Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) is a not-for-profit media company that serves Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. The company operates three broadcast services:

AMI-tv AMI-tv is a Canadian, English-language, digital cable specialty channel. Owned by Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), it primarily broadcasts programming relating to accessibility and disabilities. All programming is broadcast with accommodations for ...

and

AMI-audio AMI-audio is a Canadian 24-hour English language non-profit audio broadcast television service. AMI-audio offers a variety of content to Canadians who are blind, partially sighted or otherwise print restricted. AMI-audio produces daily live pr ...

in English and

AMI-télé AMI-télé is a Television in Canada, Canadian French language digital cable specialty channel owned by the non-profit organization Accessible Media Inc. (AMI). AMI-télé is a French version of AMI's English-language service AMI-tv, and broadcast ...

in French.

History

AMI was established in 1989 as the National Broadcast Reading Service (NBRS) on the Canadian Parliament's Standing Committee of the Status of Disabled Persons. The committee's report, "No News is Bad News", stated that vision- and print-restricted Canadians must have equal access to published news and information. In 1990, the

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; ) is a public organization in Canada tasked with the mandate as a regulatory agency tribunal for various electronic communications, covering broadcasting and telecommunic ...

(CRTC) granted NBRS a licence for VoicePrint a

radio reading service A radio reading service or reading service for the blind is a public service of many universities, community groups and public radio stations, where a narrator reads books, newspapers and magazines aloud for the benefit of the blind and vision-imp ...

; the service launched on December 1 that year. In 1995, NBRS launched AudioVision Canada to supply described video services to various film and television projects. In July 2007, the CRTC granted NBRS's licence application for The Accessible Channel, a national specialty channel which would air all of its programming with

described video Audio description (AD), also referred to as a video description, described video, or visual description, is a form of narration used to provide information surrounding key visual elements in a media work (such as a film or television program, or ...

and

closed captioning Closed captioning (CC) is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information, where the viewer is given the choice of whether the text is displayed. Closed cap ...

. The channel would launch in 2009.Accessible Channel Launches with "Open Format'
Broadcaster Magazine; 2008-12-01 To reflect its expansion beyond VoicePrint with the launch of The Accessible Channel, the National Broadcast Reading Service was renamed Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) in 2010. On January 30, 2012, as part of an effort to unify AMI's services under one brand for easier cross-promotion, TAC was renamed AMI-tv. VoicePrint followed suit on March 5, 2012, becoming AMI-audio. On June 21, 2012, Accessible Media launched the DV Guide—an online TV listings service that highlights programming across Canadian broadcasters which carry audio descriptions. In 2013, AMI-tv and AMI-audio licences were renewed through 2018 and AMI was awarded a French television licence. AMI's French channel, AMI-télé, launched in December 2014. In 2018, AMI-tv, AMI-audio and AMI-télé licences were renewed through 2023. In February 2018, AMI launched apps for iOS and tvOS, providing yet another means of consuming AMI-tv original content. Some of the apps' features include accessibility enhancements such as bolded text and high contrast layout. Noted programming on AMI-tv includes ''You Can't Ask That, Disrupt, Postcards From, Got Game, The Squeaky Wheel: Canada'', ''By Hook or By Cook, Dish with Mary, Mind Your Own Business, Fashion Dis'' and ''Breaking Character''. Key programming on AMI-audio includes ''Kelly & Company,'' ''Double Tap'', ''The Pulse, AMI Audiobook Review, My Life in Books with Red Szell, AMI Today'' and ''AMI-audio Live''. In October, 2020, AMI announced the launch of its first original podcasts for podcasting platforms and YouTube, which include ''Low Vision Moments, Tripping on Air, Shaun of the Shed, Double Tap'' and ''Para Sport Update''. Current AMI-audio podcasts available on YouTube include ''The Pulse, Kelly & Company, Para Sport Nation'' and ''AMI Audiobook Review''. In 2023, AMI unveiled its new, free, streaming site, AMI+. With a streamlined layout, visitors to AMI+ can access AMI’s stable of audio, television and digital content created by and for the disability community. Additionally, visitors can utilize customizable accessibility settings for the blind and partially sighted community AMI serves. In 2024, AMI expanded its reach by adding programming to Roku. Available with no subscription or sign-in required, AMI+ content includes documentaries and the series ''Postcards From…'', Canadian Screen Award winner ''By Hook or By Cook, Adaptable Animals, Dish with Mary, Healthy at Home with Bobbi Janzen, Level Playing Field, Mind Your Own Business'' and ''Our Community''.

Services

AMI operates three main broadcasting services in television and radio. Its services must be carried on the basic tier of all digital television services in the country. *

and

: English- and French-language general entertainment specialty channels with open format

and

for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. *

: an audio-only television channel and online service offering both live original programming and readings from a selection of magazines and newspapers read by professional narrators.

References

External links

AMI
{{Public broadcasting in Canada Companies based in Toronto Television broadcasting companies of Canada Disability mass media