Television closed captioning was first introduced in the United States in the
early 1980's. It was initiated primarily by the federal government in response
to the public need to make news and other important television programming
effectively available to the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Captioning defined
Captioning is a means by which the spoken word and sound effects can be read on
the television screen. A process called encoding adds the caption information
to a specific line of the video signal not normally visible. In closed
captioning, this signal is unscrambled by the use of a decoder, which allows
the viewer to read the captions.
All network primetime programming, many commercials, newscasts, sporting events
and other programs are captioned. In addition, most new Hollywood releases for
home viewing are closed captioned. With the Decoder Circuitry Act in effect
since July of 1993, virtually every television sold in America has a decoder
chip built-in -- eliminating the need for a separate decoder.
Government mandate
The public aspect of closed captioning, coupled with its relatively high cost,
resulted in government subsidies initially being the primary source of funding
for the service. More competitive private industry pricing in the 1990's,
resulted in the federal government mandating that the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) pass regulations requiring closed captioning of 100% of
television broadcast time, leaving funding concerns primarily to the television
industry.
Effective January 1, 1998, the FCC passed regulations requiring the television
industry to phase-in up to 100% (25% every two years) closed captioning of
television broadcast time between the hours of 6:00 AM and 2:00 AM. The
regulations apply to all stations and networks, in all markets, with annual
revenues of $2 million unless specifically exempted. Stations in the top 25
markets are required to use real-time (vs. newsroom or TelePrompTer) captioning
to meet the requirements.
Television Stations offer closed captioning for the following reasons:
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Meet FCC requirements
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Serve community needs
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Maintain positive public image
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Increase deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
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Increase viewership in noisy locations
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News leadership
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Increase ratings and market share
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Sales and revenue opportunity
