[Journalists] radio questions

Tue Aug 18 01:57:39 UTC 2009

Hi Kerrie,

I think you are doing a great job in pursuing this excellent opportunity.

I don't see a reason to get rehab involved, unless you have a need for 
equipment in order to do your job.

Best of luck to you and keep us posted on how things are going.

Liz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kerri Kosten" <kerrik2006 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Professional Journalists List" <journalists at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 6:02 PM
Subject: Re: [Journalists] radio questions

> Hi All!
>
> I'll try to answer all your emails and questions in one email to make 
> things
> easier.
>
> First, thanks so much for all your ideas and help!
>
> I will look into the AFB Tech, and NFB Tech. I don't think he's a NFB
> member, but someone suggested to me to try Jim Allen from Texas.
>
> And, do any of you know if Arthur A. Schreiber would be able to help?
> Doesn't he have his own talk show?
>
> Also,  I called Job Accomodations Network and they are also working on 
> this.
>
> E, I don't have a reader. But, I have been looking into hiring a personal
> assistant that could be my eyes for this just in case technology doesnt 
> work
> out. Would I have to pay the person out of my pocket? I know the station
> won't hire two peple to do one job.
>
> It's ironic you guys mentioned Ed McDonald. He actually used to work at 
> this
> company for one of the stations about 20 years ago and is good friends 
> with
> my boss Jim Stallings. I asked Jim about him, but Jim said he had a
> completely different situation in that all his shows are recorded. If he
> makes a mistake, he can go back and edit. It's not operating 3 live radio
> stations. I can certainly call Ed, but I'm afraid he may not be much help 
> to
> this situation.
>
> David, and Brian, you guys present a good idea in accessing the system
> remotely the way Jim does but there may be a problem with this. The way I
> have had this explained to me is hat when Jim logs in he gets an exact 
> view
> of what is on the screen. It's like his computer turns into a
> touchscreen.So, basically he uses the mouse to access everything...and 
> since
> it looks exactly like it does on te touchscreen, I'm afraid it may be too
> graphical. David, is that what the guy in Minnesota did to accss this? Or,
> did he have actual scripts that enabled him to use the touchscreen? 
> Because,
> accessing it remotly is a great idea, but from what I've been told it's
> pretty graphical and you have to use the mouse.
>
> Thanks so much for all your help and I look forward to haring your
> responses. David, I'll email that guy...but I'm really interested to
> hear...did the scriptor make it so he could access the system remotely or
> did he actually enable him to use the touchscreen?
>
> And, as for rehab I don't honestly want them involved because I do still
> have a very good internship whether I get this job or not. I don't mind if
> they help me but I don't want them taking control of things...taking 
> control
> of this job if I would somehow make it work, or taking control of my
> internship. Does that make sense?
>
> Again, Thanks!
>
> Kerri
>
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Brian Buhrow
> <buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org>wrote:
>
>>        Hello.  I'm not sure how to address all your questions, but I 
>> think
>> the way to go about solving these issues is to try and solve them one at 
>> a
>> time.
>>        The first clue I think about  when thinking about solving your
>> problem
>> is in your message.  You say that your boss thinks you could do the job 
>> and
>> if things are going weird, you could call him up and he could fix it
>> remotely.  If he can fix it remotely, why can't you?  What I mean is , if
>> it's accessible via a modem or over the Internet, you could use an
>> accessible laptop to access the computer system via  a modem or over the
>> radio station's network to get at the data you  need.  In other words,
>> forget the touch screen, use the same technique he would use to help you
>> out to fix the problem yourself.
>>        If there is no way to get the transmitter readings other than via 
>> a
>> visual screen, then you may need a reader for that.  But, they sound like 
>> a
>> fairly modern radio station setup and it may just be that no one has
>> learned another way to get the readings because they didn't have to. 
>> Some
>> research on the equipment they're using may reveal an answer which isn't
>> known by the current staff.
>>        I'm sure there are others who know more about radio station setups
>> than
>> I do on this list, but this is a start of some ideas.
>>        The most important thing, of course, is for you to remain excited
>> about wanting to do the work, and continuing to search for creative
>> solutions for problems like this.  If you talk to enough people and think
>> outside the box, you'll be able to get most of the solutions you need.
>> And, it might be that another opening will come along with this company
>> which you'll be able to move into soon, meaning that even if a solution 
>> you
>> come up with today is not good for the long term, it will be good enough
>> for
>> your needs.
>> Good luck, and keep searching.  I'm confident you'll get useful answers 
>> and
>> be able to further your career.
>> -Brian
>> On Aug 17,  1:36pm, Kerri Kosten wrote:
>> } Subject: [Journalists] radio questions
>>  } Hi:
>> }
>> } My name is Kerri Kosten. I am a sophomore Journalism major at West
>> } Virginia University in Morgantown, W.VA <http://w.va/> in the United
>> States. I want
>> } to do sports reporting as a career...not sure whether broadcast or
