Television Commission Research Articles

Indicators of Scene Changes in Persian and English Audio Descriptions: A Comparative Study

This study investigated the audio description (AD) of scene changes indicators in English and Persian ADs to determine the degree to which they conform to ITC Guidance on Standards for Audio Description and their similarities and differences. The Persian ADs included Persian dubbed versions of Casablanca, On the Waterfront, Psycho, and Citizen Kane, audio described in Persian, and the Iranian film Sorkhpust. The English ADs consisted of Bruce Almighty, Seven, and Fury films. Twenty minutes of each film were randomly selected to be analyzed with respect to the ITC[1] (2000). ITC suggests that appropriate indicators must signal scene changes. The results showed that scene changes in both English and Persian ADs were at times signaled by appropriate indicators and were also ignored at times. In the English ADs, the percentage for signaling scene changes was 62.83%; the number was 53.33% in the Persian ADs. This difference was caused by a higher frequency of short, simple temporal, and spatial scene change indicators in the English ADs. Also, another possible reason that can account for the difference is the potential differences in the subjective interpretations of change of location, which can lead to different perceptions of scene changes and the differences in the percentages of using indicators. 
 
 [1] Independent Television Commission

A cross-platform application for the ecological and remote assessment of memory impairment in aging: ECO-MEMORY

AbstractThis work aims to present the first step of a creation of an instrument to assess memory deficits responding to the needs imposed by the inability to access clinical care, such as physical or geographical constraints or still limitations imposed during the pandemic era. The older population, who would benefit from these services, may be at risk as access to services that support psychological and neuropsychological needs, which are not considered essential, has frequently been restricted in recent years. Moreover, because deficits are commonly mistaken for the effects of physiological aging, the early signs of cognitive decline might be ignored. On these bases, we used the potential of 360-degree media to create an application for memory assessment without the physical presence of clinicians: ECO-MEMORY. Firstly, we developed the application and evaluated its usability. ECO-MEMORY is divided into four sections, each addressing a different memory task: recognizing objects and faces, learning a path, and creating an allocentric map. Thirteen older adults who used the tablet application provided usability data as well as qualitative feedback on their experience. After the performance, the System Usability Scale, the Senior Technology Acceptance Model, and the Independent Television Commission Sense of Presence were administered. We performed a qualitative analysis and descriptive statistics, which showed that ECO-MEMORY is a usable instrument. Also, it was enjoyable for users who generally accepted technology in their life. ECO-MEMORY may therefore offer a promising approach to memory evaluation by including real-world scenarios.

Pure Blue Electroluminescence by Differentiated Ion Motion in a Single Layer Perovskite Device

AbstractBlue electroluminescence is highly desired for emerging light‐emitting devices for display applications and optoelectronics in general. However, saturated, efficient, and stable blue emission has been challenging to achieve, particularly in mixed‐halide perovskites, where intrinsic ion motion and halide segregation compromises spectral purity. Here, CsPbBr3−xClx perovskites, polyelectrolytes, and a salt additive are leveraged to demonstrate pure blue emission from single‐layer light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs). The electrolytes transport the ions from salt additives, enhancing charge injection and stabilizing the inherent perovskite emissive lattice for highly pure and sustained blue emission. Substituting Cl into CsPbBr3 tunes the perovskite luminescence from green through blue. Sky blue and saturated blue devices produce International Commission on Illumination coordinates of (0.105, 0.129) and (0.136, 0.068), respectively, with the latter meeting the US National Television Committee standard for the blue primary. Likewise, maximum luminances of 2900 and 1000 cd m−2, external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 4.3% and 3.9%, and luminance half‐lives of 5.7 and 4.9 h are obtained for sky blue and saturated blue devices, respectively. Polymer and LiPF6 inclusion increases photoluminescence efficiency, suppresses halide segregation, induces thin‐film smoothness and uniformity, and reduces crystallite size. Overall, these devices show superior performance among blue perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) and general LECs.

