UK Regulates TV Flashing Images
A training video to help producers of programmes and advertisements comply with the Independent Television Commission's (ITC) Guidance Note on the Use of Flashing Images and Regular Patterns in Television was launched in the UK in August. The 13-minute video Impact With Responsibility aims to educate media professionals about the medical impact of certain visual techniques on viewers susceptible to photosensitive seizures: a tendency to recurrent convulsions caused by flickering light or patterns.
It was reported that Louise McMurchie, ITC policy advisor on photosensitive epilepsy, said that as part of the ITC's duty to protect the interests of viewers, the video was commissioned to help the broadcasting community understand the possible impact of their work and to minimize the medical risks to viewers. The video should be useful to non-technical production personnel as it puts the ITC rules about flashing images and regular patterns into context and provides a reference guide to measure material against the Guidance Note. The ITC understands the production community's desire to engage viewers: its aim is to help them to manage risk without restricting creativity.
There have been numerous reports of seizures triggered by television and video content. In Japan in 1997, a 4-second sequence in a Pokémon cartoon resulted in 685 children being admitted to hospital, most having experienced a seizure.
Ms. McMurchie added that television is a flickering device which, by its nature, creates risks for photosensitive viewers. The Guidance Note sets out to keep those risks within acceptable limits. Developed in consultation with leading medical authorities and ITC licensees, the ITC rules are based on scientific research and aim to make compliance with the guidelines as simple as possible.
The ITC photosensitive epilepsy working group hopes that this new video will help to improve industry understanding of photosensitive epilepsy and acceptable technical parameters for certain visual material.
Sources
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/news/index.html
http://www.itc.org.uk
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