The first bi-annual report for 2015 on the provision of access services (subtitling, signing and audio-description) by broadcasters, under the Code on Television Access Services, shows the cumulative position from January to June 2015. An explanation of the obligations applying to broadcasters is given in the Code on Television Access Services and is available on the Ofcom website at http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/broadcast-codes/tv-access-services/.
With regard to domestic broadcasters, many channels are continuing to comfortably exceed their requirements. In cases where broadcasters are not meeting their requirements, Ofcom will expect them to have met their obligations by the end of the year.
Domestic channels with an audience share of between 0.05% and 1% have the option to broadcast either 30 minutes of sign-presented programming each month or to participate in Ofcom-approved alternative arrangements that contribute to the availability of sign-presented programming. Where "Alt" is shown against a channel, this indicates that the broadcaster is contributing to the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT), which commissions sign-presented programming and is broadcast on the Community Channel and Film4.
2015 marks the second year in which non-domestic channels licensed by Ofcom have been required to provide access services. The majority of these broadcasts have comfortably met their obligation.
In lieu of the signing arrangements set out in the Code, all non-domestic broadcasters elected to provide an additional 5% of content with subtitles. Ofcom will set out its long-term position regarding signing provision by non-domestic broadcasters in 2016.
We note that Nickelodeon and Nickelodeon Junior, broadcasting to France, failed to provide subtitling or audio-description during the first six months of 2015. The broadcaster has explained that this was as a result of technical and supply issues that have now been resolved. Both services began provision of access services in July and we expect their annual quotas to be met by the end of 2015.
Ofcom expects any broadcasters reporting an under-provision for the first six months of 2015 to have fulfilled their obligations by the end of the year.
We expect to publish the next report in March 2016, providing the data from the second half of 2015 to provide a cumulative figure for 2015.
| Channel | Subtitling | Audio Description |
Signing | |||||
| Annual Quota | Achieved (2015 Q1-2) | Annual Quota | Achieved (2015 Q1-2) |
Annual Quota |
Achieved (2015 Q1-2) | |||
| LEVEL 1 | ||||||||
| BBC 1(-1-) | 100.0% | 99.9% | 10.0% | 22.6% | 5.0% | 5.3% | ||
| BBC 2 | 100.0% | 99.9% | 10.0% | 22.3% | 5.0% | 5.2% | ||
| BBC3 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 32.0% | 5.0% | 5.6% | ||
| BBC4 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 33.3% | 5.0% | 6.1% | ||
| BBC News | 100.0% | 99.9% | Exempt | 5.0% | 5.0% | |||
| CBBC | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 30.0% | 5.0% | 5.9% | ||
| Cbeebies | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 30.4% | 5.0% | 5.3% | ||
| ITV1 | 90.0% | 90.5% | 10.0% | 16.0% | 5.0% | 9.9% | ||
| ITV2 | 80.0% | 91.3% | 10.0% | 30.3% | 5.0% | 5.7% | ||
| ITV3 | 80.0% | 96.5% | 10.0% | 46.3% | 5.0% | 5.1% | ||
| ITV4 | 72.0% | 83.0% | 10.0% | 28.5% | 4.0% | 5.0% | ||
| CITV | 70.0% | 97.2% | 10.0% | 24.1% | 30 mins sign- presented a month | 140 mins sign- presented a month | ||
| Channel 4 | 90.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 26.0% | 5.0% | 5.3% | ||
| E4 | 80.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 48.0% | 5.0% | 5.4% | ||
| Film 4 | 70.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 25.4% | Alt | |||
| More 4 | 70.0% | 100.0% | 10.0% | 28.0% | Alt | |||
| 4Seven | 30.8% | 100.0% | 5.7% | 21.9% | Alt | |||
| Channel 5 | 80.0% | 88.6% | 10.0% | 16.2% | 5.0% | 10.3% | ||
| 5* | 70.0% | 78.2% | 10.0% | 33.6% |
Alt | |||
| 5 USA | 70.0% | 81.4% | 10.0% | 18.5% |
Alt | |||
