Entertainment
Deaf community ‘angry’ at ‘being kept in the dark’ as Channel 4 subtitle fiasco rages on – amid 500 Ofcom complaints
Channel 4 hasn’t had subtitles for 3 weeks (Picture: Carl De Souza/AFP via Getty Images)
The deaf community has received little communication from Channel 4 as to when subtitles and other audio and visual aids will return to screens, according to hearing loss charity Signal.
Channel 4 was among several broadcasters who experienced initial issues when TV company Red Bee Media, which handles playout services and broadcasting technology, was involved in a fire scare incident.
It saw services on the channel, as well as some others such as Channel 5, go down for around 25 minutes but despite this happening on September 25, the issue is still not completely resolved.
Subtitles, audio description and sign language interpreters on programmes have been missing from Channel 4, meaning hearing and visually impaired viewers are among those who have struggled to enjoy their favourite programmes for the last three weeks.
Jo Rose is an Outreach Worker at Signal and Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) user, who spoke to us with her interpreter, Abbie Knight, telling Metro.co.uk: ‘Everyone’s in the dark as to what It’s going on and it’s almost feeling like deaf people don’t matter.
Jo pointed out if the issue was instead a lack of sound, ‘the reaction would be totally different’ and added: ‘Where’s the equality in that respect?’
Bake Off has been one of the programmes affected (Picture: Mark Bourdillon/Love Productions)
Jo went on to say: ‘Sometimes I think they feel like with it being on TV programme we can follow body language or we can rely on other factors, but realistically without subtitles we can’t really do anything.
‘The deaf community are really angry with this and no one seems to be taking it seriously, it can’t be answered really as to why no hasn’t been taking it seriously.’
Jo also explained how they’ve seen numerous Facebook comments on the issue, describing deaf people as ‘not a happy bunch’ over the fiasco.
She told us: ‘There’s one main complaint: that a TV licence is paid for and unfortunately people can’t enjoy those TV programmes.
‘Another remark is, in regards to their mentality is, it’s quite depressing and it’s not inclusive.’
Adam Hills poked fun at the broadcaster’s ongoing issues earlier this month (Picture: Channel 4)
Deaf and disabled journalist and campaigner Liam O’Dell also voiced his frustrations to us.
He shared to Metro.co.uk: ‘This whole situation is reminiscent of the issues faced by Deaf cinemagoers, where poor communication and subtitled content being few and far between creates an appalling game of catch-up.
‘Deaf people who are reliant on captions now have to carefully avoid spoilers from their favourite shows, isolate themselves from fanbases and communities built around the shows they love, and find time in their busy schedules to catch-up on missed programmes, when they should have been able to access it at the same time as hearing viewers.’
Liam said simply having the problem acknowledged doesn’t go ‘far enough’ and added: ‘Questions still remain around what actually caused the issue in the first place, as well as around the timeframe of when deaf people can expect to access the TV shows they love.
‘A clear joined-up approach to communications needs to be established between Ofcom, Red Bee and TV channels such as Channel 4. I also believe, as we are now entering our third week of the outage, Ofcom needs to step in.
‘It is not enough to put verbal pressure on these services to fix the issues ‘as soon as possible’; the regulator should now be looking towards implementing fines for the delay, because there is no sense of urgency around this issue.’
It’s not yet known when subtitles will be back to normal, with Channel 4 simply updating a statement issued a week ago, which apologised to those who were affected.
An Ofcom spokesperson gave an update on Friday, revealing meetings have been held with Channel 4 and Channel 5 to address the ongoing issue, after receiving around 500 complaints.
They told Metro.co.uk: ‘We have held meetings with Channel 4 and Channel 5 to address the lack of subtitling, signing and audio description, which has caused deep upset and frustration among audience members with sight and hearing impairments.
‘We have received around 500 complaints about Channel 4’s ongoing outage. Channel 4 has assured us it will shortly communicate to its audience the clear measures it is taking to restore these services.
More: Channel 4
‘Channel 5 has now restored these services to its forward schedule, and is adding them back to recent on-demand programmes where they are lacking. We welcome this progress, and will continue to engage with broadcasters to make sure these services are restored as a priority.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Channel 4 and Red Bee Media for comment.
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What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.