Has piracy in Lithuania really come to an end? Present and future perspectives

Piracy is a serious problem that every nation faces. Public authorities deciding to reduce the activity of unlawful content distribution sites encounter a difficult task – balancing copyright protection with the interests of consumers. Decisions made by the Lithuanian radio and television commission to block sites such as filmai.in, torrent.ai and linkomanija.net have prompted public debate on how copyright protection works in practice. This article reviews the concept of blocking and compensation for damage caused, court decisions on the use of these methods and why they do not prevent privacy, also proposing new ways of dealing with piracy that has not been used in Lithuania.

МОВА ДРУКОВАНИХ ЗМІ УКРАЇНИ (У РОЗРІЗІ УКРАЇНСЬКА/РОСІЙСЬКА МОВИ ВИДАННЯ)

<div><p><em>The article investigates the language situation in Ukraine over a period of 2009–2019 in terms of the language of periodic and continued printed publications. The article singles out chief problems in the investigation of the language of printed media and traces back the dynamics of the number of publications in the context of the Ukrainian/Russian language.</em></p></div><p><em>The difficulty of the research consisted in various methods of calculation used by the relevant government institutions, such as the National Book Chamber of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Press Publishers, the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee, and, respectively, in the data published by them as well as in the fact that in order to perform a more objective analysis it would be essential to have the data of not such an out-dated (2001) All-Ukrainian population census according to the ethnic background and mother tongue criteria.</em></p><p><em>Investigating the language situation in the printed media, it can be claimed that, above all, it is closely related to the language situation in the state, that is: predominance of the Ukrainian language in the Western Ukraine, transition to the bilingualism in the Centre and diglossic bilingualism in the East of the state. The majority of publications are published in the Ukrainian (state) language – <br /> 42–52,5%. The Russian language takes the second place with 16–21%. The lion’s share of the whole press is issued in the Ukrainian and Russian languages (Ukrainian/Russian/both Ukrainian and Russian) – 70–85%, which shows certain bilingualism of the society but with the predominance of the state language – Ukrainian. This is evidenced by the polling data and may point to the fact that the lingual national identity has already been formed when it comes to the Ukrainian language as the only state language as well as the desire to obtain the better half of the information from the mass media in the Ukrainian language.</em></p><strong><em>Key words: </em></strong><em>printed media, language of publication, press, language situation, bilingualism, diglossia.</em>

