Radio reading service
Encyclopedia
A radio reading service or reading service for the blind is a service
of many universities, community groups and public radio station
s, where a narrator
reads books, newspaper
s and magazine
s aloud for the benefit of the blind
and vision
-impaired. It is most often carried on a subcarrier
, with radio
receiver
s permanently tuned
to a given station in the area. Some reading services use alternative methods for reaching their audiences, including broadcasting over SAP, streaming Internet radio, cable TV, or even terrestrial TV.
The International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) serves as the primary member organization for radio reading services, and has member services or has consulted with and assisted local organizations in Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Panama, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The first radio reading service in the United States was the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network, started in 1969 by Stan Potter and Bob Watson. After six years of researching the concept, a Kansas philanthropist learned of the Minnesota service, and with their help in 1971 Petey Cerf founded Audio-Reader
, the second reading service in the nation, in Lawrence. In the late 1970s, Audio-Reader director Rosie Hurwitz and Stan Potter served as the first two presidents of the Association of Radio Reading Services, which came to be known as the National Association of Radio Reading Services, and, finally, IAAIS.
In the U.S.A., many public radio stations carry a local or regional reading service on an FM subcarrier. They are commonly affiliated with universities, libraries and other non-profit institutions. Stations in other countries also carry such a service. Some radio reading services are broadcast on standard FM stations. WRBH in New Orleans was the first open channel radio reading service. WYPL
in Memphis, Tennessee, run by volunteers of the Memphis Public Library, devotes nearly its entire broadcast day to a mixture of live readings and prerecorded readings overnight.
The first internet-based reading service was Assistive Media
, founded in 1996 by David Erdody in Ann Arbor, Michigan
. Most of the over 100 audio information services in the U.S. today stream their broadcasts live on the internet, and some offer online archives of previously broadcast programming. Some organizations are providing their listeners with internet radios preprogrammed to easily find the internet stream.
Most A.I. organizations offer their services at no cost to the listener, and require certification that the potential listener is unable to use normal printed material.
Public services
Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly or by financing private provision of services. The term is associated with a social consensus that certain services should be available to all, regardless of income...
of many universities, community groups and public radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s, where a narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
reads books, newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s and magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s aloud for the benefit of the blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and vision
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
-impaired. It is most often carried on a subcarrier
Subcarrier
A subcarrier is a separate analog or digital signal carried on a main radio transmission, which carries extra information such as voice or data. More technically, it is an already-modulated signal, which is then modulated into another signal of higher frequency and bandwidth...
, with radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
receiver
Receiver (radio)
A radio receiver converts signals from a radio antenna to a usable form. It uses electronic filters to separate a wanted radio frequency signal from all other signals, the electronic amplifier increases the level suitable for further processing, and finally recovers the desired information through...
s permanently tuned
Tuner (radio)
A radio tuner is a subsystem that receives radio broadcasts and converts them into audio-frequency signals which can be fed into an amplifier driving a loudspeaker. FM tuner, AM tuner, Digital Audio Broadcasting DAB tuner, etc. are types of radio tuner dealing with transmissions using different...
to a given station in the area. Some reading services use alternative methods for reaching their audiences, including broadcasting over SAP, streaming Internet radio, cable TV, or even terrestrial TV.
The International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) serves as the primary member organization for radio reading services, and has member services or has consulted with and assisted local organizations in Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Panama, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The first radio reading service in the United States was the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network, started in 1969 by Stan Potter and Bob Watson. After six years of researching the concept, a Kansas philanthropist learned of the Minnesota service, and with their help in 1971 Petey Cerf founded Audio-Reader
Audio-Reader
The Kansas Audio-Reader Network, generally called Audio-Reader, is a radio reading service for the blind in Lawrence, Kansas. The program began operating on October 11, 1971, and is the second to operate in the United States...
, the second reading service in the nation, in Lawrence. In the late 1970s, Audio-Reader director Rosie Hurwitz and Stan Potter served as the first two presidents of the Association of Radio Reading Services, which came to be known as the National Association of Radio Reading Services, and, finally, IAAIS.
In the U.S.A., many public radio stations carry a local or regional reading service on an FM subcarrier. They are commonly affiliated with universities, libraries and other non-profit institutions. Stations in other countries also carry such a service. Some radio reading services are broadcast on standard FM stations. WRBH in New Orleans was the first open channel radio reading service. WYPL
WYPL
WYPL is a non-commercial radio station that serves the area of Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. The station is currently owned by Memphis Public Library & Info Center and provides a radio reading service to patrons....
in Memphis, Tennessee, run by volunteers of the Memphis Public Library, devotes nearly its entire broadcast day to a mixture of live readings and prerecorded readings overnight.
The first internet-based reading service was Assistive Media
Assistive Media
Assistive Media is a nonprofit internet-based audio reading service to serve people with visual/reading impairments worldwide.In 1996, Assistive Media was founded by David Erdody in Ann Arbor, Michigan as a 501 not-for-profit organization and with volunteer readers began producing and distributing...
, founded in 1996 by David Erdody in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. Most of the over 100 audio information services in the U.S. today stream their broadcasts live on the internet, and some offer online archives of previously broadcast programming. Some organizations are providing their listeners with internet radios preprogrammed to easily find the internet stream.
Most A.I. organizations offer their services at no cost to the listener, and require certification that the potential listener is unable to use normal printed material.
See also
- Audio descriptionAudio descriptionAudio description refers to an additional narration track for blind and visually impaired consumers of visual media...
, an additional narration track for blind and visually impaired consumers of visual media, including television and movies, dance, opera, and visual art - WYPLWYPLWYPL is a non-commercial radio station that serves the area of Memphis, Tennessee, in the United States. The station is currently owned by Memphis Public Library & Info Center and provides a radio reading service to patrons....