An online publication for NCRA members interested in captioning 
The National Court Reporters Association
Serving the court reporting and captioning professions

+ Welcome to the inaugural issue
+ Specific to sports: Captioning sports programming
+ Captioning company start-ups: Things to consider
+ Weighing your captioning options
+ Making the leap: From local to national captioning
+ Q&A
+ CBC commits to 100 percent closed captioning
+ FCC requires captioning capability in DTV receivers and converters
+ Industry update
+ Captioning job mart

WELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL ISSUE
Welcome to the inaugural issue of NCRA's Online Newsletter for Captioners. This newsletter will be distributed every two months and is designed to provide content and information relevant to the needs of beginning and veteran broadcast captioners. 

We welcome your news, articles, tips, ideas and suggestions. Please send all submissions and queries to captioning@ncrahq.org.

SPECIFIC TO SPORTS:  CAPTIONING SPORTS PROGRAMMING
Sports programming offers unique challenges to the captioner, ranging from a required encyclopedic knowledge of the sport to an understanding of positioning captions to dealing with announcers fighting to get a word in edgewise. For some, this could be just the ticket. Visit http://www.ncraonline.org/captioning/articles/0211_sports.html for the full article.

CAPTIONING COMPANY START-UPS:  THINGS TO CONSIDER
Naming your company. Developing a logo. Working as an independent contractor or hiring other captioners. The type of captioning software to use. These are just some of the issues you have to consider when starting your captioning company. Visit http://www.ncraonline.org/captioning/articles/0211_startup.html for the complete article.

WEIGHING YOUR CAPTIONING OPTIONS
Are you interested in a career as a captioner? In addition to learning the ins and outs of captioning, you also have to decide on the structure of your captioning business. Veteran captioner Kevin Daniel explores three of the most common business structures for captioners: starting your own captioning business, working from your home as an independent contractor for one or more established captioning companies and working in-house for an established captioning company. You'll find the first part of this two-part article at http://www.ncraonline.org/jcr/0009/0009_03.htm and the second part at http://www.ncraonline.org/jcr/0010/0010_01.htm.

MAKING THE LEAP:  FROM LOCAL TO NATIONAL CAPTIONING
You've paid your dues and put in some time captioning on a local level. Now you're ready to make the leap into national work. How do you prepare yourself? What's going to be different? Gary Robson offers some answers at http://www.ncraonline.org/captioning/leap.html.

Q&A
This section of the newsletter offers readers a chance to provide advice or comments on issues common to the captioning profession. If you'd like to participate, simply respond to the questions via e-mail to captioning@ncrahq.org. The two questions for this issue of the newsletter are:

1. When captioning an emotional or heart-rending story, how do you maintain your professional distance so you can continue writing?

2. When a newscaster starts talking at the speed of light, how do you maintain quality captions?

CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION COMMITS TO 100 PERCENT CLOSED CAPTIONING
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has committed to having all programming on both CBC English Television and CBC Newsworld regularly captioned, including live breaking news, promos and commercials produced by the CBC. 

In 1997 Henry Vlug, who is deaf, filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission against CBC's English-language television network and CBC Newsworld for failing to provide closed captioning of all of its programming. Following an investigation by the CHRC, the case was heard by a Tribunal appointed under the Canadian Human Rights Act in 2000, which decision was subsequently scheduled for judicial review by the federal court. In an effort to resolve the issue and reduce delay, CHRC assisted the CBC and Mr. Vlug in discussions to reach an out-of-court settlement. Captioning of all programming was to go into effect November 1, 2002, and CBC reports committing substantial resources to accomplish this goal, including new hardware and software and captioners on call 24 hours a day. 

CHRC Chief Mary Gusella noted the significance of the settlement: "In committing itself to achieving 100 percent closed captioning within such a short time frame, we see the CBC as acknowledging that Canadians who are deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing have as much right to access television programming as their fellow Canadians."

FCC REQUIRES CAPTIONING CAPABILITY IN DTV RECEIVERS AND CONVERTERS
The Federal Communications Commission has required manufacturers of digital television receivers and set-top converters to include DTV closed captioning display functionality in their DTV devices manufactured in the United States as of July 1, 2002. This requirement will ensure that DTV is accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing in accordance with the mandate set forth in the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

INDUSTRY UPDATE
Captioning companies are encouraged to submit material for the Industry Update section, which will provide information about what's going on within the captioning field or at specific companies. Topics of interest include the award of new grants or contracts, internal changes within a company, updates to a company's Web site or other matters of interest to broadcast captioners. Submit news releases or information for Industry Update to captioning@ncrahq.org.

CAPTIONING JOB MART
Australia. Join fellow stenocaptioners from around the world, take that break you've always wanted and work with the Australian Caption Centre, one of the world's leading captioning organizations. We are located in Sydney renowned for its fabulous beaches, fantastic restaurants, a long hot summer and the most beautiful harbor in the world. If you are fast (220 wpm plus) and have broadcast stenography experience, we want you. Our generous packages include significant tax free benefits and five weeks paid vacation each year, so you will have plenty of time to explore our amazing country. Assignments can be as short as six months. For more information, contact Alex Varley at alex.varley@auscap.com.au and check out: www.captiondownunder.com.

Nationwide. Caption Colorado needs Realtime Stenocaptionists for broadcast, internet and financial reporting. Work remotely. Paid as employee, health insurance, 401(k), ft or pt. Broadcast captioning or extensive realtime experience preferred. Information available at www.captioncolorado.com, click on Contact Us, then link to Employment Information.

New York. Transcribing text in realtime from the audio track of assigned video material. Correcting and reviewing transcribed text, making corrections as needed. Preparing ASCII files and delivering to Caption Editors when requested. Transcribing text from the audio soundtrack when needed using Cheetah Offline program. Editing text readable caption blocks and assigning timecodes in accordance with HBO's captioning style. Storing and backing up caption files and sending files to TQC when necessary. Becoming familiar with all advanced name and word research technology available at HBO. Becoming familiar with file management on the Captioning server and network. Updating the captioning database as needed. Requirements: Basic understanding of the offline captioning process strongly preferred. Computer proficiency. Position Location: Hauppauge, NY (Long Island). Salary: $32K-$35K. Contact: Alison Irving, HR Associate, HBO, 1100 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036; 212.512.7192; alison.irving@hbo.com. 

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