On Tue, Apr 7, 2020 at 7:21 AM Paul Heinlein <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Apr 2020, Keith Lofstrom wrote: > > > I presume the public telephone system can be used to "broadcast" to > > many dialins simultaneously. > > > > Imagine a nationwide community of volunteers who read a book that > > they own over the phone to small groups of 5 to 15 blind listeners. > > Those listeners first call a "catalog number" to find find an > > upcoming reading they want to listen to, then join into the > > conference call at scheduled times. The volunteers don't just read, > > but interact with their listeners. Amateur but involved. > > 30 years ago, I lived for a year in Billings, MT. While there, I was a > volunteer reader for Montana Audio Information Network. (The service > closed for lack of funding in 2011.) This service used legally > licensed sidebands to broadcast audio programming to the blind, who > were given the receivers necessary to pick up the signals. > > My duty was to read aloud the Billings Gazette. I and another reader > alternated bits for a couple hours once a week. We read front pages > stories, sports scores, obituaries, and even the grocery ads. > > At the time I thought it was state-funded, but I later learned it was > funded by grants and donations. > > I don't know if there are similar services elsewhere, but I remember > feeling like I was taking part in an essential service. > > -- > Paul Heinlein > [email protected] > 45°38' N, 122°6' W____________ > In my days as a broadcast engineer at the station level, "Books For The Blind" was a very active service with FM broadcast stations. Using a special subcarrier, FM stations would broadcast alternate programming that could be picked up by special receivers. These receivers were fixed tuned to a specific frequency and SCA and provided via subscription to the service. Typically a provider sent programming via satellite to the stations where they fed it to the transmitter. There were actually a number of services including the reading of books, local newspapers, children's programming, etc. Subscribers would receive a schedule of what would air when. The books would typically be 30 or 60 minutes per book per day. It varied depending on who provided the service. Much of this has gone by the wayside as the Internet grew in popularity and capability. The FM stations who switched to digital programming lost the use of the analog subcarriers for their digital signal. Some stations continued the service via their FM2 channel, but most dropped it entirely. Michael _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
