Subtitles, in-vision signing and audio description on Channel 4’s family of services may not return to normal until mid-November, according to Channel 4’s latest update.
Channel 4 has shared more details after its playout system was destroyed in an incident at Red Bee Media in September. It’s faced ongoing criticism from audiences who rely on access services to follow Channel 4 programming. Thousands have complained to Ofcom. As a result, it’s faced increasing pressure to explain why the restoration is taking so long.
Subtitles currently appearing on some services are part of a test of a interim system designed to restore subtitles. By developing the restoring of subtitles separately from other access services, Channel 4 can add subtitled programmes more quickly.
As RXTV reported yesterday, Channel 4 also confirmed it would be making subtitles available on its most popular programmes via All 4. It has now named the first three programmes to benefit: Gogglebox, the Great British Bake Off and its Extra Slice. Channel 4 has previously promised to make programmes currently without subtitles on All 4 available with subtitles in the future.
Meanwhile, Channel 4’s services on satellite and terrestrial TV are still operating on either reduced or fixed bitrates. Film 4 Ireland, Magic and Kerrang TV are still off-air.
CHANNEL 4 STATEMENT
The damage caused by the incident has meant that we have had to build a completely new system. Not only will this enable our channels to move back out of disaster recovery, but it also means we will be able to provide subtitles, audio description and sign language services as well.
We have been rebuilding the system over the last few weeks, and there is still a considerable amount of work to be done. We cannot rush this and run the risk of something going wrong.
Something like this needs to be installed slowly to ensure our channels don’t come off air and to prevent something like this happening again. That means that full access services might not be available until the middle of November. Clearly, if we can do anything to speed up this process, we will.
We know that this will be incredibly disappointing to everyone, but we do need to get this right. In the meantime we will continue to put our most popular programmes that you have missed, with subtitles on All 4.