Closed captions are now available on HEIHEI, bringing the platform in line with TVNZ’s on air and OnDemand offering.
HEIHEI was developed by TVNZ and NZ On Air as a safe space for kids to watch content online. From this week onwards, the majority of the platform’s local content, as well as a selection of international titles will carry closed captions, making programmes more accessible for tamariki and their parents than ever before.
Captioning on HEIHEI offers a dual purpose. Kids will now be able to read along with their favourite shows, developing important literacy skills. Parents and caregivers will also be able to fully participate in their children’s viewing, with deaf, hard of hearing and English-as-a-second-language viewers given the ability to co-watch through this exciting development.
TVNZ’s GM of Digital Content, Juliet Peterson says, “HEIHEI is a place for Kiwi kids to watch and learn in an inspiring way. Adding closed captions to the service ensures children will be able to get even more out of the platform, and parents and guardians can get involved in ways they might not have been able to in the past. We think HEIHEI should be for all families and this change brings us even closer to achieving that outcome.”
NZ On Air’s Chief Executive Jane Wrightson says, “We were delighted that through additional funding we were able to meet this important need for New Zealand families. It is vital that the content we fund for tamariki is accessible to all, including children with hearing impairment and those learning English as a second language.”
Captioning for HEIHEI programmes is provided by Able and funded by NZ On Air. The funding was made possible as part of the $4m extra allocation to NZ On Air from Budget 2018. Able produces captioning across NZ broadcast channels, including 100% of TVNZ 1 and 2’s primetime programming and a number of TVNZ OnDemand shows.
To access closed captions, viewers simply need to press the double ‘c’ symbol located on the bottom right hand corner of the playing window.
Captioning is available on the following supported devices and end points:
• Web (Laptop / Desktop)
• IOS/Apple (Mobile & Tablet)
• Android (Mobile & Tablet)