
Cobalt Digital, an award-winning developer and manufacturer of broadcast television technology, announced today that it collaborated with Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc. to produce an innovative software solution with text-to-speech capabilities to serve the needs of blind and low-vision people in communities throughout the United States. The customized text-to-speech software, TTS, is compatible with many openGear(R) cards and BBG-1000 stand-alone units. Customers may purchase an optional software license for the cards to help ensure compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (21CCVA).
"Nexstar owns, operates, or otherwise serves 107 local TV stations in 58 markets across the country and is well-known for an organization-wide commitment to broadcasting excellence. As an early adopter of checks and balances to ensure 21CCVA compliance, Nexstar has an intimate understanding of what broadcasters need to best serve the blind and low-vision community. Their direction was invaluable in helping us create text-to-speech software with the right functionality for the job, said Bob McAlpine, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Cobalt Digital. "Now our customers will be able to start implementing text-to-speech into their workflows so they can better serve their local audiences and meet the upcoming deadline of the FCC mandate on November 30."
TTS is a complete, 21CVAA-compliant text-to-speech generation/audio insertion solution for embedded or discrete audio systems. The software monitors network and local watch folders for new text files (plain text, xml, ascii, or html), converts the text to realistic human-voice audio, and inserts it into user-configured audio channels (typically an SAP channel pair intended for playout). These text files are generated from existing graphics hardware that provides the visual text crawl on the lower third of a television broadcast. TTS allows the organization to prioritize alerts (for example, severe weather alerts taking precedence over school closings) and is designed to be independent of a station s graphics engine or engines. Alert tones are put in on the main program channel to alert the visually impaired that emergency content is about to occur on the SAP channel. Alerts can be played a configurable number of times, and alerts with higher priority can interrupt current lists for breaking news. After the interrupt message is broadcast, TTS automatically reverts to normal audio programming. Compatible Cobalt cards and modules provide keyed text scrolls for added synergy when used in conjunction with optional KEYER.
TTS comes with a built-in, user-definable dictionary to substitute plain phonetic spelling for hard-to-decipher words and proper noun phonetic emphasis. An English-language speech engine is standard, with advanced engines available as expansion options. Cobalt will use Acapela text-to-speech voice synthesis modules from Acapela Group to provide the highest-quality voices.
The TTS software is available for many Cobalt card models that use the 20-slot openGear frame architecture. Existing openGear users can easily incorporate the software in the field by installing a microSD card. Those without an existing openGear infrastructure can use Cobalt s BBG-1022-FS stand-alone unit with the TTS software solution for compact, straightforward integration into a broadcast facility. Both form factors offer a dedicated, broadcast-quality solution with redundant power and fully hot-swappable components for maximum reliability in 24/7 operations.
"Nexstar is dedicated to providing exceptional programming and service to the local communities where we operate across the United States and is committed to supporting the needs and interests of all our local audiences. The FCC regulations and requirements for implementation of text-to-speech caused us to question every potential scenario and how a text-to-speech engine could integrate into our multiple flavors of infrastructure across the company. We invested significant time and resources into reviewing potential solutions to best serve the local community while also efficiently and effectively implementing the FCC s mandate across our station group. Because of the variety of platforms, we had to work closely with vendors to make sure we have the tools to make it happen, said Blake Russell, senior vice president of station operations for Nexstar. "By working with Cobalt, we re able to proceed with confidence that the engine we use will meet the FCC s requirements and, more importantly, meet the needs of the blind and low-vision community for timely access to life-saving emergency information."
More information about Cobalt Digital and its products is available at www.cobaltdigital.com
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
(L-R) Stephanie Suganami, Tatanka Means, John Malkovich, Ayo Edebiri, and Juliette Lewis attend the premiere of Opus at Eccles Theatre in Park City. (Photo by...
13/03/2025
Spotify took center stage at the London Book Fair this week, reaffirming our commitment to the audiobook market and showcasing our impact on the publishing indu...
13/03/2025
At Spotify, we work every day to lift up new voices, giving creators the opportunity to live off their art. Through Spotify Audiobooks, our in-house publishing ...
13/03/2025
Every time airborne law enforcement (ALE) teams fly, they expect their equipment to perform. Whether airborne units are conducting support for ground teams, bor...
13/03/2025
Sunday February 9 saw the annual return of the US' biggest television event, the Super Bowl LIX. Jamie McCombs, Fox Sports Audio Consultant / Sr. Audio capt...
13/03/2025
On Sunday March 2, stars across the film industry gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards. Production Sound Mixer Paul Sandweis...
13/03/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications will feature its new StageLink family of smart edge devices, Smart Audio and Mixing Engine (SAME) and Virtual Smart Pan...
13/03/2025
TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...
13/03/2025
DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...
13/03/2025
FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...
13/03/2025
CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...
13/03/2025
he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...
13/03/2025
MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...
13/03/2025
Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
13/03/2025
Roku Debuts NWSL Zone' Within Roku Sports to Spotlight Live Games, Content Feature marks Rokus first women's league-branded zone within service By Bra...
13/03/2025
Pixels, Images, Video, AI - and Us: A Perspective on AI from NDI Inventor Andrew...
13/03/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Lighting Design Group's Steve Brill, Dennis Size ...
13/03/2025
IOC, Comcast NBCU Ink $3B Media-Rights Extension for Olympic Games Through 2036;...
13/03/2025
NCAA March Madness Live Returns with Expanded Availability of MultiView Vertical...
13/03/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Cosm's Devin Poolman on What It Takes To Deliver the Immersive...
13/03/2025
Sky Business, Sky's B2B division, providing connectivity and content to busi...
13/03/2025
Rohde & Schwarz launches R&S NRP140TWG(N) thermal power sensor: A new benchmark ...
13/03/2025
We asked the questions, analysed the answers and now we're excited to share the results of the fifth edition of the ICG Marketing Survey.
Our 2025 survey p...
13/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 13, 2025 Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a breakthrough in video streaming innovation with the launch of new origin capabilitie...
13/03/2025
Haivision Showcases Mission-Critical Video Solutions at SOF Week 2025
Haivision's video wall systems, ISR technology, and DoDIN APL-certified video distri...
13/03/2025
Company Leads the Way with New Software-Based Production Platform, 12G Switcher,...
13/03/2025
A new Apple Immersive concert experience, Metallica, is coming to Apple Vision Pro this Friday, March 14. Filmed in Mexico City during the sold-out second-year ...
13/03/2025
Here is your host, Patrick Kielty!
Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...
13/03/2025
This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...
13/03/2025
What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
13/03/2025
Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library.
Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...
13/03/2025
AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...
13/03/2025
PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...