An Interview with Radio Talking Book Services in Nebraska

An interview with Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings, the Communications Director of Radio Talking Book Services in Nebraska.  Radio Talking Book Services connects eligible individuals who are blind, have low vision or are print impaired with news, information, arts, and culture through the human voice and technology through three programs:
 - Radio Talking Book Network
 - Audio Description and 
 - Listening Link
 
 Join us to learn about these services and how to access them.

Transcript

An Interview with Radio Talking Book Services in Nebraska

Connie Shockley: Hello! This is Connie Shockley with PTI Nebraska. Today we have a guest speaker with us, Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings with Radio Talking Book Service. Cami. Thank you so much for being here today.

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, thanks for having me delighted to be here, Connie.

 Connie Shockley: So, you're with Radio Talking Book Service. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, and then a little bit about your program?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Sure. Well, I'm the Communications Director over at Radio Talking Book Service. I have spent decades in commercial radio.  Before I came to nonprofit I was known as Cami Carlisle, the Traffic Reporter here in town, and I spent decades talking about crashes and construction, and I loved it, but it kind of ran its course. So, I thought I'd try something new and came over to the nonprofit world and bounced around until I came back to what feels like home, radio.  So, I've been there about 3 years now, and I absolutely love it.

 Connie Shockley: Great,great.  So, tell me a little bit about the Radio Talking Book Service. What is that?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, Radio Talking Book Service is a statewide nonprofit radio station, and we read for the visually impaired and print impaired. And we just happen to be celebrating 50 years of service this year.

 Connie Shockley: Well, congratulations!

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Thank you. Pretty excited. Got started back in 1974, and we're still going strong.

 Connie Shockley: So, what exactly is your mission?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, our mission is pretty simple. Radio Talking Book Service, sometimes we refer to it as RTBS. RTBS connects individuals who are blind, low vision or print impaired to news, information, arts, and culture through the human voice and technology.

 Connie Shockley: Is there an age group that you serve?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, I think the majority of our listeners tend to skew on the elderly side. But you know, a lot of people think that you have to be blind, or maybe old, to get our service, and that's not the case at all. If anything prevents you from enjoying print, it could be a stroke, it could be Parkinson's, it could be aging anything. We are there for that listener.

 Connie Shockley: And how many people do you serve?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well right now, at last check, we were up to 12,197.  But that was at the beginning of the year, and we've been shipping out a lot of radios. So, it's time for us to count more. And I know that number is growing a lot. We've been getting a lot of press for our 50th (anniversary). So, we've been sending out lots of radios. So, I'm gonna say, 12,197 for now. But I have a feeling we got a couple more hundred.

 Connie Shockley: And this is just within the State of Nebraska. Correct.

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Yeah, we're statewide across Nebraska, but we also serve Southwest Iowa. And then we do read the Sioux City Journal. Now Iowa does have its own reading service, but because we're so close to the border, we just overlap just a smidge, but mostly the State of Nebraska.

 Connie Shockley: And what services do you provide?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, our main bread and butter, as you know, is the radio station. And like I said, that is statewide. I've been around for 50 years. So that is our big, big thing. But we have added a couple of other services over the years. I believe it was in the early nineties, we added Listening Link. And that is where we work with area schools, mostly colleges. And we provide human recordings of their textbooks. So, if somebody is visually impaired or learning impaired. We are there to help that started back in the nineties. We are still reading for a UNO student right now.

And then, just about 2 years ago we started up a program called Audio Description, and it's pretty much what you think it would be. But specifically, we are at theaters around the Omaha Metro, and we provide audio descriptions of the performances. So, we are up in the crowd with a mask, so nobody can hear us talking, and our patrons are listening on a 1-eared receiver, and we are transmitting to them everything they cannot see at the theater, so they get a bigger picture.  And this is taken off like, I don't think we quite knew how well this would take off. But it's important to stress that audio descriptions is not just for the theater. Anything that you can think of being described parades, fireworks, any kind of event.  Heck, if you need us at a wedding, we will come describe the wedding.  So, anything that can be audio described, we are there to help.

Connie Shockley: That's fantastic. I did want to go back to your Radio Talking Book news station. So, in that program you're reading newspapers. Is that correct?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: We read a lot of papers, especially one of our most favorite shows is the live read of the Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star. We do that every day at 10 o'clock, and I gotta tell you, at 11 o'clock we read the obits.  And, boy, howdy do people listen to that. And that makes a lot of sense, especially since our listeners tend to skew a little bit older. It makes sense. That's how they keep track of one another.

