Press Release >>> >>> Source: Harris Corporation >>> >>> NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson University Launch Global Effort To >>> Make >>> Radio Accessible to Hearing and Sight Impaired >>> >>> Tuesday January 8, 12:00 pm ET >>> >>> First Over-The-Air Transmission From Special CES Station >>> >>> LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (LVCC S227) -- NPR, Harris >>> Corporation and Towson University today announced a new initiative to >>> make >>> radio >>> more accessible to the hundreds of millions of hearing and visually >>> impaired >>> people around the world. >>> At a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the >>> three organizations announced the global accessible radio technology >>> initiative >>> and provided the first live demonstration of the accessible radio >>> technology. The group also announced a new research center for >>> developing >>> future technologies >>> on the campus of Towson University near Baltimore, MD. Additional plans >>> call >>> for the establishment of an international consortium of equipment >>> manufacturers, >>> broadcasters and other organizations to help foster broad adoption of >>> the >>> initiative. >>> The initiative will be spearheaded by the three founding organizations >>> and >>> will leverage cutting-edge HD Radio(TM) technology to enable >>> hearing-impaired >>> people to "see" live radio content on specially equipped receivers by >>> applying television closed-captioning processes to radio broadcasts. The >>> technology >>> also will provide audio cues and voice prompts, as well as advanced >>> radio >>> reading services, for those visually impaired and blind. >>> "Digital radio technology makes it possible -- for the first time -- to >>> serve the sensory impaired," says Mike Starling, vice president and >>> chief >>> technology >>> officer of NPR. "Beyond developing the technology, this initiative will >>> ensure the accessibility of these radio services at minimal costs." >>> During the press conference, the organizations showcased the first over- >>> the-air transmission of the accessible radio technology using a signal >>> from >>> WX3NPR, >>> a special temporary station authorized by the FCC for the live >>> broadcast. >>> Attendees at the press conference watched the text transcript of the NPR >>> flagship >>> morning news magazine "Morning Edition" on the HD Radio receiver's >>> viewing >>> screen, which is what a hearing-impaired listener will see using the >>> technology. >>> Additionally, the demonstration carried a digital radio reading service >>> that >>> will assist the visually impaired with daily readings of current books, >>> newspapers >>> and magazines. >>> Following the demonstration, the participating organizations unveiled >>> details for the International Center for Accessible Radio Technology >>> (ICART), which >>> will be headquartered at Towson University in Towson, MD. Towson will >>> house >>> the primary administrative and academic research office for the >>> initiative, >>> with NPR Labs in Washington, DC, providing technology R&D and software >>> development, and Harris Corporation supplying transmission and research >>> support >>> at its radio broadcast technology center in Cincinnati, Ohio. >>> Members of the global initiative went on to detail plans to further >>> study >>> and understand the challenges faced by the sensory-impaired population >>> in >>> accessing >>> radio broadcasts, and develop methodologies to address those issues >>> through >>> cutting-edge technologies. To ensure that the effort represents the >>> widest >>> range of participants and fosters the broadest possible adoption, >>> organizers >>> said they will work to bring together policymakers, broadcasters, >>> transmission >>> equipment companies and receiver manufacturers from around the world. >>> Presently, the initiative has more than a dozen members, representing >>> virtually every >>> aspect of the "microphone to loudspeaker" chain: broadcasters, network >>> content providers, infrastructure and transmission equipment companies, >>> and >>> receiver >>> manufacturers. In addition to founding members NPR, Harris and Towson >>> University, supporting organizations include iBiquity Digital >>> Corporation, >>> >>> elphi, >>> NDS, Radiosophy, Helen Keller Institute, Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family >>> National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH(NCAM), Northern Virginia >>> Resource Center >>> for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, and the G3ict, an Advocacy >>> Initiative >>> of the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development. >>> NPR, Harris and Towson will jointly determine strategic direction of the >>> organization, with assistance from the initiative's full membership. NPR >>> will provide >>> much of the content, Harris will provide much of the transmission- >>> related >>> technologies, and Towson will provide research into the needs of the >>> sensory-disabled >>> population and will house the primary ICART facility on its campus. >>> "We're working very closely with radio stations around the world to >>> ensure >>> they have the right technical infrastructure in place for this >>> initiative," >>> said >>> Howard Lance, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harris >>> Corporation. "The new HD Radio transmission systems we're installing are >>> tailor-made >>> for this effort, as their digital capabilities will make it relatively >>> easy >>> for stations to transmit live textual transcripts to HD Radio >>> receivers." >>> "There is tremendous need for accessible radio for sensory-impaired >>> people, >>> including the deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, visually impaired, print >>> impaired, >>> deaf/blind, and mobility impaired," said Dr. Ellyn Sheffield, assistant >>> professor of psychology at Towson and co-director of ICART. "There is no >>> question >>> this initiative will have a profound impact on the quality of millions >>> of >>> people's lives. Finally, sensory-disabled individuals will have access >>> to >>> all >>> radio programming, as well as radio emergency alerts and vital disaster >>> recovery information." >>> HD Radio enables station operators to split their broadcasts up into >>> multiple channels, providing several CD-quality channels for their >>> audiences. Through >>> this accessible radio initiative, a small amount of the total data >>> capacity >>> will be used to carry textual data that will be shown live on a screen >>> on >>> new >>> versions of HD Radio receivers, essentially providing a closed- >>> captioning >>> transcript of live broadcasts for the deaf. Initially, the closed- >>> captioning >>> text will be created by live, court-reporting-type captioners at >>> individual >>> stations and networks. Ultimately, the initiative is hoping to leverage >>> advanced >>> speech-to-text translation software applications that one day allow >>> expansion of captioning across the radio dial. Specially equipped HD >>> Radio >>> receivers >>> are in development with several features to provide the visually >>> impaired >>> audience with better access to broadcasts, such as audio prompts that >>> notify >>> which direction the tuner is going, what channel the radio is on, and >>> larger, easier-to-read text on the radios. >>> More than 1,500 radio stations are currently broadcasting in HD Radio in >>> the >>> United States. Over half of the CPB-qualified stations have been awarded >>> HD >>> Radio conversion grants by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. >>> According to current estimates, by 2010, all 825 public radio stations >>> should be broadcasting >>> digitally. >>> More information on the initiative can be found at >>> www.i-cart.net. >>> > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Facts Machine" group. > To post to this group, send email to [log in to unmask] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [log in to unmask] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/The-Facts-Machine?hl=en > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.1/1219 - Release Date: 1/11/2008 > 10:19 AM