Nickelodeon UK & Ireland and Nicktoons UK & Ireland will no longer be required to provide subtitles with their programming from 2024, Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, has announced as part of its mid-year review of which British broadcasters must carry Access Services in the coming year. However, Nickelodeon's preschool channels Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. Too (Nick Jr. 2) will continue to remain obligated to carry subtitles.
Nickelodeon and Nicktoons are among several children's channels being removed from the list of channels required to provide Access Services in 2024, along with Cartoon Network and Boomerang. CITV has also been removed as the channel is closing down this autumn.
In 2024, 83 TV channels will need to offer subtitles, audio description and in-vision signing. That’s down from 93 channels in 2023.
The reduction is led by children’s channels, due to a combination of declining audience share and broadcasters closing channels down.
The rules governing which UK channels must provide subtitles, audio description and in-vision signing are set out in Ofcom’s Access Services Code. The mid-year review was undertaken to determine which channels met the criteria to come under the code and be required to carry access services in the coming year.
Under the mid-year review, Ofcom has ruled that Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. Too must continue to provide subtitling with its programming under the Code's Level 1 (full requirements) status. For any channel that’s been on air for more than 10 years, “full requirement” means 10% of programmes must carry audio description. 5% of programmes must be available with in-vision signing. BBC channels have a 100% subtitles target. ITV, STV, UTV and Channel 4 must offer subtitles on 90% of their programmes. All other channels must offer subtitles during at least 80% of their programme hours.
It's important to note that just because Nickelodeon and Nicktoons have been removed from the list doesn't automatically mean that these channels will stop providing viewers with subtitles, it just means that they don't have to.
Nickelodeon UK first started broadcasting programming with subtitles in the late '90s through NickText, with Renford Rejects being one of the first shows to carry them.
More information about Ofcom's upcoming Access Services changes can be found at RXTV info.
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