An update on the ABC iview audio description trial

Transcript

24 May 2015

Roberta: Media Access Australia Project Manager, Chris Mikul, joins us today for an update of the trial of the audio description on ABC iview. Welcome, Chris.

Chris: Hello, Roberta.

Roberta: Now, how has this trial been going?

Chris: Well, it all seems to be going very well, indeed. In case people aren't aware of it, the trial began on 14 April and it involves around two hours of audio described programs a day being made available on the iview, which is the ABC's online catch-up TV service, so it has a mix of audio description. Some of it's been imported from Britain and the rest is being done by a couple of companies here and, from what I've heard of it, the quality has been excellent.

Roberta: Who is able to receive the audio description at the moment?

Chris: At the moment, well, the way they're doing it, they've introduced it in stages to different devices. So when it began last month it was only available on iPads and iPhones. This month, the original intention was to extend it to desktops and laptops. That schedule has changed slightly now, so by the end of this month it will be available on smart phones and tablets that run on the Android operating system, so that's things like Samsung phones and so on, and next month it will be extended to desktops, including PCs.

Roberta: Do you know what programs are being described?

Chris: There's a good mix of stuff. So far we've seen things like Midsomer Murders, Father Brown, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, so lots of described murder, which is an interesting thing for describers to do. That's what ABC viewers seem to like, I suppose. There's the historical drama, Poldark, and the thriller, Top of the Lake, which I can highly recommend. Some of the highlights coming up for June, there's going to be a couple of comedy programs, including The IT Crowd, which is one of my favourites. Another, I think, is a British program called Mapp and Lucia, the second series of Redesign My Brain, which features Todd Samson, and two news kids shows, Olivia and Degrassi. So it's a good mixture of British and Australian shows and adult and kids' shows.

Roberta: I love Midsomer Murders. I love it.

Chris: You're obviously not alone.

Roberta: Chris, who would want to live in the Midsomer area, though? I mean, I know it's a very large area but who would want to live there?

Chris: I know. It's such a tiny town for so many murders.

Roberta: Everybody knows everybody. It's almost like Murder She Wrote. Who would want to be connected with Jessica Fletcher because all her friends got murdered? Anyway, enough frivolity. How long does the trial go for, Chris?

Chris: It goes for 15 months, so that's quite a long time, and I'd really encourage listeners to try it out. It's a bit of a world first, in that it's very rare for online catch-up TV services to have audio description. It's also the first time that audio description has been specifically created for a catch-up service. So we'd really like listeners to get behind it. If people want to find out more, there's an audio description FAQ section on the ABC iview website and there's also an AD helpline you can call. The number for that is 02 833 3248. So, yes, I'd really recommend listeners have a listen to it. It's really good stuff.

Roberta: Yes, and people do need to support it, don’t they?

Chris: Exactly, because we've got to demonstrate that it's a service that people want.

Roberta: That is needed.

Chris: I mean, you know, it's quite expensive to produce, and so on, and there's been objections by the TV industry to introducing it. So we need to show them that we need it.

Roberta: What's that AD number again, please, Chris?

Chris: The number is 02 833 3248.

Roberta: As Chris just reiterated, it is important for people to use this service because it is expensive and companies and organisations who provide this service need to know that people are using it, so if you would like to ring that number, again, 02 833 3248 or ABC iview website. For information on general access to media through technology and audio description, you can call Media Access Australia direct on 02 9212 6242 or email info@mediaaccess.org.au. You can also visit their website www.mediaaccess.org.au. I've been speaking with Media Access Australia Project Manager, Chris Mikul, who brought us up to date on the trial of the audio description on ABC iview. Media Access Australia is a supporter of this program.

Go back to An update on the ABC iview audio description trial page