2020 Report from the Committee: News, Documentary, and Television Committee

2020 Report from the Committee: News, Documentary, and Television Committee

Local TV News Archives and the Pursuit of Social Justice

Local TV News Archives and the Pursuit of Social Justice Rich Newberg (bio) A TV news consultant once shared an observation on the experiential nature of the moving image versus the printed word. A well-told story on television hits the viewer's heart first, before registering in the brain, he said. Newspaper reporting, he added, goes from the reader's brain to the heart. Watching the life being squeezed out of George Floyd by a uniformed police officer was beyond heart-wrenching. No words could describe that moment in time when centuries of injustice to people of color came to a head. TV news headlines disappear as quickly as the flash-bang of a stun grenade tossed at Black Lives Matter demonstrators, but buried deep in the archives of local television stations, a long-burning fuse of social injustice cannot be extinguished. When those stories are brought to light, they become teachable moments in time and powerful primary source material in the classroom. Video is powerful and familiar to today's students raised with smartphones and tablets. But even before the digital age, local television news often served as a pressure valve, giving a voice to the disenfranchised and context to the issues that divide us. Some TV stations with a conscience and an eye toward history had their archives preserved and are now in a position to bring an added perspective to a country searching for its soul. At WIVB-TV in Buffalo, where I spent thirty-seven of my forty-six years as a TV news anchor and senior correspondent, my cubicle was so cluttered with archived material that station management cordoned it off with yellow crime tape on several occasions. An avalanche of tapes once shattered a prized candy jar belonging to my co-anchor next door! It turns out this was a small price to pay for the benefits that were to follow years later. I now have licensing rights to repurpose Buffalo's African American history pieces and other documentaries for use in the classroom. Our Black history specials, produced by a diverse newsroom team of reporters and videographers, trace local issues of race relations dating back to the days of the Underground Railroad. Buffalo was the last stop for escaping slaves on the road to freedom. These pieces enable educators to meet the new inquiry-based standards for teaching social studies. Students are engaged because they can relate to the history that unfolded in their very neighborhoods. Journalists present stories based on evidence and facts. On television, they relate to the human experience in a way easily grasped by students with very short attention spans. Local TV stations must look beyond the fleeting images of today's newscasts if they want to play an active role in promoting social justice. Over the decades, their reporters and photojournalists provided the first rough draft of history to the communities they served. Providing a means to review this history will do more than merely hold up a giant mirror. It will provide a means for inner reflection and self-discovery. We should all take a lesson from the great Edward R. Murrow, who said of television's potential, "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are [End Page 226] determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it's nothing but wires and lights in a box." Rich Newberg Rich Newberg is a member of AMIA's News, Documentary, and Television Committee. He is a founding board member of the Buffalo Broadcasters Association and spearheaded initial efforts to digitize historically relevant material from two of the region's TV network affiliates. He is currently repurposing portions of his own documentaries and reports for classroom use. The National Television Academy's New York Chapter inducted Mr. Newberg into its Silver Circle in 2019, recognizing his contributions to the state's television industry. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2006. Copyright © 2021 Association of Moving Image Archivists

Exposure to an unpleasant odour increases the sense of Presence in virtual reality

While olfactory cues affect the everyday human experience in the physical world, few studies have empirically examined the effect they could have on the human experience in virtual reality (VR). This project's goal was to determine whether the exposure to olfactory stimuli would affect the senses of Presence (primary measure), Reality and Realism (exploratory measures) in VR. In a virtual kitchen devoid of obvious visual cues linking the visual scene to an odour, three groups of 20 randomly assigned participants (12 females and 8 males per group), unaware of the potential exposure to olfactory stimuli, were exposed to either ambient air, a pleasant odour, or an unpleasant odour. The results reveal that the unpleasant odour had a statistically significant effect on the sense of Presence (as measured by repeated brief measures of Presence and the Independent Television Commission Sense of Presence Inventory), but the pleasant one did not. The lower perceived intensity of the pleasant odour may have contributed to its lower detection rate which, in turn, may have contributed to the pleasant odour's lack of effect on the sense of Presence. Neither of the olfactory stimuli had an effect on either the sense of Reality or the sense of Realism.

Development of a color-tunable polychromatic organic-light-emitting-diode device for roll-to-roll manufacturing

A flexible vertically stacked flexible polychromatic color-tunable OLED has been developed by means of low resistive intermediate electrode technology. The polychromatic OLED has a capability to show 16 million colors with 105% National Television Committee Standard (NTSC) color reproduction. The device can produce arbitrary shape with arbitrary colors, suitable for artistic expressions, just as many as those used in information displays. Independently controlled red, green, and blue light-emitting layers are stacked vertically. With conventional indium tin oxide technology, because of the temperature restriction, it was quite difficult to achieve low resistance on plastic substrate. The reported numbers were all more than 80 Ω/□. According to the surface mobility control using Fick's law analysis, low sheet resistance 7.34 Ω/□ on plastic film was developed. At first, flexible 7.17 cm2 transparent OLED was fabricated for the performance confirmation of transparent electrode. And then polychromatic color-tunable OLED with the same size were successfully fabricated on plastic. With optical length optimization for each color stack of polychromatic OLED, more than 100% color reproduction in National Television Committee Standard was achieved by stack design. The polychromatic device can be used for colored illumination, as well as for organic-light-emitting display pixels for three times emission than conventional pixel design. The device is fabricated on plastic substrate so that the polychromatic organic-light-emitting-diode device is manufacturable with roll-to-roll production line.

