SECRETARIES PAGE

Enough has been said about the distressing News last month so I won't dwell on it other than to congratulate broadcasters for providing us with immediate access to the tragic events as they unfolded. There's nothing more frustrating than not having access to the dialogue because it is impossible to get the full story from the pictures. DBC takes this opportunity of publicly thanking all broadcasters for ensuring we had access to most of the special programming - as well as the News itself.

We do, too, need to bear in mind that it's not just the survivors and rescuers who experience trauma and stress, the media do too - and that includes subtitlers. It must be very distressing for them to have to slog away at the keyboard when these horrific events are being shown over and over again and I am sure subtitling companies would appreciate receiving some letters of thanks.

One of the consequences of focusing on the News was that programme schedules were changed at the very last minute. Sometimes the substitute programmes were not subtitled although they were repeats of programmes which had previously been shown with subtitles. ITV has apologised for this, they understand our frustration and explained that they had to work at very high pressure. Quite often the substitute programme had to be edited to fit into the available programme slot which made it impossible to edit the subtitles to fit the revised programme length, not least because subtitlers also had an exceptionally heavy workload.

Viewers remain unhappy with the way apology captions for non-availability of subtitling are transmitted - they remain in vision throughout the programme. It's especially annoying if you have recorded the programme and can't switch the apology caption off! DBC suggests that broadcasters transmit a brief apology caption in the '888' default position, the caption could just take the form of a line through '888' or "sorry, no subtitles". We hope broadcasters will take this request on board.

Disappointed viewers feel the apology caption appears far too often. As a matter of interest, we asked the BBC to give us some hard facts. They say that apology captions are only used for about 0.5% of scheduled subtitling per week on public service channels. It just feels as though it is more than that when the programme you particularly want to watch isn't subtitled.

Are subtitles still covering up in-vision captions and other information on any channel? Feedback indicates that some broadcasters have solved this problem better than others, some feedback would be appreciated, please.

We have been asked to point out that there is 40 hours a week of subtitling on Sky Sports channels.

Congratulations to Sylvia Sheridan, Chief Executive of Independent Media Support (which does the subtitling for Sky) on being awarded the OBE for services to broadcasting.

The See Hear on Saturday quiz series will be finished by the time this newsletter comes through your letterbox. A number of people have expressed disappointment that the result of the competition was known long before the final has been transmitted. This leads me to ask whether it is feasible for a broadcaster to require the finalists to keep the result confidential for any length of time? A number of potential viewers have said they won't bother to watch the final because they know the result. So the broadcaster will lose some of the audience and the viewer misses the excitement of watching to the bitter end to find out who won.

Still on the subject of See Hear on Saturday, we know that some people feel that the quiz focuses too much on deaf culture issues. What do our members think? Do you watch See Hear? If not, why not? And what subjects would you like to see them cover? Is it too focused on sign language users and would you like to see a programme made for the wider deaf community?

TeleCaptions - ANOTHER OPTION FOR LIVE SUBTITLING

Melinda Wieneke writes:

Live television and programmes delivered late to the broadcaster/subtitling company are the most difficult to subtitle. Different methods have been tried, and the latest trend is voice recognition technology; of necessity providing much less commentary and chat than viewers are currently accustomed to receiving through the use of real-time stenography.

Stenography is the only live subtitling method that can keep up with the speed of most speakers, giving the viewing public a true understanding of what is said as it is said. The problem faced by broadcasters/subtitling companies has always been the lack of qualified stenographers to do this type of demanding work.

To date the stenographers that produce the subtitles you read are employed by the broadcaster/subtitling company and work shifts of eight to twelve hours per day. This type of work pattern limits the output of the small number of real-time stenographers. It was to address this problem that Susan McIntyre and I - experienced live subtitling and speech-to-text stenographers - formed TeleCaptions.

We felt that a 'single employer' approach limited the already small resource of real-time stenographers and excluded those stenographers that would like to enter the captioning field but (a) could not commit themselves to the shift patterns or (b) wanted to continue to be able to work in the freelance field as well or (c) their physical location. This is why TeleCaptions utilises software that allows the real-time stenographer to send subtitles from home to any TV company's inserter.

This approach means you, the viewers, can have comprehensive coverage of live and late edited events and programmes as long as the companies and broadcasters take up this option.

If you'd like to know more about TeleCaptions, please visit our website at www.telecaptions.co.uk or e-mail me at melinda.wieneke@virgin.net.

DVD AND VIDEO NEWS

Anthony Kent reports:

Film companies like to control when and where their DVDs are available. The world has therefore been divided into six parts, each known as a Region. The UK and Europe is Region 2. Some mail order and internet companies sell Region 1 discs from the USA. However, you can't normally play a disc from a different Region in an UK machine. Some players can be modified to play discs from any Region - a few actually have this feature as standard. It is not advisable, though, to have your player modified as the manufacturers dislike it and you may void the guarantee.

The exception is Region O discs which will play anywhere. Be aware, though, that many are recorded in the American NTSC format. We in the UK use the PAL format which is better quality than NTSC. Most UK DVD players can convert NTSC to fake PAL - called Pseudo-PAL (or 60HZ PAL). Most modern TVs can handle this although older ones may only produce a black and white picture or none at all. Some high-class UK DVD players can produce a genuine NTSC signal, but you'll need an NTSC or multi-standard (also known as World) TV.

