VoicePrint Related News
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission (CRTC) grant VoicePrint "Tier One Status" which
requires the majority of Broadcast Distributors across Canada to
distribute the VoicePrint programming service.
OTTAWA-HULL - Starting March 12th, 2001,
more Canadians who are visually impaired, blind or print restricted
will benefit from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission's (CRTC) decision which requires the majority of distributors
across Canada to distribute the programming service VoicePrint for
a maximum monthly fee of $0.01 per subscriber.
VoicePrint is a national English-language audio
reading service operated by the National Broadcast Reading Service.
This service is currently distributed on a voluntary basis. It provides
newscasts based on full-text reading of stories, information, news
and features published by a variety of newspapers, magazines and
periodicals.
Today's decision recognizes the value of this unique
service. It will ensure that VoicePrint is distributed on an easily
identifiable channel where it can promote the service to Canadians
who require the service as well as other potential listeners.
Who will distribute VoicePrint?
Cable companies with more than 2,000 subscribers,
and multipoint distribution systems (MDS) - such as Look TV, SkyCable
and Image Wireless - operating in English-language markets will
be required to distribute VoicePrint. Direct-to-home (DTH) satellite
providers such as Bell ExpressVu and Star Choice will also be required
to distribute the service to their English-language subscribers.
Where to find VoicePrint
Cable companies distributing on an analog basis
will distribute VoicePrint on CBC Newsworld's secondary audio program
channel; and Cable companies distributing on a digital basis, MDS
licensees and DTH distributors will distribute VoicePrint on an
audio channel, ideally one adjacent to a CBC radio channel.
What is a secondary audio program (SAP) channel?
A secondary audio program channel is carried alongside
a television signal as an alternative to the standard audio that
accompanies the video portion of a television program. Listeners
can choose this secondary audio signal through either a television
equipped to receive SAP or through a special decoder. To
find out more about SAP, visit SAP World.
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