ATSC 3.0 Next Generation Digital TV Standard—An Overview and Preview of the Issue

The Advanced Television Committee (ATSC) has been working on the next generation broadcast television system, known as ATSC 3.0, to replace the first-generation (ATSC 1.0) A/53 standard, the basic component technologies of which have been in use for 20 years.

A Color-Tunable Polychromatic Organic-Light-Emitting-Diode Device With Low Resistive Intermediate Electrode for Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing

A flexible organic-light-emitting diode (OLED) with capability to show 16 million colors is fabricated on plastic barrier-film substrate, which can produce arbitrary shape with arbitrary colors, suitable for artistic expressions. Independently controlled red, green, and blue light-emitting layers are stacked vertically, so that no visible structure can be observed even with magnifiers from right-in-front measurement. In the past, large voltage drop of intermediate electrode was preventing this approach to be applied to actual electronic devices. However, according to the surface mobility control using Fick’s law analysis, low sheet resistance 7.34 $\Omega $ /□ on plastic film is developed, so that 7.17-cm2 area emission is successfully achieved. With optical length optimization for each color stack, more than 100% color reproduction in National Television Committee Standard is achieved by stack design. The device can be used for colored illumination, as well as for organic-light-emitting display pixels for three times emission than the conventional pixel design. The device is fabricated on plastic substrate, so that the polychromatic OLED device is manufacturable with roll-to-roll production line.

Next-Generation Broadcast Television: ATSC 3.0 [Standards in a Nutshell

Although the current digital terrestrial broadcast system (now referred to as ATSC 1.0) is widespread and quite successful, the basic component technologies have been in use for 20 years. Technology has evolved and viewer expectations have changed. Television broadcasters are under increasing pressure, due to regulatory and spectrum issues, as well as increasing competition for the viewer?s attention. For these reasons, the Advanced Television Committee (ATSC) has been working on the next-generation broadcast television system, known as ATSC 3.0.

Crocodile Tears? Authenticity in Televisual Pedagogy

Crocodile Tears? Authenticity in Televisual Pedagogy

En français, s'il vous plaît : Requirements for French-Language Vocal Music on Commercial Radio in Canada

In 1973, the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) implemented quotas for French-language vocal music on Francophone radio stations in Canada. Currently, with some exceptions, at least 65% of songs broadcast during the week must be in French and 55% of songs broadcast between 6am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. This article examines the circumstances that led to such a policy as well as the arguments made for and against it. The article takes the position that such a practice, although not perfect, has had a positive impact in cultivating listeners' interest in French-language music and supporting the sound-recording industry in Quebec.

Parables of Pacific Shores: Locations, Caves and Coastal Masculinities in Cast Away and Sanctum

If one should imagine a map of production locations for dive films or films set on tropical islands since the 1960s, it would likely show a trend towards the southern hemisphere and more recently towards Queensland.1 Creative industries development in Queensland has been stimulated partly bystate bodies, namely the Pacific Film and Television Commission, and Screen Queensland; and the presence of Warner Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast, and filmmakers have also been attracted more recently by production offsets from Screen Australia. There is dim connection to the classicalgeography of the Antipodes as the underside of the world and a place of monsters.

