In eight of the 12 weeks analyzed, RTP1 did not reach “the minimum number of hours provided for in the multi-year plan” in terms of subtitling for people with hearing disabilities, according to the ERC balance on television broadcasts in 2021 made public this Friday.
The Media Regulatory Authority (ERC) evaluated the way in which the public service television channels RTP1, RTP2, RTP3, RTP Madeira and RTP Açores and the private ones SIC, TVI, SIC Notícias, Porto Canal, CMTV and TVI24, which changed the name of CNN Portugal on November 22 of last year they fulfilled the obligations related to the accessibility of programs for people with special needs, provided for in the regulator’s multi-year plan, in 2021.
These obligations include the transmission of subtitles intended for people with hearing disabilities, interpretation through Portuguese Sign Language and audio description.
“The data collected on subtitling specifically aimed at people with hearing disabilities indicate that RTP1 did not reach, in eight of the 12 weeks analyzed, the minimum number of hours foreseen in the multi-year plan“, while “RTP2, like the previous year, exceeded the programming objective accompanied by this accessibility in all the weeks analyzed”, says ERC.
In the services of general programs of free unconditional access with national coverage, continues the regulator, “it seems that SIC globally complied with the volume of hours foreseen in the analyzed weeks, with the exception of weeks 24 and 37, while TVI did not comply with the required number of programming hours accompanied by this accessibility in weeks 1, 6, 12, 37, 41 and 50”.
However, “these situations were highlighted by ERC, taking into account that, among others, a high volume of live broadcast hours was observed, so there was no programming content available that would allow the TVI operator to comply with the minimum of 18 hours of broadcast with subtitles required by the pluriannual plan”.
Regarding audio description, ERC states that RTP1, RTP2, SIC and TVI “met the annual objectives set in the multi-year plan, and it should be noted that TVI substantially exceeded the reference value (12 hours), by broadcasting around 64 hours of programming accompanied by this accessibility”.
Regarding the use of Portuguese sign language, “in the free access general program services, which include those of a regional scope – RTP Madeira and RTP Açores -, the mandatory minimum volume of broadcast hours of accompanied programs was met. for this accessibility.
ERC highlights that “RTP1 far exceeded the minimum expected in all the weeks of the sample, exceeding, in week 50, more than 56 hours of monitored programming.”
As for the general and thematic free access programs with subscription at the national level, focused on the production of information (Porto Canal, CMTV, SIC Notícias and TVI24/CNN Portugal), “the obligation of three weekly hours of news programs with interpretation was fulfilled. through Portuguese sign language with”, “it should be noted that CNN and Porto Canal broadcast more than 93 and 95 hours, respectively, of programming accompanied by this accessibility”, adds ERC.
The regulator highlights that there was also “general compliance with the complementary regulations” of the multi-year plan, during the period in which the 2021 presidential elections were held (January 24), as well as the municipal elections (September 26).
The only “exception”, adds ERC, “was found in the Porto Canal program service, with the lack of follow-up of the interpretation through Portuguese sign language of the debates in the field of municipal elections, which motivated the opening of a contravention process”. ”.
Source: Observadora
