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NPR, Harris Team On Accessible Radio Technology
LAS VEGAS -- January 8, 2008: National Public Radio, Harris Corp., and Towson University announced an initiative on Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to use HD Radio technology to make radio more accessible to hearing- and vision-impaired people.
The organizations demonstrated the technology at CES, and announced that Towson will be starting a new research center for developing future accessibility technologies at its Baltimore-area campus. An international consortium of equipment manufacturers, broadcasters, and others is also planned to help broaden adoption of the initiative.
The technology uses HD Radio to add TV-style "closed captioning" to radio broadcasts over specially equipped receivers. It will also offer audio cues and voice prompts, as well as radio reading services, for the visually impaired.
"Digital radio technology makes it possible -- for the first time -- to serve the sensory-impaired," said NPR VP/Chief Technology Officer Mike Starling. "Beyond developing the technology, this initiative will ensure the accessibility of these radio services at minimal cost."
During a Tuesday press conference, Harris, NPR, and Towson demonstrated an over-the-air transmission of accessible radio by way of a temporary station authorized by the FCC just for the broadcast. Attendees saw a transcript of NPR's Morning Edition on an HD Radio receiver's screen.
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