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NCI WAS FOUNDED IN 1979 FOR THE EXPLICIT PURPOSE
OF PRODUCING CLOSED CAPTIONS
AND PROVIDING CLOSED CAPTION DECODERS
TO DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING VIEWERS.
THAT SECOND MISSION WENT AWAY AFTER A WHILE
BECAUSE NCI WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN DEVELOPING A CHIP
THAT COULD BE BUILT INTO TV SETS
SO THAT ALL THE TV SETS COULD RECEIVE CLOSED CAPTIONS.
SO THERE WAS NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO GO OUT AND BUY
A SEPARATE DECODER.
SO THAT PART OF OUR BUSINESS DISAPPEARED.
BUT THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING CAPTIONS,
OF MAKING CLOSED CAPTIONS,
HAS REMAINED EVER SINCE.
AND WE’VE DONE IT IN ALL SORTS OF FORMATS
FOR ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS:
FOR NETWORKS, FOR INDIVIDUAL TV STATIONS,
FOR CABLE NETWORKS, FOR GOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS.
NOW WE’RE DOING STREAMING ON THE INTERNET,
ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
IF THERE’S A NEED FOR CAPTIONS, WE PUT THEM THERE.
IT’S AMAZING HOW IMPORTANT CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BECOME
IN PEOPLE’S LIVES,
NOT ONLY THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING,
BUT OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
AND YOU DON’T REALIZE IT MOST OF THE TIME
BECAUSE IT’S BECOME SUCH A PART OF OUR LIVES
THAT IT’S JUST THERE.
BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT REMINDS YOU--
OR REMINDS US AS CAPTION MAKERS--
HOW CRITICAL THIS IS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS AT A MEETING ONCE
WHERE SOMEONE WAS GIVING A TALK,
A HEARING PERSON WAS GIVING A TALK,
AND THERE WAS DEAF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE,
SO THERE WAS AN INTERPRETER AND SO FORTH.
AND AT THE END OF THE MEETING, END OF THE TALK,
IT WAS TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
AND ONE OF THE DEAF PEOPLE RAISED HIS HAND
AND HAD A QUESTION.
HE SAID, "LAST NIGHT ON TELEVISION I SAW A SHOW ABOUT..."
DA DA DA, WHATEVER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT,
AND FOLLOWED UP WITH A QUESTION.
I WAS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM THINKING,
"YOU KNOW, IF I DIDN’T DO WHAT I DO,
THIS GUY COULDN’T HAVE ASKED THAT QUESTION."
SO IT REALLY DOES MATTER.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, IT REALLY DOES COME AND HIT YOU.
NCI OFFERS VARIOUS SERVICES.
WE PROVIDE CLOSED CAPTIONING FOR PRE-RECORDED PROGRAMS
SO THAT CAPTIONS ACTUALLY BECOME PART OF THE VIDEO
AT THE TIME THE PROGRAM IS AIRING.
SO NO ONE HAS TO CREATE THE CAPTIONS AT THAT TIME.
IT’S DONE ALREADY.
WE PROVIDE CAPTIONS FOR LIVE PROGRAMS,
WHERE THE CAPTIONS ARE CREATED AT THE SAME TIME
THAT THE PROGRAM IS ON THE AIR.
SO THAT’S FOR NEWS OR SPORTS OR MEETINGS
OR OTHER KINDS OF LIVE EVENTS.
WE PROVIDE VIDEO DESCRIPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND
OR HAVE LOW VISION,
WHERE THE AUDIO PORTION DESCRIBES WHAT’S GOING ON,
AND WE PROVIDE THE CAPTIONING SERVICES
IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH IN TWO WAYS.
WE PROVIDE IT IN ENGLISH WHEN THEY’RE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH,
SPANISH WHEN THEY’RE SPEAKING IN SPANISH,
SPANISH WHEN THEY’RE SPEAKING IN ENGLISH,
ENGLISH WHEN THEY’RE SPEAKING IN SPANISH.
AND IN ADDITION, WE DO SUBTITLING.
WE PROVIDE SUBTITLES IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
WHEN NCI STARTED, WE DEALT WITH 2-INCH VIDEOTAPES
AND DISCS THIS BIG
AND VERY, VERY WHAT NOW SEEMS TO BE KLUTZY TECHNOLOGY,
ALTHOUGH IT WAS AVANT-GARDE AND VERY FANCY AT THE TIME.
RECENTLY WE’VE DEVELOPED A TECHNOLOGY CALLED DSMM,
WHICH IS A MODEM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
WHICH HELPS US CUT WAY DOWN
ON THE NUMBER OF DISCONNECTS BETWEEN US AND THE CLIENT
WHEN WE’RE DELIVERING CAPTIONS ON TELEPHONE LINES.
WE’VE ALSO DEVELOPED A SYSTEM CALLED CCP,
WHICH IS SOMETHING THE CAPTIONERS USE
TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE PROGRAMS AND TO SEND THE CAPTIONS OUT,
EITHER OVER PHONE LINES, OVER THE INTERNET,
OR WHATEVER IT IS WE CONCOCT.
NCI HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME,
AND THAT’S A GOOD THING
BECAUSE THAT MEANS WE CAN BUILD ON ALL THE EXPERIENCE
THAT WE’VE DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS.
WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE’VE DONE RIGHT.
WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE’VE DONE WRONG
AND USE IT SO WE CAN CONSTANTLY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS
AND ENHANCEMENTS
AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE CAPTIONING AND VIDEO DESCRIPTION
IN THE FUTURE USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES,
THE LATEST TECHNIQUES,
DOING IT AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN
AND PRODUCING A PRETTY GOOD PRODUCT.