A Short History of Audio-Reader
Broadcasting to the print-handicapped is a fairly recent innovation. In the mid-60s, Lawrence Philanthropist Petey Cerf commissioned a study on the feasibility of using FM radio subcarriers to read printed material. Utilizing this technology, the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network in 1969 became the first radio reading service to take to the airwaves. After a trip to Minnesota to see the facility, our sponsor set the stage for a local service based at the University of Kansas. Audio Reader began broadcasting October 11, 1971.
From the beginning, Audio-Reader programming has included readings from Kansas City and Topeka newspapers, magazines, books, and short stories. In 1971, about 250 radio receivers were distributed and Audio-Reader broadcasted 80 hours a week with a very small staff and a handful of volunteers. Over time, programming expanded continuously until it reached the current 24 hours a day broadcast by 1985.
Today, Audio-Reader reaches as many as 6,000 listeners in their homes, in hospitals, schools, nursing homes and senior centers all across Kansas and Missouri. The staff has grown, shrunk, and regrown over time. Currently, over 250 volunteers provide their time and expertise to make the 24 hour broadcast possible. Audio-Reader also has an active advisory committee made up of community and business leaders.
Audio-Reader has always been a leader in the field of radio reading services. It was one of the first to begin broadcasting around the clock, using an innovative low-cost automation system to operate the studio at night. Audio-Reader pioneered the use of cable television and microwave distribution, and established and operated the Tape Exchange, a program distribution system used by around 100 members of the Association of Radio Reading Services (ARRS). In fact, a high percentage of ARRS’s nationally-distributed programming is produced here in Lawrence. Later, Audio-Reader Producer/Engineer Art Hadley created and managed an online program share and website that replaced the Tape Exchange. This year, Audio-Reader’s expanded studio space allows us to offer a personal taping service for print-handicapped individuals.
While there is still much to be done, Audio-Reader has come a long way in fulfilling the dream of its founder, providing print-handicapped citizens of Kansas the opportunity to live their lives with the greatest possible personal independence.