Home > TV > Information for TV Broadcasting Industry > Broadcast Guidance > TV Access Services > 

Introduction

1.1 The Communications Act 2003 required Ofcom to publish a code setting out the obligations of television channels licensed in the UK to provide television access services. Following consultation, Ofcom published the Code in July 2004, together with an explanatory statement setting out the channels that would be required to provide such services in the following year. A copy of the current version of the Code, incorporating amendments made since the Code was first published, can be found at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/ctas/ctas.pdf.

1.2 The Code also provides for a mid-year review of the audience share and revenues of UK-licensed television channels, based on data for the previous year. The purposes of the review are to establish whether, in the next calendar year, channels should be:

• required to provide television access services;
• required to meet a different Level of provision; or
• excluded from the requirement to provide television access services.

1.3 As a result of this review, 91 channels will be required to provide television access services in 2006, as against 76 during 2006. Channels required to provide access services for the first time include ABC1, Toonami, Boomerang, Nick Junior, Nick Toons, National Geographic, Magic, Kiss, Kerrang and Smash Hits. A number of channels previously required to provide access services at Levels Two or Three will be required to provide access services at a higher level, including those operated by Discovery and Flextech. A few channels will not be required to provide access services from the end of 2005, including Disney Toon and Sky Box Office. The outcome of the review is summarised in the table annexed to this statement.

1.4 A copy of this document in a format suitable for use by screen readers has been posted on Ofcom’s website. Ofcom can also provide documents to individuals in alternative formats (e.g. Braille, audiotape or large print) on request. We may also provide translations of documents into languages other than English. To request non-standard versions of documents, please contact the Ofcom Contact Centre at mailto:contact@ofcom.org.uk, by phone at 0845 456 or 020 7981 3554, or by textphone at 0845 456 3003. Please note that the time needed to produce an alternative format document will depend on the length of the document.[^(-1-)]

Footnotes:

1.-Code on Television Access Services: Statement by Ofcom, 26 July 2004. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/tv_access_services/statement2/statement.pdf

• Television channels required to provide television access services in 2007 [pdf]
  Full Print Version

Back to top