Radio Talking Book is celebrating 24 years of existence at MSU this fall.
The sub-channel service of WKAR, MSU's public radio station, offers access to news and information for people who cannot access conventional printed materials due to a disabling condition, said Brigid Jansen, producer for WKAR/Radio Talking Book.
Most of Radio Talking Book's (RTB) consumers are blind, although people with low vision, muscular disorders, dyslexia, allergies to print ink or any other condition which makes turning pages or reading print impossible are also eligible, according to an informational flier.
Consumers receive the signal through a special receiver that is pre-tuned. Although receivers cost approximately $100, they are provided free of charge to eligible consumers for a refundable deposit of $25.
Jansen said the service has a new automation system that should be fully installed soon which will offer more than 30 hours of programming space in its internal memory.
Currently the station must use cartridges with pre-recorded announcements, station identification and public service announcements, but soon those will all be stored in the automation system's memory, Jansen said.
Jansen said the station also hopes to replace its reel-to-reel tapes with digital audio tape machines soon.
WKAR/Radio Talking Book was not the first station of its kind, but it was one of the first to follow the example set by the Radio Reading Service for the blind and physically handicapped in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
Volunteers read newspapers and other information in two-person teams scheduled in one-hour periods. Programs are broadcast live and also recorded for later broadcasting. Volunteers also record novels for later airing. Some of the novels RTB has recorded include Primary Colors, Bridges of Madison County, Colin Powell's autobiography and several James Michener tales.
The station offers programming 24 hours a day. While the daily schedule focuses primarily on newspapers, such as the Lansing State Journal, Detroit Free Press and News, Jackson-Citizen-Patriot and other local area newspapers, there are also times scheduled daily for magazines, the Bible, children's programming and national newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.
RTB is a member of the National Association of Radio Reading Services, and as such, gets some programming from other member stations.
Some of the programs they get include talk-show formats like Latino USA, Parents' Journal, Disability and Health Today and American Council of the Blind (ACB) Reports.
They also get Barron's, Reader's Digest, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Newsweek, and New York Times Magazine.
One of the problems with RTB, however, is its fixed schedule, said Michael Hudson, Visual Characteristics Specialist with OPHS.
\RTB is an important service. For people who stay at home a lot or who have a more flexible listening schedule, it is a great way to get information," Hudson said. "But, if when you get up 'Armchair Exercises' is on, it's not that useful," Hudson said. "I'd rather get my information through the Internet."
Because RTB is connected with WKAR, a public radio station, its funding is limited. One way the service raises additional monies is by accepting grants from United Way, Lions and Lioness clubs.
Community members can also help RTB by saving receipts from Ponderosa and Meijer and Community Service Points from Bill Knapps. For those who purchase Spartan brand products, each UPC code is worth two cents per code to RTB through the end of 1997. Gifts, including donations of receipts or UPC codes, are tax-deductible.