There is another radio broadcaster sharing a home at KU you’ve probably never tuned in to- the Kansas Audio Reader Network.
Hello, Lawrence Kansan! Clearly you have an interest in local radio, what with visiting this blog. All of us here at KJHK applaud your enthusiasm. Can you hear us? We’re clapping SO hard. No doubt you’re familiar with our wave-neighbor 91.5 KPR, based right here on campus.
Audio reader broadcasts readings of printed materials 24/7 on a closed-circuit radio system for the benefit of the visually-impaired. For many of the listeners, audio-reader is their main source of local, small-town news. “Books on tape and CD’s are wonderful, but what to do about newspapers & magazines? Then I heard about Audio-Reader,” says a retired librarian who uses the service. The network covers most of Kansas and is a great asset for those with age-related vision loss who are less likely to take on the endeavor of learning Braille.
“Not only do our listeners gain access to their local news, they get the comfort of having a friendly, human voice reading to them,” says Volunteer-Coordinator Jennifer Nigro. In addition to newspapers, books, and magazines, the program broadcasts spoken descriptions of live theatre and the serene sensory garden in front of the Baehr Audio-Reader Center. You’ve probably passed the sign for the building near JRP and the football stadium. This old former fraternity house is split down the middle with Audio-Reader Network and 91.5 KPR occupying each half. In fact, KJHK’s previous home, “The Shack,” was the small carriage house in front of the Baehr Center before moving to the Student Union in 2010.
Audio-Reader was one of the first programs of its kind- just one thing to love about Lawrence, KS. For more information on the Audio-Reader Network visit http://reader.ku.edu/ or call 785-864-4600.