Norway’s largest commercial TV station, TV2, has chosen BTI Studios to produce live subtitles for its news, sport and weather programming. Following years of campaigning by deaf viewers and the Media Union in Norway, TV2 is now able to deliver its programming to a whole new audience.
“For us it was a natural choice,” said Rune Indrøy, head of communication at TV2. “BTI Studios has many years of experience in delivering access services, and were flexible in creating a live subtitling workflow tailored to our needs. We’re delighted that deaf viewers will now be able to access our news, sport and weather programming via BTI’s service.”
Although teletext is used to transmit pre-recorded subtitles, broadcasting live subtitles in Norway is still complex and as a result there is little provision of live subtitles for the deaf. Also, as live subtitling legislation doesn’t exist in Norway broadcasters are not obliged to provide this service, and do so by choice.
“BTI Studios launching live subtitling services in Norway is the successful combination of our local subtitling operations combined with the acquisition of the leading European access services and live subtitling provider IMS in 2013,” said Björn Lifvergren, CEO.
BTI Studios has opened a new facility in Bergen to support the service, which will see subtitlers working 365 days of the year to produce live subtitles for TV2’s evening programming.
“Our subtitling base in Norway acted as an ideal platform for us to grow into the access services sector in Norway,” said Åse H Leknes, scandinavian sales manager, continuing, “Although live subtitling is seldom provided in Norway, the pressure from the media union and the deaf and hard of hearing audience demonstrates it will bring huge benefits to Norwegian viewers.”
BTI’s Bergen operation launched this week, and is now broadcasting live subtitles to TV2’s 1.6 million viewers every evening.
