THANK YOU!
Please accept our sincere thanks for attending the December 3rd launch of The Accessible Channel and for your support in making this media milestone break-through a great success.
It will take until the 29th of January for all cable and satellite companies to add TACtv to their basic digital packages.
Our broadcasting partners currently include Rogers Media, CTV Globemedia, Canwest, CBC, Audiovision, and the Channel Zero group. More than 700 films, countless television programs and current events, news and entertainment now include everyone on The Accessible Channel.
Your attendance and contributions have enabled TACtv to generate increased awareness among Canadians. We are proud to be furthering, through TACtv, our mandate to make media accessible.
To obtain further information on The Accessible Channel, please visit out website at www.tactv.ca.
All of us at NBRS, TACtv, our Directors, Staff, more than 800 Volunteers and 6.6 million Canadian viewers thank you for your continuous support.
THE ACCESSIBLE CHANNEL ANNOUNCES BROADCASTING PARTNERS. THE VISION IMPAIRED WILL FINALLY BE INCLUDED IN EVERYTHING THAT IS TELEVISION
TORONTO (November 28th, 2008) – The National Broadcasting Reading Service (NBRS) recognized that, until now, the vision impaired only knew what television sounded like. But what if there was a channel that included the vision impaired in everything that was, and is television?
On December 3rd, 2008, The Accessible Channel (TAC) is being launched throughout Canada to provide a detailed picture of television for the vision impaired featuring programming from Canwest, Rogers, Citytv, CBC and CTV. The Accessible Channel’s launch will commence with a press conference at 4:00 pm at Palais Royale, 1601 Lakeshore Blvd., Toronto, followed by a launch party at 5:00pm.
This launch will coincide with United Nations International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
All TAC programming will be broadcasted in open description and closed-captioned. All of It! This will allow blind, low-vision, deaf, hard of hearing and many others to tune into TAC at any time during the day or night and KNOW that they will be able to enjoy television.
The Accessible Channel’s launch will commence with a press conference at 4:00 pm at Palais Royale, 1601 Lakeshore Blvd., W. Toronto. Followed by a launch party at 5:00pm.
Open Format description will be, for the first time, available as the only soundtrack in the primary audio setting of millions of TV sets with digital cable access across the country.
“We wish all the best to TAC as they make broadcasting history with the launch of their new channel that will begin serving the blind and vision impaired community, on December 3rd – International Day of Persons with Disabilities” said Barb Williams, Senior V.P. Programming and Production, Canwest Global Communications.
On behalf of everyone at Rogers Communications, we all recognize the unique contribution TAC is about to make in the Canadian broadcast landscape, said Malcolm Dunlop - Executive V.P. Programming Television.
“We all recognize the unique contribution TAC is about to make in the Canadian broadcast landscape”, said Alain Strati – Vice President, Specialty TV & Development. “Rogers Media is proud to be a supporter of The Accessible Channel and its promise of inclusion.”
The Accessible Channel will respond to the many access challenges faced by more than 5 million Canadians plus their families, relatives and friends.
"To play a meaningful part in such a groundbreaking historic initiative is an honour for CTV,” said Mike Cosentino, Senior Vice-President, Program Scheduling, CTV Networks. “We are proud to be a founding supporter of The Accessible Channel and we look forward to its successful launch and beyond."
With dramas like `The Best Years’ and `The Guard’ in TAC’s initial program supply agreement, Canwest was not the only Canadian broadcaster to realize the importance of such a unique service.
On the current basic cable TV set up, people who want to access description must change the audio settings of their televisions to S.A.P. (Secondary Audio Programming). This process can be difficult, if not impossible, for the vision impaired since it usually works through a series of on-screen menu prompts. With Open Format description on The Accessible Channel this process is eliminated.
“Starting December 3rd, CBC shows like “This is Wonderland”, “Heartland”, “Little Mosque on the Prairie” and “This Hour has 22 Minutes” will be available with Open Format description, along with an excellent collection of Canadian documentaries and movies” said, Richard Stursberg, Executive Vice-President, CBC English Services.
TAC’s weekly schedule will also feature original CTV programming, including series such as “Road To Avonlea,” “Alice I Think” and “Whistler”; original movies such as “Shades of Black” and “Lives of the Saints” and additional programming from CTV specialty channels including MuchMusic, Discovery Channel and Travel+Escape.
The schedule will also include programs from Rogers Media, with original programs like “Murdoch Mysteries” and “Less than a Kind” from Citytv, “Survivorman” and “Mantracker” from OLN, OMNI documentaries, and biographies from The Biography channel.
"The Channel Zero group of companies (Movieola--The Short Film Channel, Silver Screen Classics and OUAT Media) are delighted to be included in the line up of the the world's most inclusive channel; The Accessible Channel. Congratulations to the team at TAC, the CRTC and all of the other programmers who have made this launch possible. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with TAC", said Cal Millar, VP & General Manager, Channel Zero Inc.
With over 700 films, countless television programs, and current events, news, and entertainment, there will finally be a channel that includes everyone.
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NBRS is a remarkable registered charity that enriches lives by providing highly valued news, information and entertainment to millions of vision- and print-restricted Canadians. In addition to working with others, NBRS (www.nbrscanada.com) does this through its two divisions, VoicePrint and AudioVision and the support of more than 600 daily community newspapers, magazines and information periodicals. Because of VoicePrint, newspapers and magazines can be “heard,” allowing people who can’t independently access print due to blindness or physical impairment, low literacy skills or just getting older, to hear in-depth articles. VoicePrint can be accessed on the Secondary Audio Program of CBC Newsworld; on Star Choice (ch 825), ExpreesVu (ch 49 & 967), Look TV (ch 400); Rogers Digital (ch 196) and Eastlink Digital (ch 394); and at www.voiceprintcanada.com.
For further information: Georgina Blanas, Director, NBRS,
1-800-567-6755, (416) 422-4222 ext. 258, gblanas@nbrscanada.com.
1090 Don Mills Road
Suite 303
Toronto, ON M3C 3R6
416.422.4222
1.800.567.6755
Fax: 416.422.1633
info@nbrscanada.com