you need to have second audio capability and the carrier bust be
transmitting it.  for more on this, see:
http://www.wgbh.org/dvs/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Peterson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 8:57 PM
Subject: Re: CURR: FOX Introduces Description on Five Series


How do we access the Descriptive Narration?

Thanks-Gary Peterson


On Thu, 28 Mar 2002, Catherine Alfieri wrote:

>
> > FOX Introduces Descriptive Narration on Five Series
> >
> > The Media Access Group at WGBH Provides Description Services
> >
> > BOSTON, MA March 28, 2002.  Beginning April 1, 2002, the FOX
Broadcasting
> > Company will premiere video description on five of its most popular
series—
> > THE BERNIE MAC SHOW, BOSTON PUBLIC, MAGIC SCHOOL BUS, MALCOLM IN THE
MIDDLE
> > and THE SIMPSONS.  Video description, developed in 1990 by WGBH,
Boston's
> > public broadcaster, makes television more accessible to the nation's
12
> > million viewers who are blind or visually impaired.
> >
> > The Media Access Group at WGBH is providing description services for
each of
> > these FOX series. Funding for the description is provided by FOX
Broadcasting
> > Company and the US Department of Education.
> >
> > THE BERNIE MAC SHOW:  Airing Wednesday nights 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT on
FOX, this
> > daring, new half-hour comedy, the recipient of a 2001 Peabody Award
for
> > broadcast excellence, is inspired by the real-life of stand-up
comedian Bernie
> > Mac— a family man with unique views on parenting.
> >
> > BOSTON PUBLIC:  Airing Monday nights 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT on FOX, this
> > thought-provoking, hour-long drama from creator/writer/producer
David E.
> > Kelley (ALLY MCBEAL, THE PRACTICE) goes inside Winslow High, an
urban high
> > school outside of Boston where Principal Steven Harper spends his
days putting
> > out fires, defending his faculty and keeping things going.
> >
> > MAGIC SCHOOL BUS:  In this animated, kids science series, Ms.
Frizzle and her
> > students ride the magic, transformable school bus to experience how
things
> > work from the inside out.  Each trip provides young viewers with
fascinating,
> > behind-the-scenes adventures in the name of science.  Check local
FOX listings
> > for broadcast schedule.
> >
> > MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE:  Airing Sunday nights 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT,
this popular
> > and inventive comedy, which won the 2000 Peabody Award, tells the
story of a
> > middle-class family with four squabbling brothers, as seen through
the eyes of
> > Malcolm— a "normal" kid with a genius IQ.
> >
> > THE SIMPSONS:  Now in its 13th hit season, this animated sitcom,
created by
> > Matt Groening follows the colorful everyday lives of the Simpson
family—
> > Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie— and other residents of
Springfield.
> > Airs Sunday nights 8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT.
> >
> > Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®) provides descriptive narration of
key visual
> > elements— making television programs, feature films, home videos and
other
> > visual media accessible to people who are blind or visually
impaired.  Key
> > visual elements are those that viewers who are visually impaired
would
> > ordinarily miss, such as actions, costumes, gestures, facial
expressions,
> > scene changes and on-screen text.  Inserted within the natural
pauses in
> > dialogue, audio descriptions of important visual details help to
engage these
> > viewers with the story.
> >
> > Viewers can access description on their stereo-equipped televisions
or VCRs
> > through the Second Audio Program or SAP channel.  Stand-alone SAP
receivers
> > also are available (these can be used with or without a television;
a list of
> > vendors can be found at dvs.wgbh.org).  Most TVs and VCRs purchased
since 1992
> > are equipped with the SAP feature.  To hear the narrated visual
descriptions
> > through a stereo TV or VCR, simply activate its SAP feature.
> >
> > In addition to these FOX series, the Media Access Group at WGBH
provides video
> > description on a wide variety of programs broadcast on PBS, as well
as on
> > selected programs on CBS and Nickelodeon, and numerous films on the
Turner
> > Classic Movies cable network.  First-run feature films (A BEAUTIFUL
MIND, E.T.
> > THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, PANIC ROOM, SPIDER-MAN) are made accessible
via closed
> > captioning and description technologies WGBH developed for theaters,
and which
> > are now installed across the U.S. and Canada.  For a complete list
of
> > described programs and films, visit access.wgbh.org or call the
toll-free DVS
> > information line at 800-333-1203.
> >
> > The Media Access Group at WGBH is a non-profit service with offices
in Boston,
> > Los Angeles, and New York.  The Group includes Descriptive Video
Service ®
> > (DVS®), which has made television, film and video more enjoyable to
audiences
> > who are blind or visually impaired since 1990, and The Caption
Center— the
> > world’s first captioning agency— which has made audiovisual media
accessible
> > to audiences who are deaf or hard-of-hearing since 1972. The third
branch of
> > the Media Access Group, the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible
Media, is
> > a research, development and advocacy entity that works to make
existing and
> > emerging technologies accessible to all audiences.  Members of the
Group’s
> > collective staff represent the leading resources and experts in
their fields.
> > For more information about access services, visit the Media Access
Group Web
> > site access.wgbh.org or call 617-300-3600 (voice and TTY).
> >
> > ###
> >
> >
> >
> > ************************************************************
> > * ACB-L is maintained and brought to you as a service      *
> > * of the American Council of the Blind.                    *
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> >
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