| Challenge | 80.0% | 82.2% | 10.0% | 24.1% |
Alt | |||
| Pick TV | 72.5% | 82.2% | 10.0% | 24.5% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Arts | 70.8% | 92.1% | 10.0% | 13.0% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Atlantic | 35.0% | 98.1% | 7.7% | 30.5% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Living | 80.0% | 94.2% | 10.0% | 33.1% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Action | 80.0% | 90.0% | 10.0% | 39.1% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Comedy | 80.0% | 90.3% | 10.0% | 39.6% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Disney | 10.0% | 82.8% | 3.5% | 33.0% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Drama Romance | 80.0% | 90.2% | 10.0% | 28.9% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Family | 80.0% | 93.1% | 10.0% | 36.0% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Greats | 80.0% | 86.3% | 10.0% | 34.5% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Premiere | 80.0% | 84.9% | 10.0% | 29.4% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Sci-fi/Horror | 80.0% | 88.6% | 10.0% | 35.7% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Showcase | 70.0% | 96.1% | 10.0% | 54.8% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Movies Thriller | 70.0% | 90.8% | 10.0% | 28.1% |
Alt | |||
| Sky News | 80.0% | 81.4% | Exempt |
Alt | ||||
| Sky One | 80.0% | 92.6% | 10.0% | 25.4% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Sports 1 | 80.0% | 82.8% | 10.0% | 18.4% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Sports 2 | 80.0% | 81.0% | 10.0% | 17.5% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Sports 3 | 80.0% | 82.1% | 10% | 15.1% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Sports 4 | 80.0% | 83.0% | 10% | 13.6% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Sports F1 | 30.8% | 81.2% | 5.7% | 14.6% |
Alt | |||
| Sky Sports News | 80.0% | 80.6% | Exempt |
Alt | ||||
| Sky Two | 80.0% | 98.4% | 10.0% | 36.0% |
Alt | |||
| Disney Channel | 80.0% | 85.2% | 10.0% | 29.9% |
Alt | |||
| Disney Junior | 80.0% | 91.2% | 10.0% | 25.8% |
Alt | |||
| Disney XD | 80.0% | 86.2% | 10.0% | 23.4% |
Alt | |||
| 4Music | 80.0% | 89.0% | 10.0% | 22.0% |
Alt | |||
| Dave | 80.0% | 87.4% | 10.0% | 31.4% |
Alt | |||
| Watch | 62.5% | 75.6% | 10.0% | 30.9% |
Alt | |||
| Yesterday | 80.0% | 88.6% | 10.0% | 28.0% |
Alt | |||
| Alibi | 80.0% | 81.7% | 10.0% | 44.2% |
Alt | |||
| Good Food | 80.0% | 90.6% | 10.0% | 22.6% |
Alt | |||
| Home | 80.0% | 88.8% | 10.0% | 34.7% |
Alt | |||
| GOLD | 80.0% | 86.6% | 10.0% | 36.2% |
Alt | |||
| Eden | 80.0% | 85.2% | 10.0% | 29.2% |
Alt | |||
| Really | 60.0% | 80.6% | 10.0% | 25.6% |
Alt | |||
| Drama | 10.0% | 69.2% | 3.0% | 13.9% |
Alt | |||
| Discovery | 80.0% | 82.4% | 10.0% | 14.1% |
Alt | |||
| Animal Planet | 80.0% | 83.5% | 10.0% | 10.9% |
Alt | |||
| Quest | 60.0% | 61.2% | 10.0% | 12.3% |
Alt | |||
| TLC | 10.0% | 68.1% | 3.5% | 3.8% |
Alt | |||
| Universal | 80.0% | 83.2% | 10.0% | 19.4% |
Alt | |||
| BT Sport 1 | 10.0% | 23.4% | 3.0% | 2.7% |
Alt | |||
| LEVEL 2 | ||||||||
| S4C | 53.0% | 78.0% | 10.0% | 12.3% | 5.0% | 5.4% | ||
| MTV | 52.8% | 83.9% | 10.0% | 20.2% |
Alt | |||
| MTV Music | 23.1% | 59.2% | Exempt |
Alt | ||||
| Viva | 52.8% | 73.5% | Exempt |
Alt | ||||
| Comedy Central | 52.8% | 73.7% | 10.0% | 24.8% |
Alt | |||
| Comedy Central extra | 52.8% | 55.1% | 10.0% | 14.2% |
Alt | |||
| Nick Jr | 52.8% | 39.3% | 10.0% | 20.0% |
Alt | |||
| Nickelodeon | 52.8% | 67.6% | 10.0% | 15.2% |
Alt | |||
| Nick Jr 2 | 46.2% | 41.0% | 10.0% | 20.8% |
Alt | |||
| Nicktoons | 52.8% | 60.4% | 10.0% | 7.9% |
Alt | |||
| LEVEL 3 | ||||||||
| Boomerang | 26.4% | 26.7% | 10.0% | 26.7% | 30 mins sign- presented a month | 45 mins sign- presented a month | ||
| Cartoon Network | 26.4% | 33.8% | 10.0% | 33.9% | 30 mins sign- presented a month | 45 mins sign- presented a month | ||
Footnote
1.-Occasional technical and/or operational problems led to a small shortfall in delivering against the BBC's 100% subtitling target on some channels.
