A Look at FCC Closed Captioning Rules

Are you looking for a career in closed captioning in New York City? Approximately one million Americans suffer from impaired hearing, and closed captioning makes it possible for these individuals to enjoy televised programs. Thus, those trained in closed captioning are in high demand. New York colleges that offer closed captioning classes often focus on the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations. These rules are enforced so that programming for those who are hard of hearing is kept at a high level of quality.

Consider how frustrating it would be to understand a conversation when you can hear only half of the words spoken by the other person. For closed captioning to be effective, those following it must have access to a complete transcription of all that is spoken during the television program. As a result, should you go to vocational school for closed captioning, you will be taught how to transcribe all dialogue, as well as ambient sound that is relevant to understanding the program or show.

Closed captioning can help deaf viewers know what is being said onscreen, but images can provide context for them as well. This is why it is important to have closed captioning that describes dialogue as it is said. Significantly delayed closed captioning can prove just as confusing to audiences as incomplete closed captioning. Therefore, this job requires quick recognition and typing skills so that the captions are concurrent with the spoken dialogue.

Saying the wrong word during a conversation can completely change the meaning of it. This can also be said of typing incorrect text while transcribing dialogue for closed captioning. Even the smallest of errors, such as writing “he” instead of “she,” could lead to confusion among closed captioning viewers. Keep in mind that spelling or grammatical errors could prove frustrating for audiences as well. While many people may be able to eventually discern the correct word or phrase, it may take them a few minutes to figure out the intended term. In the meantime, they may be missing other important information that is key to enjoying the show or program.