Toronto, ON, September 4, 2008-Businessman Andrew Stanaitis of Ancaster, ON, today was named General Manager of The Accessible Channel (“TAC”) — the newly licensed national English-language satellite-to-cable basic digital speciality TV service.
The announcement was made by Orv Parkes, Board Chair of the world’s first television station to broadcast described programming in open format round the clock. All programming also will be captioned. TAC expects to launch late this fall. Subject to approval of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, TAC will broadcast in high definition from the outset.
TAC’s program schedule, to the degree possible, will comprise current TV shows and films acquired from private and public conventional and specialty television broadcasters, independent producers and film distributors. When an undescribed program or film is acquired for broadcast by TAC, TAC will arrange with description services across Canada to produce a described soundtrack.
Prior to agreeing to be TAC’s General Manager, Andrew was nominated to represent The National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. (“NBRS”) on the TAC Board of Directors. NBRS is a media charity. In 1990 it was licensed by the CRTC to broadcast a national, round-the-clock audio reading service called VoicePrint. In the years since, VoicePrint has broadcast more news and information programming than all English-language TV stations combined excluding CBC Newsworld. VoicePrint also is a mandatory broadcast service.
Mr. Parkes said effective immediately Andrew will be responsible for the day-to-day TAC operations, including the development and implementation of its business strategies, the promotion of market awareness and the use of available technologies to enhance access to Canadian television fare that otherwise would be denied to a growing number of Canadians living with one or more disabilities.
Adds Andrew: “Certainly it’s an honour to be part of an organization whose mandate is to eliminate or reduce barriers to media. It’s also a challenge and one where we will need to work closely with broadcasters and others to ensure that to the greatest degree possible we can help make their programming accessible to more and more viewers. Broadcasters have been most positive about working with us to achieve the goals that are so important to us all.”
Andrew is a specialized Electrical Engineering Technologist with senior management experience with broadcast, telecommunications and security companies in the area of administration, strategic and financial planning.
For further information, please contact:
Georgina Blanas, NBRS, Director, Marketing & Fund Development
(416) 422-4222 ext. 258, gblanas@nbrscanada.com
1090 Don Mills Road
Suite 303
Toronto, ON M3C 3R6
416.422.4222
1.800.567.6755
Fax: 416.422.1633
info@nbrscanada.com
