It sounds obvious , but for the first time , over - the - air HD Radio can carry public lecture radio with closed - captioned metadata , so that the auditory modality deflower can enjoy the same talk radio programming that others can .
From what I can tell , the signal will be compatible with many recent HD Radio receivers , so you do n’t need a particular box . The Kenwood in the picture is a proof - of - concept ; the actual first - ever unopen - caption broadcast will take place on Wednesday . Leave it to the progressive at NPR to occur up with it , teaming with Harris Corporation and Towson University to develop the delivery chemical mechanism and user interface . Of course , if it takes off , deaf right - wingers will finally get their localization of conservative hatred lecture , too .
NPR , Harris Corporation and Towson University Launch Global Effort to Make Radio approachable to Hearing and Sight Impaired First Over - The - Air Transmission from Special CES Station LAS VEGAS , January 8 , 2008 – ( LVCC S227 ) — - NPR , Harris Corporation and Towson University today announced a new opening to make radio more approachable to the 100 of one thousand thousand of hearing and visually impair hoi polloi around the world . At a press group discussion at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas , the three organizations announced the world accessible radio technology go-ahead and provide the first live demonstration of the accessible radio applied science . The group also announced a newfangled enquiry center for develop succeeding technologies on the campus of Towson University near Baltimore , MD . Additional architectural plan call for the organisation of an external syndicate of equipment manufacturers , broadcasters and other organizations to help further broad borrowing of the opening move . The initiative will be spearhead by the three founding organizations and will leverage cutting- border HD Radio ™ applied science to enable hearing - impaired people to “ see ” unrecorded radio content on specially equipped receivers by applying television close - captioning processes to radio broadcasts . The technology also will provide audio clue and voice command prompt , as well as sophisticated radio reading services , for those visually impaired and blind .
“ Digital receiving set applied science makes it possible — for the first meter — to serve the sensory impaired , ” say
Mike Starling , vice president and master engineering officer of NPR . “ Beyond develop the
applied science , this go-ahead will ensure the availableness of these wireless services at minimal costs . ”
During the press group discussion , the constitution showcased the first over - the - gentle wind transmission of the
accessible radio technology using a signal from WX3NPR , a special impermanent place authorize
by the FCC for the hot broadcast . Attendees at the press conference watched the text transcript of
the NPR flagship morn news show magazine “ Morning Edition ” on the HD Radio recipient ’s viewing
screen , which is what a hearing - impaired listener will see using the technology . Additionally , the
demonstration carried a digital radio set reading service that will assist the vi sually afflicted with daily
Reading of current books , paper and magazines .
Center for Accessible Radio Technology ( ICART ) , which will be headquarter at Towson
University in Towson , Md. Towson will put up the primary administrative and academic enquiry
office for the enterprisingness , with NPR Labs in Washington , D.C. , providing technology R&D and package
growth , and Harris Corporation provide transmission and inquiry backing at its radio
programme technology plaza in Cincinnati , Ohio .
Members of the worldwide go-ahead fit on to detail plans to further read and understand the
challenge present by the sensory - spoil population in get at radio programme , and evolve
methodology to address those issue through cutting - edge technologies . To secure that the
campaign represents the extensive compass of participants and fosters the broadest potential adoption ,
organizers said they will work to add together policymakers , broadcasters , transmission
equipment companies and receiver manufacturers from around the creation . Presently , the enterprisingness
has more than a twelve members , typify virtually every aspect of the “ mike to
loudspeaker ” chain : broadcasters , mesh content providers , infrastructure and transmission
equipment companies , and receiver manufacturers . In addition to founding phallus NPR , Harris
and Towson University , specific member organizations include iBiquity Digital Corporation , Delphi ,
NDS , Radiosophy , Helen Keller Institute , National Center for Accessible Media / WGBH , Northern
Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons , and the United Nations Global
Alliance for ICT and Development .
NPR , Harris and Towson will jointly determine strategic direction of the organisation , with
help from the opening move ’s full membership . NPR will provide much of the message , Harris will
provide much of the transmission system - tie in technologies , and Towson will provide research into the
indigence of the sensory - handicapped population and will domiciliate the primary ICART readiness on its campus .