| Member State | Channel | Subtitling |
Audio Description | ||
| Annual Quota | Achieved (2015 Q1-2) |
Annual Quota |
Achieved (2015 Q1-2) | ||
| LEVEL 1 | |||||
| Denmark | Kanal 4 | 15.0% | 65.0% | 4.0% | 8.2% |
| Kanal 5 | 15.0% | 74.3% | 4.0% | 5.1% | |
| 6’eren | 15.0% | 67.8% | 4.0% | 6.4% | |
| TV3 | 15.0% | 72.1% | 4.0% | 3.9% | |
| France | The Discovery Channel | 15.0% | 16.2% | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Discovery Science | 15.0% | 13.2% | 4.0% | 7.4% | |
| Cartoon Network | 15.0% | 19.7% | 4.0% | 1.9% | |
| Disney Cinemagic | 15.0% | 27.0% | 4.0% | 7.4% | |
| Nickelodeon | 15.0% | 0.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% | |
| Nickelodeon Junior | 15.0% | 0.0% | 4.0% | 0.0% | |
| Netherlands | The Discovery Channel | 15.0% | 100.0% | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Republic of Ireland | BBC 1 | 100.0% | 99.9% | Technical Exemption | |
| BBC 2 | 100.0% | 99.9% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Sky Living | 80.0% | 94.2% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Sky One | 80.0% | 92.6% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Channel 4 | 90.0% | 100.0% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Italy | AXN | 15.0% | 18.0% | Technical Exemption | |
| The Discovery Channel | 15.0% | 24.1% | 4.0% | 8.2% | |
| Discovery Science | 15.0% | 17.6% | 4.0% | 9.5% | |
| Poland (-2-) | Discovery Life | 15.0% | 21.0% | Technical Exemption | |
| AXN | 15.0% | 61.9% | Technical Exemption | ||
| The Discovery Channel | 15.0% | 21.7% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Discovery Science | 15.0% | 22.7% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Discovery Turbo Xtra | 15.0% | 19.9% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Investigation Discovery | 15.0% | 18.8% | 4.0% | 6.5% | |
| TLC | 15.0% | 20.0% | Technical Exemption | ||
| Sweden | The Discovery Channel | 15.0% | 100.0% | 4.0% | 4.1% |
| Kanal 5 | 15.0% | 97.7% | 4.0% | 7.1% | |
| Kanal 9 | 15.0% | 99.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% | |
| TV3 | 15.0% | 100.0% | 4.0% | 1.3% | |
| TV3 Puls | 15.0% | 85.1% | 4.0% | 4.1% | |
| TV6 | 15.0% | 97.9% | 4.0% | 4.1% | |
| TV8 | 15.0% | 98.6% | 4.0% | 3.8% | |
| LEVEL 2 | |||||
| Denmark | TLC | 12.0% | 100.0% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
| The Discovery Channel | 12.0% | 100.0% | 4.0% | 4.5% | |
| LEVEL 3 | |||||
| NA | NA | ||||
2.- Data for Travel Channel was not provided in time for publication but will be published in the full 2015 report.
Source: Ofcom - data provided by broadcasters
