The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced a trial of audio description that will be conducted on ABC television in 2012.
Audio description refers to an additional narration track on visual media (including television, film, dance, opera and visual art) for consumers who are blind or vision impaired. Audio description improves access to electronic media for people with vision loss.
'The ABC will deliver content and conduct a technical trial of closed audio description using receiver-mixed technology for the Australian Government,' Senator Conroy said.
'The trial will involve the broadcast of drama, documentary and other content with audio description on ABC1 for 14 hours per week during prime time over a 13 week period commencing in mid 2012.'
The trial is intended to generate a greater understanding of the technical and consumer issues associated with establishing and delivering audio description services.
It will encompass testing of the broadcast delivery path from capture (acquisition or commissioning) to transmission and distribution.
Currently in Australia there is no broadcast on television of audio description. The trial will assist in assessing the technical and other implications within Australia's broadcasting context.
'I am also pleased to announce a successful tenderer for a consultancy to conduct research and identify appropriate consumer equipment for decoding receiver-mixed audio description technology has been selected,' Senator Conroy said.
The government worked closely with industry in the development of a talking set-top box technology in Australia. These boxes have receiver-mix capability and will allow viewers to participate in the audio description trial.
Read the full press release.
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