>> } writing yet...'m trying to learn both and not limit myself since they
>> } are both important. I definitely want to focus on online though.
>> }
>> } Anyway, last year I began an internship at a local radio station here
>> } in Morgantown. I write the sports page for one of the stations
>> } websites...it's a pretty big job for an intern.
>> }
>> } Well, now they want to actually pay me to run the rradio stations
>> } overnights on Saturdays. No, I would not be paid for doing writing the
>> } sports page, which is my internship job, but this is how you start
>> } out...baby steps.
>> }
>> } Here are the issues though. This shift has two requirements...one is
>> } that you take transmitter readings every hour. The other is that you
>> } make sure the programming works correctly, and fixing it if there are
>> } any problems. There are four radio stations...so I would be
>> } responsible for operating four radio staions
>> }
>> } Well, first, a couple of the transmitter readings have to be taken
>> } manually, not over the phone. In the WAJR studio, there is this
>> } machine. On the bottom, there are tons of buttons...just buttons not a
>> } keypad. Then, above that, there are two little slivers of screen. One
>> } is for one station, and then a little above it is the second sliver
>> } for the other station. You actually have to read physically with your
>> } eyes the numbers off the slivers of screen and then manually enter it
>> } in. Why you can't just do these readings over the phone like the
>> } others...I have no idea. So, that is one problem.
>> }
>> } The second is that again if something goes wrong with any of the
>> } stations it would be my responsibility to fix, or at least try to the
>> } best of my abilities, to fix the stations. Well, they are touchscreen.
>> }
>> } In each studio, there is a computer. The actual screen of the computer
>> } is a touchscreen...like the ones at Sheets...you touch it, the screen
>> } changes. There is a keyboard, but from what I have been told all it is
>> } used for is to search for liners and songs.
>> }
>> } The station just put in this new system called Google Radio
>> } Automation. When, I would start, everything would be in
>> } automation...so it's supposed to run by itself. On a regular good
>> } night with no problems all I wold have to worry about is getting the
>> } transmitter readings. The concern though is if something goes
>> } wrong...then I'd have four stations or at least one or maybe two I
>> } could not fix.
>> }
>> } The guy I work for, Jim, thinks that if I heard a problem, I could
>> } call him immediately and he could log in remotely from home and try to
>> } fix the problem. The concern though of course, is if the problem is
>> } too complex it may not be able to just be simply fixed from home.
>> } Plus, as you know, in radio it's important to fix any problems ASAP
>> } and just leisurely calling him maytake too much time. If I could not
>> } get a hold of him, or anybody, I'd be in trouble.
>> }
>> } So, do you have any ideas?
>> } I really want to do this, and don't want to just give up.
>> }
>> } Is my most likely option just going to be to maybe hire an assistant
>> } or a person who would be my eyes? If so, what are my options...do I
>> } have to pay them out of my pocket, or are there sources of funding
>> } that would give me the money, and I hire my own person?
>> }
>> } People keep telling me that there may be some sort of technology to
>> } make this work, but I don't think so. People keep telling me that I
>> } may be able to put some kind of braille overlap over the touchscreen
>> } but again, the screen changes...so this wouldn't work right? I'd
>> } almost need something like the Iphone3gs...like some sort of
>> } screenreader to read the touchscreen right? Which, is not practical in
>> } this case.
>> } Then, there is the issue of the transmitter readings. Someone told me
>> } they make these pen like things for dyslexics where you run the pen
>> } across the screen, and it reads it out loud. Have you heard of these?
>> } I'm worried though that it may not be accurate enough.
>> } So, would my best bet probably be assistance?
>> }
>> } Again, I know this job sounds almost impossible, but I really want to
>> } make it work. The way this company works is that you start out as an
>> } intern, then they fit you into one of theseshifts...then you work your
>> } way up from there until you get a full-time job there. I really like
>> } the company, and the work environment so would rlly hope to work
>> } there. I have been told I am one of the top 3 interns...the rest of
>> } them don't do anything. And, they don't just ask anyone to do
>> } something like this. And, I work a lot there...so to get paid would be
>> } sort of like a kind of reward. My bossJim refuses to give up...he
>> } thinks there is a way, he just is sighted so doesn't know exactly how.
>> } He really believes in me, and said the first day that his hope is that
>> } I start out as an intern, then could get a job there someday. This
>> } would be my chance at a start.
>> }
>> } I personally wish they could pay me for something else I could do
>> } better, like maybe computer stuff, or WAJR sports, but they can't. I
>> } guess with the economy they can only hire for existing radio
>> } positions...not new ones. So, from my unerstanding, this for now is my
>> } only option. And, as an intern, I don't feel I have the place to ask
>> } for something else, or challenge that in any way.
>> }
>> } So, I want to do anything I need to in order to potentially do this.
>> }
>> } Thanks so much for any info anyone can give!
>> }
>> } Kerri
>> }
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>> >-- End of excerpt from Kerri Kosten
>>
>>
>>
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