In the autumn of 1975, the City Council advertised for interested people to meet to discuss the possibility of producing an audio news magazine for the blind and partially sighted. Over the next few months, funding was organised through donations from the public, Rotary and the Lions, many of whom also volunteered to read and organise the production and distribution of the publication, and the Council which put up £1000. A charity was set up, the Post Office offered free of charge posting facilities as long as we only used music that had been commissioned for the publication and that any material had to be already in the public domain. In March and April of 1976 two dummy audio cassette tapes were produced. By September, the team were ready, and York Talking News began life in 1976 as York and District News for the Blind. Don Peacock from the Blind and Partially Sighted society, was the first chairman, Harry Holmes was Editor, Peter Jackson, Producer and Technician and the readers on the first edition which went out at the beginning of October 1976 were Joanna Browne, Nigel Emery and Graeme Robertson.
The first recording took place in ‘The Shack’, an out building in the garden of one of the team, it was almost ideal, having tea and coffee making facilities and a WC.
The material was collected from The Press, or Evening Press as it was in those days, the Yorkshire Post and a little later the Dalesman joined the livery. Our jingles, written especially for us, have been in constant use from the first edition and are our audio logo.
Listeners came to us, mostly through The Blind and Partially Sighted Society and word of mouth. By the 12th edition 80 copies were regularly being sent out and by the 375th edition we had a solid circulation of 250 listeners.
Our team of readers are regulars and our listeners get to know their voices. The most well-known voice of all is Graeme’s. He read on our very first edition and on almost all of them since, that’s 50 years of service and perhaps 575 editions – we do let him have a holiday once in a while! He also volunteers as a Minster Guide and is delighted when any of our listeners recognise his dulcet tones and speak to him. After 50 years, of introductions, messages and the last word on each edition, together with reading each month, Graeme has decided that it’s time he stepped back and will retire from the York Talking News on our 600th edition. We shall miss him and our regular listeners will too.
The format of the news magazine was originally 50% news items and 50% magazine articles usually with a local or amusing theme. This format has served very well at keeping our listeners informed of local news. Initially the publication was constrained by the length of the cassette tapes, 45 minutes on either side. Duplication took up to 2 days as each tape had to be magnetically cleaned before re-recording and just 8 could be done at the same time taking 4 ¼ minutes for each group. The move to USB sticks made for faster duplication, 23 sticks at a time and completed in a couple of minutes.
COVID brought about more change and the team were proud to be able to send out each edition on time. It was not possible to meet to record but we managed for quite a few months, by having our readers read their articles over the telephone and our technician record from home. Our editor scanned the articles and emailed them to the readers a day prior to the recording. This proved to be very successful.
We have had a few different recording studios during our 50 years beginning in the Shack, moving to an office in Clifford Street, on to facilities in the original Wilberforce Trust buildings on Tadcaster Road, in Westminster Business Park in Poppleton and in Huntington. Today we are recording in the community room at Tesco, Askham Bar. We have been very grateful for the use of all of these premises and have worked with the various noise distractions, from the neighbours’ lawn mowers in the Shack, the jingle from the sandwich delivery van in Poppleton, to the alarms and tannoy announcements in Tesco.
We shall be moving to a sound studio at York University, where the sound production is unfettered by extraneous noises. The format will continue to include local news and magazine articles but will also include What’s On in and around York. In this digital age, we are now available via our website, hosted by the Talking News Federation, to which we have been affiliated for many years, and via your smart speaker.
York Talking News is an audio news magazine for anyone who is unable to process print unaided, whether by sight loss, the inability to hold a newspaper or book, or for any other reason.
If you would like to find out more about how York Talking News might be suitable for you, please do call Sue, she too is a regular reader, on 01904 652650, or simply try listening via our website: https://yorktalkingnews.mytn.uk or your usual smart speaker.