Finding Audio Described TV Programs

It is often quite a challenge to figure out exactly which programs are audio described for TV (also known as video description). Fortunately there are several resources on the Internet which provide information on audio described television programming, though none have proven to be totally inclusive, and some are not updated reliably. (Note that references to USA network are probably inaccurate.) Here are the ones we know about (please submit any others):

Audio Description TV Show Schedules from TV-Now
Yahoo TV Listings. You will need to customize this listing (entering your zip code, for example); but once you do, you can bookmark the URL, and the daily listing of shows will include the designation "DVS" after each described show.
USA Monthly Described TV Listing from The Washington Ear
Lifetime Network from the network
PBS from the network
Canadian Audio Described TV Shows from Galaviz & Hauber Productions
British Sky Broadcasting from the company
Bavarian Broadcast Corporation (Deutsche Bayerischer Rundfunk: schedule in German)

The following USA networks carry described programming:

Commercial: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC
Public: PBS*
Cable/Satellite: Lifetime, Nickelodeon, TBS, TNT, Turner Classic Movies*; USA Network used to, but appears not to as of April 2006

The two stations marked with asterisks (*) were not affected by the FCC's order, but they have been providing described programs for years.

You may also wish to check your local television listings and TV websites for programs that incorporate audio description. If you know that your local station should be offering AD content, the listing should be available and accessible to all on the Internet. If it is not, you may wish to drop a note to the webmaster of the television station's website and ask that appropriate text symbols be added or that "ALT" tags be added to any graphics symbolizing the AD content.

Symbols are used within print media and on the Internet to indicate the addition of audio description to television broadcasts. The symbol may be the letters DVS or a capital letter D or the letters AD with sound waves emanating from the right similar to the following graphic:

While there is no symbol that is internationally recognized as "the AD symbol," the letters AD or just the letter D will usually be part of the graphic symbolizing a program that has an audio description track.

If you are not sure how to access the audio for described programming via your SAP channel, see our companion article, Accessing Audio Description on Your TV.

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