Closed Captions provide a transcription of the audio and dialogue of a program so it can be enjoyed by those with hearing impairments. Closed captioning is an FCC mandated requirement for most broadcasters with strict guidelines that regulate the accuracy, timing, completeness of captioning.
In Fig, files that have embedded closed captioning that meets our file format specifications can be uploaded and delivered with captions. For those files without closed captions attached, we have made them simple and efficient to add at the time of upload to Fig.
Ordering Closed Captions in Fig
Captioning can be ordered within the upload form when uploading a new program to Fig and can be integrated into your standard workflow of a uploading a program. When closed captions are ordered your program will be sent to one of our trusted captioning and transcription services. The different captioning options are:
Once captioning has been completed we will do a quality control check to ensure that the caption file is complete, accurate, and timed appropriately before releasing the file for delivery.
Standard vs Rush captioning
The only difference between standard and rush captions is how quick the captioning will be complete. The times below are an estimation of the max time it may take to complete captioning, provided by one of our closed captioning services. The actual average turnaround time for a file may be quicker but can not be guaranteed.
| File Length | Standard: Max Turnaround Time* | Rush: Max Turnaround Time* |
| 0-30 minutes | 18 hours | 12 hours |
| 30-60 minutes | 48 hours | 36 hours |
| 60+ minutes | 120 hours | 90 hours |
Each broadcaster may have their own delivery deadlines in place. Failure to have captioning complete before these deadlines may result in your program not making it to air. In instances of tight deadlines we advise reaching out to your station account representatives to determine their recommendation for captioning.
Replacement Captioning
Revised programs that have been previously captioned may not need new captions ordered. When this option is selected, the caption file from a previously uploaded program will be imported to the new version. Caption replacements are meant to be used when little to no adjustments have been made to a revised program’s audio track.
If a revised program has significant changes to its audio or timing then new captions may need to be ordered.
Additional reading
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/closed-captioning-television
https://www.fcc.gov/general/closed-captioning-video-programming-television