Careers in Broadcast Captioning

Answer 1

Broadcast Captioning

Broadcast captioners are the individuals who create the closed captioning text that runs along the bottom of television screens for people with hearing difficulties and deafness. There are two types of broadcast captioning, offline and online captioning. Offline captioning refers to converting the audio of taped and prerecorded programming into text, and then syncing up the captions with the dialog. This could include sitcoms, movies, and children’s educational programming. Online captioning, sometimes referred to as real-time captioning, happens when live broadcasts are almost instantaneously transcribed into text. Live sporting events, speeches, and news programs are most likely to be captioned in real time.

Job Requirements and Education

Individuals looking to become a broadcast captioner must have solid grammar and writing skills, be proficient in typing and stenography, and have the energy to work at a quick pace for long periods of time. Many broadcast captioners receive training using stenography devices and shorthand by taking court reporting courses at a local college or career center. Since court reporting and broadcast captioning utilize similar recording abilities, the skills learned in court reporting courses easily translate to the on-the-job duties of broadcast captioners. Some colleges and universities also offer certification courses specifically designed for broadcast captioning.

Employment Opportunities and Salary Expectations

Broadcast captioners have the option to work independently and take freelance jobs, or become employed by a television station or captioning service. Offline captioning can be done remotely, as many offline captioners work from home. A real-time broadcast captioner usually works in a production studio, but some captioners buy their own equipment and work at home.

The average starting salary for professional broadcast captioners is between $35,000 and $40,000 a year. Experienced captioners and freelancers who take on a lot of work can earn upwards of $125,000 each year, but according the U.S. Department of Labor’s statistics, the average broadcast captioner makes around $47,000 a year.

Because broadcast captioners are efficient and quick transcribers, they may also find work transcribing other forms of audio, like focus group meetings, dictations, or materials useful to the deaf community, when not captioning broadcast programming.