Hi Teresa, thanks for your responses.

Let me make myself clearer (and less sarcastic):

Using subtitles generally = good. Useful for all sorts of purposes including for the hard-of-hearing, deaf, English learners and even simple situations when you don't want to turn your speakers on. However, all of these purposes are universal, not specific to one podcast. I haven't seen subtitles before on BBTV so if you're planning to subtitle everything, or as much as you can, then that's great.

Suddenly using subtitles only when a British guy is speaking (and not playing the blues...) = questionable.

If the justification here is that Russell Porter mumbles, fine - but so do a lot of other people who've appeared on BBTV, and they haven't been subtitled (to my knowledge). You can understand then why I made the point about ethnocentrism. If this is the start of a 'subtitle all mumblers' policy and thus all poor orators who are to appear in future episodes will be subtitled, then I do apologise.

"If you want ethnocentrism, you can't do much better than the persistent southern English belief that southern English"...
"That kind of was an ethnocentric thing, and I enjoyed the hell out of it."

I don't want ethnocentrism in any form. I'm not English, though English is my native language. So I'm as upset as you at that sort of thing.

"What's the disabled/non-disabled version of ethnocentrism?"
..."What I have is lousy hearing"...
No idea what you're getting at here, so I'll simply say that subtitles for these purposes would be useful in every episode.

"and if you're from the States, some of the idioms are going to be unfamiliar"

Yes, and the American idioms used regularly here and on BB are "going to be unfamiliar" to BB's substantial English-speaking non-US viewership/readership, but we seem to get along fine without assistance - indeed I enjoy hearing new expressions here and on BB. Can you explain then why US readers are now deemed to need help?
Besides, subtitling doesn't actually enlighten someone as to the meaning of idioms - it just helps with the literal words. So I'm not sure about this justification. Again, if this is the start of a 'subtitle all people who use idioms' policy, then I do apologise. But again I haven't seen it before here.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have subtitles. Indeed they're a good idea. I'm simply suggesting that you be consistent about it. Either subtitle all mumblers (including north Americans), subtitle everyone, or subtitle no-one.

A "subtitle people with accents we think north Americans will find difficult but other people may not, except when they're singing the blues" approach just seems somewhat odd.

As Jelf said, BB has a cosmopolitan readership/viewership. So let your practices reflect this if at all possible.

Just putting in 'my 2 cents' ;)

Thanks

@Jelf
Yes, I found the subtitling a little obnoxious.

Especially when viewers from outside north America are expected to be able to understand Xeni's gravelly Virginianese, Mark's nasal voice and, hark, Cory's Canadian accent without assistance. Gasp! How ever do we do it??!

I would have thought that Russell Porter has a pretty standard, clear southern English accent. I hate to think what BBTV would do with a regional accent from the UK. Subtitles, with subtitles for the subtitles probably.

Sorry for the cynicism, but this sort of thing is very ethnocentric.

Well done, Joel.

The directors of AT&T deserve to be sent to bed with no supper for the monitoring proposal - to put it diplomatically.

Besides, that Hugh Thompson guy is just plain embarrassing. Nice work.