Closed captioning developed
Closed captioning is a technology that enhances accessibility by displaying text on television screens, allowing individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to read the dialogue and sound cues of programs. The concept was officially introduced to the public in March 1980, following research initiated in the 1970s by the National Bureau of Standards, which explored the possibility of broadcasting real-time text alongside audio. This development was a collaborative effort involving the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), leading to successful early demonstrations of the technology.
In 1976, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated a specific part of the broadcast spectrum for closed captions, paving the way for widespread implementation. The National Captioning Institute (NCI) was established in 1979 to promote the technology, and by the late 20th century, regulations mandated that all new television sets include closed captioning capabilities. The impact of closed captioning has been significant, providing crucial access to information and entertainment for hearing-impaired audiences, while also benefiting the general public in noisy environments. Over time, closed captioning has become a standard feature, enhancing inclusivity in media consumption.
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Subject Terms
Closed captioning developed
Textual display of the audio portion of a video presentation in order to aid the hearing-impaired
Closed captioning technology was conceived at the outset of the 1970’s and was developed throughout the remainder of the decade.
The development of closed captioning, officially introduced to the public in March, 1980, began in 1970 when the National Bureau of Standards began researching the possibility of broadcasting “real-time” information using part of a broadcast television signal. The application of this technology to broadcast the text of television programs and other visual mediums was the result of a suggestion by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)—a television network known for its innovative programming—which collaborated with the bureau in early experiments.
Successful demonstrations of the technology in the early 1970’s prompted the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) to undertake additional experiments in cooperation with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which had already broadcast programming with “open” captions visible to all viewers. In 1973, PBS successfully tested a prototype system on Washington, D.C., public television station WETA.
In 1976, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earmarked line 21 of the broadcast television spectrum as exclusively reserved for the transmission of closed captions. Meanwhile, coordinators of the development project at PBS set standards and developed prototypical equipment for typing, encoding, and decoding closed captions. Television viewers who purchased special decoding devices would be able to view captions of the audio portions of prerecorded programming embedded in encrypted form in prerecorded broadcasts.
In 1979, the HEW created the National Captioning Institute (NCI), a nonprofit organization whose mission was to promote and facilitate the use of closed captioning technology. The NCI helped to ensure the cooperation of commercial television networks by assuming the financial and logistical burden posed by the implementation and maintenance of closed captioning services, thereby laying the groundwork for the introduction of closed captioning technology to the public.
Impact
The closed captioning system developed throughout the 1970’s constituted a dramatic advance in broadcast technology designed to accommodate persons with disabilities. It provided hearing-impaired television viewers with unprecedented access to information and entertainment taken for granted by the hearing community.
Subsequent Events
Although initially limited in scope and dependent upon expensive ancillary devices, closed captioning would eventually be expanded to additional programs (including live broadcasts) and made more readily available and less expensive to the general public. By the end of the twentieth century, television manufacturers were mandated by federal law to include closed captioning technology in all new television sets with a screen size of thirteen inches or larger, and an overwhelming majority of television broadcasts and prepackaged video products were closed-captioned. Closed captioning required on televisions placed in restaurants, airports, and other public places also proved useful to hearing persons cut off from the audio portions of broadcasts by the din of modern life.
Bibliography
Gopens, Stuart. Gopens Guide to Closed Captioned Video. Framingham, Mass.: Caption Database, 1993.
Robson, Gary D. Inside Captioning. Red Lodge, Mont.: Red Lodge Books, 1997.