Closed Captioning Explained
Closed captioning is the means that permits people who are hearing impaired to read the dialogue on television programming by displaying the copy on the lower third of the screen. The FCC approved the first|initial|original|earliest closed caption ing directive in 1993. This required all analog televisions with monitors larger than 13 inches sold and/or made in the US include a built-in decoder to display closed display. Congress followed several years after with the 1996 decision to require all video programming distributors including cable TV, broadcasters, and satellite distributors to close caption their programming.
The FCC added to this decision a year afterward with a specific transition calendar that obliged all distributors to increase|expand the amount of programming that contained captioning.As a final point, in July 2002, the FCC approved a second law requiring digital television receivers to include closed captioning display mechanisms.
Being a part of the communications industry while working at the American Movie Company has given me a personal experience at the influence these decisions have had on most studio productions. One of these effects has been how video and television productions have adapted the use of the teleprompter.
While we recognize why closed captioning is important, many people don’t know how the teleprompter acts a key function in the delivery of closed captioning to your TV. There are two divisions into which closed captioning systems are separated: On-Line systems and Off-Line systems. This is where the teleprompter becomes important.
On-Line captioning is the teleprompter-based solution widely used by broadcasters and news stations. In this circumstance, pre-scripted stories are fed from the newsroom automation system to both the teleprompter and to the closed caption encoder. This information typically doesn’t contain closed caption control codes but rather depends on the encoder inside the screen itself to include the correct codes any time an ASCII carriage return is received.
The regard for this kind of system is based on the fact that neither a steno-captioner nor a computer with high-priced software is needed. In many cases, the teleprompter system is commonly used and closed captioning can be added for only the cost of the encoder.
Closed captioning is an exciting field that offers many opportunities for both the television broadcaster and the video producer. Hopefully, this introduction will allow you to make informed decisions should you need to select a caption service provider, obtain equipment, or offer advice to those who will make these choices.
Those involved in Closed Captioning for multilingual purposes also greatly appreciate the fact that structures are in place to make their job a little easier.