As things stand at the moment, all TV channels have allotted five minutes at 6pm every day for a news broadcast with sign-language, with the exception of the CyBC, which dedicates ten minutes a day.

But unions say that the time of day is not helpful as many deaf people, who mostly work for the government, are not home in time for the news. They also request bigger subtitles, subtitles for Greek language programmes and a larger image of the sign-language reporter, instead of the small window that is currently used.

Spokesmen for the Interior Ministry began the meeting by agreeing that broadcasting measures for deaf-mute people seemed restricted, though they did point out that there were of number of technical difficulties, impairing alterations to subtitle-sizing and time allotment.
As a Sigma spokesman explained, channel programmes are carefully set over a length of time, taking into consideration audience-viewing figures.

“A specific schedule is set in order to get steady viewers, every second counts. If we were to alter the schedule, the costs would be massive and we would lose commercially”.
Speaking on behalf of the deaf-mute society, head of the Cyprus Confederation of

Organisations of the Disabled (KYSOA) Mikis Flourenzos said the situation for this part of society at the moment is “very difficult”.

Referring to previous efforts the Confederation had made to highlight the situation, Flourenzos told the Committee that when letters were sent to the private channels asking for better viewing for the afflicted, just one channel replied with understanding – Mega, Antenna and Sigma did not reply.

He also pointed out that subtitles are of little or no use to deaf people, as they have some special difficulties with written words. Their main sources of understanding are sign-language and lip-reading.

When Committee Head Andros Kyprianou of AKEL wondered what really needed to be done in order to actually improve the situation, Flourenzos proposed that the sign-reader be situated in the middle of the screen, as opposed to the little window that is used now.

“We definitely approve of the enlargement of subtitles, but let it not be considered a measure on its own,” he explained.

Stressing the importance of allotting a specific time of day for the broadcast of news for the deaf, Journalists’ Union Boss Andreas Kannaouros suggested the state uses the resources gained by CyTA from the collection of various fines to develop special related programs.

CyTA spokesmen pointed out that all channels are within the frame of legislation by allotting five minutes a day for broadcasts and said the situation will improve with the future introduction of digital television. To expand the broadcasting time, however, would constitute enormous costs and commercial losses for the channels, they stressed.

By Jacqueline Theodoulou
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=24980&cat_id=1