Ofcom is reportedly considering taking action against Channel 4.
The broadcaster has been having major issues with its subtitles feature, as well as audio problems.
These technical errors have made it impossible for visually and hearing-impaired viewers to enjoy some of their favourite shows.
The problems began at the end of September. They have plagued viewers ever since.
Thankfully, subtitles have finally returned to popular shows such as Great British Bake Off.
However, full services won’t be returned until next month (November).
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Ofcom considering action against Channel 4
As a result, Ofcom has revealed that it is “deeply concerned” by the channel’s failures.
In a statement, a spokesman for the watchdog said: “We remain deeply concerned about the scale of the technical failures experienced by Channel 4 and the length of time taken to fix them.
“These problems have caused deep upset and frustration among people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted.
“Channel 4 did not have strong backup measures in place. It should not have taken several weeks to provide a clear, public plan and timeline for fixing the problem.”
Ofcom insisted that it will be watching the broadcaster closely to make sure it fixes the issues quickly.
“We expect Channel 4 to meet the timings it has set for restoring all its services. When this is done, Ofcom will review the equipment and facilities that Channel 4 had in place.”
Read more: Subtitles on Channel 4: Ofcom ‘extremely concerned’ with tech issues
The spokesman added that the regulator is debating whether to take action.
They said: “We will consider what action might be required. We want to make sure broadcasters do not find themselves in this situation again. And so that subtitles, signing and audio description remain reliable even when problems occur.”
To make matters worse for the channel, it experienced more issues today (October 28).
Steph’s Packed Lunch viewers tuned in and saw the show stuck on a freeze-frame.
The broadcaster tweeted: “We’re sorry about our tech hiccup this afternoon and hope you can now view it as normal. Further updates will be posted here.”
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