But we do also read, besides newspapers, we read a lot of different magazines.  And they range from things like, oh, you name it. Time magazine to Readers, Digest you, name it. We are there to educate and inform, and also entertain.

Connie Shockley: So if someone had, you know, a newspaper or magazine that they wanted you to read that maybe you're not reading right now, is that something that they could request from you.

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Absolutely, they can simply, seriously just call us, reach out on the website and if we're not reading your small town newspaper, we would love to do so. I think we're reading over 21 newspapers right now.  But you know there's little cities that we haven't touched yet. So, if, if you're listening, and you want us to read your paper. We will do it for you.

Connie Shockley: So, for the audio description service that you provide, is that just in the Omaha area? Or are you able to expand that out to other places.

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: We can expand out. I will tell you, last summer we did audio description for 15 folks that attended Hamilton in Lincoln, and that went really well. And again, it's just one of those things, you know. If you need our service, call and request it, and if we can get to you, we will happily do so. We haven't ventured much past Lincoln, but again, if the need is there, we'll do it.

Connie Shockley: And for your Listening Link where you're reading books for college students. Is that also across the State? Or is that also just in Omaha?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Right now, it's just in Omaha. When this first started back in the early nineties, we were reading a lot for Wayne college kids. I'm not sure what happened there. But right now, we're working with the Uno student. But again, you know, students and educational institutions, they can give us a ring anytime, and if we can accommodate them, we absolutely will.

 Connie Shockley: So, it sounds like you have a lot of reading that you're going through. Are you doing this with volunteers?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Oh, yes, we are a three-person staff. And with our program just for the radio, we're 365(days), 24 (hours), 7 (days), and everything is fresh pretty much every day. We have a team of over 80 volunteers, and they are all so wonderful. There is no way, there is no way we could do any of this without them. Some of them have been there for 30 years or more, so obviously, they really like it. And we really like them. I mean, seriously, we have a great group of folks that we can count on. They show up and they do it, and they love being there, and that's more than we could have ever asked for.

 Connie Shockley: If someone wants to access your services either to access the service or maybe provide volunteer time, how would they contact you? Is there like requirements or a form they have to fill out if they want to access the service?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, if they want to volunteer, we'll start there. If you want to volunteer, you would just simply go to our website, http://rtbs.org and there is a application you can fill out. Once you fill out that application, I get it, and then I invite you in for an audition.  And so we'll give you a tour. And I gotta tell you not everybody passes that audition. You know, we're just looking for people that really want to read and really like to read. But even if that's not your bag, we can always use help. We have so many moving things. We need to make calls to listeners. There's all kinds of stuff we can use help (with). So, if you're not a reader, but you still want to help same thing. http://rtbs.org.

Connie Shockley: Do you provide readings in other languages?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, I'm glad you asked. Last year we just started our very first Spanish newscast, Mundo Latino, and it's wonderful. I'm so glad that we finally did that. It was a long time coming. And we do work with the gals from Mundo Latino. It's the newspaper that circulates. And yeah, we just started, and it's going great.

Connie Shockley: How can people listen to your radio services?

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, you can't go out to your car to turn us on. You can't come home and use your eighties technique stereo to turn us on. You gotta have a special radio.  To get a radio, same thing, you can call us. Let's see our number is (402) 572-3003, or just go to the website. rtbs.org, there's a form where you can fill out for a radio. You have to have a special radio to listen to us.

The reason being is that we're a sub-carrier of KIOS.  So, to get our radios, they are free, and if you don't have Internet, we'll send you an AM/FM (radio). If you do have Internet, we're going to send you out an Echo Dot which uses an Alexa Skill which we love because you don't have to touch anything. You can just say, Alexa, play Radio Talking Book Nebraska and bam, we are there, and that skill that we created.  So when you turn on the AM/FM radio, you're going to hear whatever we're playing. 

If you turn on the Alexa, you can totally cut the chase if you want to hear sports veterans hour, maybe you want to go right to whatever paper you can do so with the Alexa.  It's more -  you can adapt it to your needs. But again, they're free.

If you don't want a radio, there's also a couple of apps. There's Tune In app that you can use on your phone.  There's also one called the Sero app, S-E-R-O. And those both can be downloaded onto phones, and you can listen that way. And then, last, but not least, we also have a number you can call-in.  Now, standard rates could apply but that phone number to listen is 641-793-6414.

