Subscription TV

Due to a decision of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Pay TV providers are required to provide captioning across a minimum of 40 digital channels. 

An initial 20 channels that began captioning in October 2004 had to achieve captioning on 25% of programming by 2009, while a further 20 channels that began captioning in 2006 had to achieve 15% by 2009. For more information on the Commission's decision click here.

Not all programs on the subscription TV channels that provide captions are captioned, and unlike free-to-air there is no requirement for prime time programs to be captioned. For more information or inquiries about closed-captioned programs on subscription TV, contact Foxtel or AUSTAR.

FOXTEL

FOXTEL provides a digital captioning service. All you need to access captions on subscription TV is your digital set-top box. Forty-three Foxtel Digital channels, including Showtime and Discovery Channel, are available with captions.

Captions can only be accessed on digital subscriptionTV. Click here to download instructions on how to get captioning on your FOXTEL box.

Some FOXTEL subscribers with the satellite service will be able to access closed-captioned programming on some FOXTEL channels through their Satellite Electronic Program Guide. Those subscribers can activate closed-captioning by pressing the captioning button at the bottom of their legacy remote.

Visit this link to find the latest information about closed captioning and Foxtel packages [Word Document - 133 KB] or alternatively look up Foxtel’s TV guide. For more information on Foxtel captioning, Click here.

AUSTAR

Closed captioning is also available on AUSTAR's subscription service. If you have a teletext-enabled TV, you can begin viewing programs with captions immediately. For subscribers without a teletext TV, AUSTAR provides a caption-enabled digital set-top box as part of the subscription service.
AUSTAR subscribers can turn closed-captions on by simply pressing the yellow button on the AUSTAR remote control. Captions will then be shown on any closed-captioned program until they are turned off by pressing the yellow button once again.
Details on which programs are closed-captioned can be found in the AUSTAR Magazine and as a search feature within the online TV Guide.

Click here to find out more about AUSTAR.

Channels with closed-captioned programming on FOXTEL and AUSTAR:
Showtime Greats
Discovery Channel
FOX8
TV1
UKTV
The Hallmark Channel
Movie One
Nickelodeon
MTV
Disney
Arena
LifeStyle Channel
National Geographic Channel
ESPN 
FOX NEWS
E!
How To Channel
Cartoon Network
Turner Classic Movies
Nine 
ABC
SBS
Lifestyle Food
Movie Extra
Movie Greats
Nick Jr
History
Biography
W
Crime & Investigation
Comedy
FOX Classics
Help channel
Playhouse Disney
Discovery Travel & Living
Discovery Home & Health
Discovery Science
Animal Planet
Ovation
Boomerang
Weather Channel
Channel V
Music Max
CMC
VH