said, contact UKTV as Drama is part of their family of channels. This is a broadcaster/access services issue, not Freeview (which is only broadcasting what's been outputed from the channel).

It's not just a case of reusing exactly the same file, the ones shown on UKTV are different versions. Not only will they be split into parts for ad breaks but they'll also sometimes have some edits. The subtitle file needs editing for all of those to get the timings back in sync.

Even on the main BBC channels they'll produce different subtitle files for different versions of the programme. I remember seeing programmes where the subs matched at the start, but not the end because a shot or two had been edited out. Not something easily fixed on the fly

It's like blaming something being missing off your car on Traffic England.

Drama (on which 'An Inspector Calls' was broadcast) has a much lower subtitling threshold ....

22.5 pct of it's output must be subtitled, remarkably UKTV achieved well in excess of this at 79.0 pct of the channel's output being subtitled.

Maybe approach Ofcom on this matter

| from …….. | RESEARCH-AND-DATA on OFCOM.ORG.UK | 27-Dec-2017 @ 20:45 |

Although if they're offering more than three times the required amount of content there isn't really a case for OFCOM to investigate. Contacting UKTV is your best bet - chances are this programme will be repeated on the channel quite frequently so no harm in putting in a request for future airings to be subtitled.

Yep - as others have said - this isn't within Freeview's remit. It's a UKTV and/or Ofcom issue.