The ESC 2025 fully accessible on RSI, RTS and SRF
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Bern (ots)
It's time for the biggest music event in the world! The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) will take place in Basel in mid-May. SRG will broadcast the final and the preceding semi-finals live on television. Together with its subsidiary SWISS TXT, SRG will ensure that people with hearing or visual impairments can also fully enjoy the three television shows in Switzerland thanks to sign language, subtitling and audio description.
SRG is not only the official organiser of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025, but also the broadcaster. In consultation with the associations for the sensory impaired, SRG is also ensuring that the needs of people with hearing or visual impairments are taken into account and that the broadcasts surrounding the major event on RSI, RTS and SRF are accessible.
ESC semi-finals and final available in the three Swiss sign languages
Deaf and hearing-impaired people can follow the two semi-finals and the final of the ESC 2025 live in sign language (see table below). Sign language interpreters will translate the presentation of the different countries and the accompanying commentary live into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS), French Sign Language (LSF) and Italian Sign Language (LIS). The 37 songs will be pre-produced by deaf native speakers and translated into international sign language - a first for the interpreters. "Music is not just sound, but also emotion, rhythm and atmosphere. The challenge lies in making all of this visually tangible - through body language, facial expressions, iconic gestures and creative metaphors," explains sign language interpreter and coach Barbara Rossier. My team and I held a workshop to work out how we can transform music into visual poetry that an international, deaf audience can not only understand, but also feel. We are delighted to be able to expand our expertise in this area in the long term thanks to our cooperation with the 'Denk an mich' foundation." A total of 16 sign language interpreters will be working for SRG for the entire ESC production.
Full subtitling on television, online and via HbbTV
Subtitles are another essential part of SRG's accessibility services. German, French and Italian subtitles can be displayed on television via teletext and HbbTV. The songs will be subtitled in the original language. The subtitled videos will be available online the day after the semi-finals and final via the Play RSI, Play RTS and Play SRF apps.
Live audio description for people with visual impairments
What are the three presenters wearing? What does the stage setting look like? And how does the audience react to the musicians' performances? People with visual impairments receive this and other information via audio description on the third audio channel of SRF 1 (in Swiss German), RTS 1 (in French) and RSI LA 1 (in Italian). The acoustic description of the TV picture is spoken in addition to the commentators and the songs. "Often we don't know exactly when the pauses are coming. The pauses are also very short. But it is precisely in these few seconds that we have the opportunity to describe a situation as precisely, vividly and movingly as possible", explains Tanja Morana, Head of Accessibility Services Zurich at SWISS TXT. The ESC is the first national entertainment programme to be audio described in three national languages. Discussions with those affected and studies show that there is a great need for live audio description. SRG and its subsidiary SWISS TXT therefore want to expand their offering in this area.
Accessibility on-site
ESC fans who are at the St. Jakobshalle can access the "accessify.live" website via their smartphone and thus access SRG's programmes. Visitors with hearing aids or cochlear implants can also connect to accessify.live to listen to the moderation in the hall via the ultra-fast audio stream - and read along and translate if necessary. As an alternative, a radio system is also available for visitors with hearing aid.
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Radio and television for all
People with a sensory disability can consume media content thanks to different tools and technologies. Subtitles, sign language and audio description are the main services offered by SRG to people with a sensory disability (RTVO, Art. 7). Today, SRG subtitles 84% of its programmes and translates every year 1283 hours of programmes into sign language and audio describes 1846 more (state 2024). SRG aims at increasing continuously [EC1] [BK2] the share of productions for people with sensory disabilities.
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Contact:
SRG Media Office
Nik Leuenberger
medienstelle.srg@srgssr.ch / 058 136 21 21