So, there's several options to listen to us. And of course you can go on your computer to listen. But for our friends that are visually impaired, it's so much easier if they just say, ‘Alexa, play me something I want to hear.’ So, lots of options.

Connie Shockley: If they already have access to an Alexa Dot, or something like that. Can they just access it through their current device, or do they still need to contact you for your device?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Nope, if they already have an Alexa, they are golden.  They probably just need to call us so they know how to access that skill, and what I usually do is talk to them over the phone and get them signed up, or I can also send out large print instructions so that way if they want to have that in case they forget. But yeah, if you have an Alexa, all you gotta do is get that skill and you're golden.

Connie Shockley: So, you've been at this, well, maybe not you, but the service has been around for 50 years. So, has the service changed over time?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, it has, you know. I don't believe at first we were 24/7. I'm not sure when that started, but now that we're 24/7, there's a lot of moving pieces. There's just that many more hours that we have to feel with programming. But I love that because a lot of times our listeners that are elderly might wake up in the middle of the night and we're their companion.  And that, that really means a lot to me, and it means a lot to the listeners. 

But you know, with technology, I mean, jeez, yeah, things have changed a lot. One thing that's noticeable in my time there is that we have our offices, because at one time back in the day we had a lot more people on the staff.  And now there's just 3 of us, and we get by just fine because of technology with all the computers.

Because before folks were recording onto a cassette tape, and then the cassette tape had to be brought back right? So, there was a lot more. And now we just simply go in, load our file, record, send it to Ryan and we're good to go. So, things have gotten a lot easier with technology for sure.

Connie Shockley: Have the needs of the people you're serving changed over time?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: That's a good question. I think the biggest concern for us is to make sure that our listeners stay in community. That is our biggest concern. We want them to stay aware of everything that's happening in their local towns, in their state, in their country and around the world.

I think the same thing has always existed for Radio Talking Book listeners is that need for information that they can no longer access. So, I don't think that's changed. I do think what's changed, though, is the way that we get the information to them.  And that, you know I will tell you that sometimes the elders are a little bit shy about some of this new technology, but if we can get there and show them how easy it is to use and that makes all the difference in the world.

Connie Shockley: Now, you did say it was the Radio Talking Book’s, 50th anniversary. Do you have events going on? Special things planned?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Oh, yes, absolutely!  Well, our big party’s coming up September 18th. Everybody's invited. We'll be at the Benson Theater up in Benson on Maple Street, and it's going to be from 6(pm) to 830(pm). There'll be some appetizers, heavy appetizers, some drinks, and at about 7 o'clock that night we'll start sharing our history. And I think it's going to be a lot of fun. There's going to be a lot of familiar faces and voices, of course, and we're going to talk about our history and our plans for the future.

Connie Shockley: As we're winding this all up, is there anything else you'd like to mention?

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Well, I do really want to encourage everybody that may be listening, that if you or somebody in your family needs a radio, don't hesitate to reach out. And again, a lot of people, I think, think that you have to be blind to access our services, and that's not the case at all. Again, if you have suffered a stroke, maybe a brain injury, maybe just even aging and macular degeneration, anything that prevents you from holding that newspaper and reading it, or a book or a magazine, anyone can use our services.

And so that's really important, because more often than not like I said, I think people think you have to be visually impaired, but print impaired also can get you a radio. So again, don't be shy. We've got lots and lots of radios to share.

 Connie Shockley: And if you could share again your name, your contact your website again for our audience.

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Sure, our website Radio Talking Book Service is http://rtbs.org.  And also you can call us at the office if that's easier for you, we're always there at (402) 572-3003. And you can also find us on Facebook Radio Talking Book Service. We're there as well.

Connie Shockley: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I really like the information, especially about the college students and having books read to them. I know sometimes those resources can be difficult to find.  And I think that will be a real benefit for at least some of our audience as well.

 Thank you so much for coming today. I really appreciate it. And if anyone has any questions, please give Cami a call or an email.  And you can also contact PTI, I'm Connie Shockley. Our office phone number is (402) 346-0525. Our website is www.pti-nebraska.org.  And you can reach out to us there as well.

 And Cami, thank you so much for coming today.

 Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings: Absolutely, Connie, thank you so much for having me.