Teams

Copying and Despatch

The Copying and Despatch Team usually consists of three people. Their job is to produce the required number of memory sticks for each edition.

This is done on special copying machines by using the previously prepared digital master. The memory sticks are subjected to quality control.

They are then put into the special re-usable yellow postal wallets for despatch to our customers and taken to the Royal Mail sorting office.

We are grateful for the "Articles for the Blind" freepost facility.

This job is done on a Friday morning.

Readers

There are usually four readers for each edition. The readers' job is to read the news items and feature articles, previously selected by the editors. We have about 20 readers which means that there is a variety of voices on the recording, not just the same few.

Each reader has their own style of reading. So as you can see there is quite a difference in both sound and content each week.

We like to have a variety of voices each week, from those softly spoken through to gruff or jubilant or chirpy, to give a contrast for the listener.

The readers sit round a specially made table in our studio, each with their own microphones.

This job is done on a Thursday evening.

Recorders

The Recording engineer's job is to make a digital master recording of feature articles and news items. They monitor the sound levels during recording and also put a short piece of music onto each end of the recording.

The Recording engineer will then transfer the recording to a master USB memory stick in readiness for the copying and despatch team.

This job is done on a Thursday evening.

Editors

The editor's job is to select the items of news from the local newspapers. They then sort them out for the readers to read out loud.

Each editor has their own style, which means the content is never quite the same from week to week.

Editing is done on the Tuesday preceding the recording which is made on the Thursday evening.

Preparation

The Preparation Teams usually consist of 2 or 3 volunteers. Their job is to: -

1. Empty the mail bags containing the returned postal wallets;

2. Take the memory sticks out of the postal wallets;

3. Erase all the sound from the previous edition. This is done on a special machine;

4. Turn over the address labels on the front of the postal wallets and book them in using a computerised bar-coding system;

5. The memory sticks are then placed ready for the copying teams.

This job is done on either a Wednesday or a Thursday.