Caray, Caray!

Hey, I'm ready to vote for a stimulus package for Univision. I'm sure we'd all be happy to put in a few dollars if they'd just go back to the old system. The present setup sucks.
 

Here's some information I found about closed caption law. I followed Agnes' instructions to make a link. I've crossed my fingers.

Carlos
 

Wow! Thanks Agnes.

Carlos
 

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Thanks for looking into this. It certainly explains that bizarre "TEST TEST" caption some of us saw! :)

I am surprised that it's cheaper to use live captions than canned ones, but maybe this has something to do with the ongoing unpleasantness between Univision and Televisa.

I think that if I were a captioner (for a show in English, I mean) I'd go crazy if I had to do it in real time. Even if the sound mixing was superb and the actors never mumbled, I would want a LOT more money to make up for the stress and confusion!!

I truly salute the live captioners' heroic efforts, but I think that if I were one of the hearing-impaired viewers I would have given up on the show by now.

And thanks for that link, Carlos - OT but I had NO idea that Julia Child did the first ever captioned show! Awesome!
 

Woops, it seems Melinama has already posted the legal stuff on another pages. Don't mind me. :)
 

Bravo Carlos!
 

Wow, melinama. Thanks for this information!

But how strange... When I transcribed meetings and panels full time (not the same as captions for shows, but very similar), the pay was TWICE as much for a live, real-time transcipt rather than for a meeting already recorded, with good reason. Live was waaay harder, unpredictable, and there wasn't the luxury of a re-do.

Good grief, Univision.
 

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The "cost savings" answer leaves me with a lot of questions too. I can't understand how having someone write captions live for multiple shows every single night could be cheaper than that same person writing the captions ahead of time in a studio and syncing them up correctly before air. There must still be something unsaid in the whole deal.
 

It's cheaper if the person is an intern working for a few bucks and hour and is told to go do the captions.

Meanwhile a professional captioner probably gets paid for multiple hours per episode.

I recall Beckster saying the shows are already captioned in Mexico. Maybe Televisa was charging Univision extra for the captions and it was a lot of money, since the two companies are not getting along...
 

I agree with what you said, Ferro, 'cause the guy I spoke to clammed up when I tried to probe further.
 

I bet someone completely dropped the ball on getting captions done, like signing up for a new service that didn't happen, and having someone caption live (like each week they draw straws to see who has to do it next week) is a stopgap measure until they get it figured out. Which I hope is soon.
Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all the time, even in big companies. It only takes one person not paying attention to one detail for things to fall apart.
 

That's a realistic scenario if I've ever heard one.
 

My guess is their live captioners are trainees. I have thoughts...

Jeanne