Los noticieros de la televisión colombiana “en observación”. Una mirada desde la academia a la estructura, cobertura y contenidos de los teleinformativos de la televisión abierta en Colombia

The article describes the more relevant findings of a study conducted by the Media Observatory at La Sabana University School of Communication and financed by the National Television Commission on the structure, coverage and content of national, regional and local newscasts broadcast on Colombian television. Among other aspects, it notes the disappearance of the major genres of journalism, the limited degree to which information is contextualized, the spread of “single-source” and “no source” reporting, and the predominance of judicial and sports information in televised newscasts

“The Sickest Television Show Ever:” Paedogeddon and the British Press

This paper explores the controversy caused by Paedogeddon, a one-off special of the Channel 4 series Brass Eye broadcast on July 26, 2001. Although the program sought to satirize inconsistencies in the way the British media treats and sensationalizes child sex offenders and their crimes (Clark, 2001), it offended many viewers and caused considerable controversy. More than 900 complaints were made to the Independent Television Commission, almost 250 complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Commission, and 2,000 complaints to Channel 4, “officially” making Paedogeddon the most complained-about television program in British television history at that time. This paper examines the nature of the objections to Paedogeddon as played out on the pages of the British national press and contributes to debates about morally acceptable television. Three themes are identified in the press objections to the mock-documentary: aesthetic arguments; moral and ethical implications; and consequences of ministerial intervention. The nature of these press objections served to prevent an engagement with Paedogeddon's critique of the media. Further, the analysis illustrates how media discourses and scripts can fix and limit debates surrounding controversial television programming.

The Rise and Rise of the Regulatory State

The Political QuarterlyVolume 77, Issue 2 p. 247-254 The Rise and Rise of the Regulatory State PATRICIA HODGSON, PATRICIA HODGSON Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge. She was a director of the BBC and then Chief Executive of the Independent Television Commission, and is currently a nonexecutive director of the Competition Commission and a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.Search for more papers by this author PATRICIA HODGSON, PATRICIA HODGSON Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge. She was a director of the BBC and then Chief Executive of the Independent Television Commission, and is currently a nonexecutive director of the Competition Commission and a Governor of the Wellcome Trust.Search for more papers by this author First published: 07 September 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-923X.2006.00767.xCitations: 2Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume77, Issue2April–June 2006Pages 247-254 RelatedInformation

The Clean Audio Project: Digital TV as assistive technology

Technology used in Digital TV has the potential to enhance the viewing experience for millions of hard of hearing people. The Clean Audio project commissioned by the Independent Television Commission (ITC), and continued by Ofcom, looks at methods by which the extra information contained in 5.1 surround sound broadcasts may be used to improve the intelligibility and enjoyment of television audio for hard of hearing viewers and shows that audio processing can effectively turn a digital TV set top box into an assistive device to make digital TV more accessible. Listening tests were carried out which showed benefits in clarity and in perceived overall sound quality for hard of hearing participants by altering levels of centre and left and right channels. Further testing has shown average improvements in intelligibility of up to 9.4% by using surround sound equipment with a discrete central loudspeaker compared to stereophonic reproduction.

Content analysis of children's television advertising in relation to dental health

This paper provides some disturbing facts and figures about the amount of television being watched by children. In addition, it reports on the volume and type of television advertising aimed at young people, both in the United Kingdom and other developed countries. In view of recent public and professional concern as to the possible adverse effects of food advertising on children's health, this study set out to examine what proportion of television advertisements, directed at children, promoted products potentially harmful to dental health. Forty-one hours of children's television programming broadcast on ITV1, the main UK commercial channel, were recorded on to videotape for subsequent analysis. Almost 1,000 adverts were analysed; each was timed and broadly categorised as relating to a food/drink product or non food/drink product. Advertisements for food and drink were further subdivided according to their sugar and/or acid content. We found that, on average, 24 adverts were shown per broadcast hour, which accounted for 15.8% of the total schedule time. 34.8% of adverts related to food/drink products, and 95.3% of these promoted products that were deemed potentially cariogenic or erosive. The most frequently promoted food/drink products included breakfast cereals with added sugar (26.3%), confectionery (23.7%) and non-carbonated soft drinks (18.1%). It is very concerning that, despite recent specific codes of practice outlined by the Independent Television Commission for Children's Advertising, many food and drink products promoted during children's programming are potentially damaging to dental health.