Alex Mahon
Chief Executive
Channel Four Television
124-126 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2TX

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

RE: CHANNEL 4 SUBTITLES, SIGNING AND AUDIO DESCRIPTION

Dear Alex,
I am writing to you, as a member of both the Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Select Committee and the Women and Equalities Select Committee in relation to the very troubling reports that subtitles, signing and audio description are not likely to return on Channel 4 until mid-November.

While I understand this is due to a technical fault, I’m sure you will agree that the loss of these services presents very real challenges for deaf, hard of hearing and visually impaired viewers who are now unable to enjoy the programmes on offer on Channel 4.

At the time of writing this fault has been impacting the 12 million people in the UK who are deaf or hard of hearing for more than three weeks. I sympathise greatly with those impacted, and I have heard from people in my own community who are quite rightly feeling excluded and angry at the system letting them down in this way.

I urge you to do everything you can to fix this serious problem.

I look forward to your urgent response.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Davies-Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Pontypridd