GB News Introduces Subtitles

New based opinion channel GB News has introduced subtitles for the first time.

Implemented around a month ago (but missed by the author until now), the system is based around automatic speech recognition alongside human intervention, to provide live subtitling with a claim accuracy of 98.5%.

The channel’s license from regulatory Ofcom does not yet mandate subtitles or other accessibility features, but the channel has brought these in voluntarily. A statement from CEO Angelos Frangopoulos states, “While we always planned subtitles, we brought them forward when viewers contacted us in their hundreds to request better accessibility to GB News.” (Source: Media Mole, January 2023, unverified).

GB News is available on most major TV platforms, including via satellite (Sky and Freesat), cable (Virgin Media), and terrestrial (Freeview – limited coverage). An additional audio only feed is available on DAB+ digital radio in most areas.

GB News Radio Launching in January

GB News, the recently launched news based opinion channel, has now confirmed its plans for a radio based version of the channel.

The broadcaster has announced that GB News Radio will launch on the 4th January 2022, coinciding with a new presenter line up for the brreakfast show. GB News Radio will largely be an audio only simulcast of the TV station, albeit with advertising better suited to the audio only nature of the radio service.

Ahead of the launch, GB News Radio has been added to the D1 National DAB multiplex, and is broadcasting in mono at 24 kbps DAB+. The station is using capacity vacated by UCB1 reducing its bitrate, and capacity made available by the cessation of traffic info data services previously carried for satnav systems.

At present GB News Radio is broadcasting test transmissions consisting of a promotional loop. Though not directly observed, reports suggest that this makes no mention of a launch date. Reports also suggest that trials of different adverts have been conducted using the online stream of the channel, presumably testing the ability to have different adverts on different platforms ahead of the launch of the radio service.

GB News is currently available on free-to-air satellite (including Freesat and Sky), Virgin Media (cable), and the UK terrestrial platform Freeview. The addition of the DAB+ radio service will further widen the reach of GB News, improving access to GB News when on the move.