On 11th Feb, I saw this news article and decided to e-mail BBC Subtitles with this:
Hi,
I have been reading about the TV licence rise - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/2743863.stm and I was wondering if this fee rise will increase the number of TV programme to be more subtitled? (including late TV shows)
I work all day and when I gets home, there are lack of subtitles in the evening time and I feel left out due to lack of access to subtitles. I think it would be good if you increase them.
Many thanks,
Tony Sutton
Profoundly deaf since birth
I never heard back from them.
Today, I finally for a reply from them with this reply…
Dear Tony
Thank you for your email and my apologies for the delay in responding.
We are very sorry that you are disappointed by the lack of subtitles on some programmes. I can understand how frustrating this must be for you, and how you feel that you are being left out, and want to assure you that we are doing our best to ensure that this is not the case. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to subtitle everything we would like and our efforts tend to be concentrated on peak-time output and news programmes. Beyond that, we have to make some difficult selection decisions about which other programmes should be subtitled and I am afraid that not all programmes can be chosen at present. However, the BBC is committed to increasing its subtitling coverage by at least 5% every year on all the BBC channels - BBC One, BBC Two, Choice, Four and News 24 - resulting in full coverage by 2008.
I realise that this is of little consolation to you at present, but hope that this goes at least some way to explaining the situation.
Kind regards
Tessa Wolfe
* Assistant to Director of Access Services & Head of Operations, Access Services BBC Broadcast Limited *
Gah! 5% increase per year is NOT enough! And 2008 is too long to wait.
*mumbles*
February 19th, 2003 at 4:24 pm
What about Text 888?
February 19th, 2003 at 4:27 pm
Same thing - subtitles.
February 19th, 2003 at 5:54 pm
Do you get anything off the license because you are deaf? You should, I mean you are missing half the service really, especially on unsubtitled programs. Not that the BBC actually cares, I mean they tax everyone who has a TV regardless of how often they use it as it is, so I doubt they’d listen to anyone with a genuine concern…
February 19th, 2003 at 8:11 pm
I have e-mailed them about it and they refuse to offer me a discount when blind people do - 50% discount I think.
Oh well.
February 19th, 2003 at 8:14 pm
Write to Watchdog, no, scratch that, it’s a BBC program.
Have you tried contacting Trading Standards?. I mean if you think about it you are paying for a service you are not fully recieiving. What was the BBCs excuse for not giving a discount?
February 19th, 2003 at 8:47 pm
Let me find that e-mail…
February 19th, 2003 at 8:49 pm
Found it.
Dear Mr Sutton,
Thank you for your enquiry.
The television licence is a legal requirement to install and use television equipment to receive or record broadcast signals. The fee is set by Parliament and must be paid in full.
We act as agents for the Licensing Authority, by keeping licence records and collecting the licence fee. Unfortunately we have no control over the content or quality of television programmes.
The programme content and quality is controlled by the broadcasting company, if you have any comments or queries about any of the programmes, you should contact the company responsible.
The address to contact regarding BBC programmes is:
The Viewer And Listeners Correspondence Department
Room 220
Design Building
Television Centre
Wood Lane
London
W12 7RJ
Or you can visit their website at http://www.bbc.co.uk
Yours sincerely
Richard Farmer
Customer Services
I don’t think it’s worth writing to them, but I might later on…
February 19th, 2003 at 11:11 pm
*cough* Bollocks *cough*
Not only can they shift the blame, they can excuse themselves for broadcasting utter trash all day long…