“ We ’re work very closely with radio stations around the public to insure they have the right
expert infrastructure in place for this opening move , ” said Howard Lance , chairwoman , president and
main executive officer of Harris Corporation . “ The new HD Radio transmission systems we ’re
installing are sartor - made for this sweat , as their digital capabilities will make it comparatively easy for
station to communicate resilient textual transcript to HD Radio pass catcher . ”
“ There is howling need for accessible radio for sensory - impair mass , include the deaf ,
heavily - of - hearing , unreasoning , visually impaired , photographic print mar , deaf / unreasoning , and mobility deflower , ” enunciate Dr.
Ellyn Sheffield , assistant prof of psychology at Towson and co - director of ICART . “ There is no
question this initiative will have a unplumbed impact on the timber of millions of multitude ’s lives .
lastly , sensory - disabled somebody will have access to all radio computer programing , as well as radiocommunication
emergency alerts and full of life calamity recuperation selective information . ”
HD Radio enables station operator to split their programme up into multiple channels , providing
several standard candle - quality channel for their consultation . Through this accessible radio initiative , a little
amount of the full information mental ability will be used to carry textual datum that will be record live on a
screen on new reading of HD Radio receivers , essentially providing a shut - captioning transcript
of live program for the deaf . ab initio , the unopen - captioning text will be created by unrecorded , court-
reportage - type captioners at individual stations and networks . Ultimately , the initiative is hoping to
leverage advanced speech - to - text translation software applications that one daytime permit expansion
of captioning across the wireless dial . Specially equipped HD Radio receivers are in development with
several features to furnish the visually impaired audience with better access to broadcast , such
as audio prompts that give notice which focal point the tuner is survive , what communication channel the radio set is on , and
larger , easier - to - read school text on the radios .
More than 1,500 radio station are presently broadcasting in HD Radio in the United States . Over
one-half of the CPB - qualified station have been present HD Radio conversion grants by the
pot for Public Broadcasting . accord to current estimation , by 2010 , all 825 public radio
stations should be broadcasting digitally .
More information on the opening move can be found at www.i-cart.net
About NPR
Since its launch in 1970 , NPR has evolved into a extend multimedia company , award - win
master tidings supplier and rife force-out in American life . NPR produce and/or distributes 1500
hour of programming weekly , include more than 150 hours of news program , i nformation , speak ,
entertainment and cultural shows for the 800 - plus NPR Member station around the country ,
attracting 26.5 million auditor hebdomadally . NPR also programme two 24/7 channels for Sirius orbiter
radiocommunication and five 24/7 euphony multicast line for digital HD Radio , having served as an industry
loss leader in HD research and development ; to boot it bring forth nearly 90 podcasts , realize it the
liberal podcaster among American media company . www.NPR.org offers encompassing original
picture and audio substance , hourly newscasts , concerts and free audio cyclosis of current and
file away NPR programs .
About Harris Corporation
Harris is an external communications and information technology company attend
administration and commercial-grade markets in more than 150 commonwealth . Headquartered in Melbourne ,
Florida , the company has yearly revenue of over $ 4 billion and 16,000 employee — including
intimately 7,000 technologist and scientist . Harris is consecrate to develop good -in - class assured
communications ™ products , system , and services . Additional information about Harris
pot is available at www.harris.com .
About Towson University
Founded in 1866 , Towson University is recognized among the nation ’s best regional public
university , offering more than 100 bachelor ’s , sea captain ’s and doctoral degree programs in the
liberal arts and science , and go for professional playing area . settle in suburban Towson , eight miles
north of Baltimore , the university ’s beautifully landscape , 328 - Akka setting offers a pleasant
environs for study and a diverse campus sprightliness , as well as easy memory access to a wealthiness of university
and residential district resource . With virtually 20,000 students , Towson University is the second - bombastic
public university in Maryland . As a metropolitan university , Towson combines research - based
learning with practical diligence . Its many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private
organizations throughout Maryland put up opportunities for research , internships and chore . The
university ’s radio station , WTMD , will soon win over to digital format and will dish up as the initial
examination ground for the enterprise . Towson University is a founding fellow member of the Coalition of Urban
and Metropolitan Universities ( CUMU ) ; TU President Robert Caret arrest the office of president .
extra info can be found at www.towson.edu .
HD Radio ™ is a proprietary trademark of iBiquity Digital Corp.
ces 2008
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