Generally it is best to stick with discs marked Region 2 which indeed are usually the only sort you will find in UK shops. Make sure that English subtitles are also mentioned on the DVD's box.

Thomson has informed me that, with regret, they currently don't do any VCRs which can record teletext subtitles. So Panasonic are now the only ones making such machines and we really are in dire straits. I must once again stress the need for readers to contact manufacturers to prove that the demand exists - I cannot do it alone. We will only get what we want when we all fight for it. I know that some people dislike Panasonic's machines because the subtitles don't appear when recordings are played on other VCRs. If you would like Panasonic to modify their VCRs, then please tell them so!

[NOTE: Please support Anthony in his campaign. Send an SAE to Ruth for a list of DVD, video and manufacturers' addresses - and please ask your friends and family to write too.]

One further point relates to DVDs, many of which have a transparent background. In the last Mailshot I said that Carlton told me that their DVD captions do have a black backing. I have purchased three of their DVDs and the subtitles are transparent on all of them.

Our former Video Rep, Ken Smith, keeps in touch when time permits. He sends the following information for Sky subscribers:

Sky subscribers can record ITV Digital channels with any video recorder. Click "on" so that the subtitles coming through on teletext page 888 are displayed via the set top box (digital satellite receiver). If the normal set-up of signal into VCR and then into TV is used, the subtitles will be permanently recorded.

Providing you have a digibox, with one or two exceptions, you do not need a teletext TV to get subtitles. He has a portable TV set which does not have teletext, all you need to do is ask Sky to give you a second handset and you will be able to receive subtitles.

If anyone has a problem receiving subtitles for the terrestrial channels, it might be due to a problem in the digibox. Switch off the digibox at the mains and leave off for a minute or two, then switch it back on again. He has tested this advice and it works.

[NOTE: Ken says he will be pleased to answer questions on Sky satellite services. Questions should be send to Ruth Myers for forwarding Ken.]

VISIT TO ITFC SUBTITLING UNIT

ITFC has kindly offered to host a visit for no more than 40 people on Wednesday 12th December from 11am to 2.30pm. Communication support will be provided and lunch. If you would like to join the group please get in touch with Ruth Myers as soon as possible and no later than 30 November. ITFC is in Acton, full travel details will be sent to those who register for the visit.

If there is enough interest, a further visit will be arranged in January although that, too, will be on a weekday.

WWTBAM

The new series of Who Wants to be a Millionaire started in September - and so did the telephone relay system which enables deaf viewers to enter as contestants, a service which was pioneered for the last series. Deaf viewers who have textphones will be able to contact the Millionaire phone line through RNID Typetalk, giving them ample time to respond to the multiple choice question asked of all would-be contestants.

Prospective contestants should call RNID Typetalk on 0800 959598 and ask for Millionaire. They will then follow the same script as hearing viewers. They will also be asked in which show they would like to participate; followed by a multiple choice question which they will have 10 seconds to answer. If the answer is correct they will be asked for their name and contact details.

NOTE: Information will not be relayed to callers via BT TextDirect.

CABLE UPDATE

NTL have notified us that, from the end of October, all their digital TV customers will have access to subtitles when offered by a channel. Subtitles will (or should) appear either via the electronic programme guide settings or by using the TV remote control and keying in '888'.

NEWS FROM WALES

DBC Wales continues to work very hard to ensure that subtitling in the country meets their requirements and sent us the following report:

"Subtitles on S4C have again been very unsatisfactory for deaf viewers. S4C agreed last year to make sure that background sound was included in their English language subtitles. We cannot see any improvement so we are again lobbying S4C about this - and also their failure to provide full subtitles for the Eisteddfod. Song competitions for the Eisteddfod are a very important part of Welsh culture but they were not subtitled. Wales DBC made a formal complaint to the S4C Authority about the poor quality of subtitling for deaf people, we also issued two press notices about it. The Western Mail and North Wales Daily Post printed articles about the problem.

We have been lobbying hard on this because the head of S4C subtitling has resigned. We want his successor to be aware of the poor service that S4C provides. S4C subtitles were developed for hearing viewers who cannot speak Welsh, this is the root cause of poor quality subtitling for deaf people.

....AND FROM SCOTLAND

David Wilson, former Chairman of national DBC has for some time been our contact in Scotland. He has now expressed the wish to stand down and very much hopes that someone in Scotland with an interest in TV will volunteer to take over from him.

He has been liaising with the Scottish Council on Deafness (our newest affiliate member) to organise an Open Forum on Subtitling which was held on 14th September. The meeting was chaired by Ken Macintosh, MSP, and it turned out to be a lively event.

Julia Watts from Intelfax was one of the panellists for Question Time. The Chair had a list of questions and chose a person to respond, low priority questions were dropped.

Ken Macintosh had good connections with deaf people, gave direct responses and was very professional in the way he handled the event.

DBC thanks David for keeping the flag flying for so long and hopes he will enjoy having extra time on our hands. For our part, we will miss his smiling face and helpful input at our meetings

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