TORONTO – CBC has unveiled a pilot project designed to make Canadian public radio available to the estimated 1-3 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Canadians.
With the help of a grant from the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund, CBC will make text transcripts of CBC Radio One’s The Current available to the public on CBC.ca on a daily basis, and will film, edit and post one American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted radio documentary from the program on CBC.ca each month, starting this week.
Hosted by veteran journalist Anna Maria Tremonti, CBC’s award-winning radio program The Current reaches nearly 2.3 million Canadians each week. Programming includes a fresh take on current issues that affect Canadians, plus a number of CBC’s internationally renowned, award-winning documentaries.
“This is a first for CBC Radio and unique in Canadian media," said CBC’s EVP English Services Heather Conway, in the news release. "By forging a deeper connection between traditional radio and the digital sphere, CBC is leading the way in providing all Canadians with unprecedented ways to access vital, distinctly Canadian radio conversations.”
