The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom oversees that providers of audio-visual services provide audio-subtitling and subtitling services in accordance with the relevant legislation and report on their activities to implement the accessibility of their services.
Obligations on specific operators
The obligation to provide audio-subtitling and subtitling services concerns the channels of Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, (TV1, TV2 and Fem/Teema) and the channels MTV3 and Nelonen and the corresponding programming in on-demand programme services.
Audio-subtitling and subtitling services must be provided for 100 per cent of Yle’s programmes and for 75 per cent of the programmes on the channels MTV3 and Nelonen. For corresponding programmes in on-demand programme services, the required share is 30 per cent. Read more about programmes covered by the subtitling requirements.
The quality of subtitling services must be high enough to ensure that subtitles are sufficiently clear and easy to understand.
Obligations on all operators established in Finland
All operators established in Finland must promote the accessibility of their services. Under regulatory provisions that entered into force at the beginning of 2021, all providers of audio-visual content services established in Finland are required to submit to Traficom action plans and reports on accessibility.