A new audio insertion manager will be launched at the 2016 NAB Show by ENCO. Prominently designed to deliver clear and concise emergency alert audio to visually impaired audiences, the compact 1RU system also brings lifelike sound to automated audio content on primary TV channels.

The new AIM-100 audio insertion manager addresses 21st CVAA compliance regulations, which require TV stations to provide audio descriptions of emergency information on their Secondary Audio Program (SAP) channels. The AIM-100 monitors incoming XML or TXT files from news tickers and other master control systems, and prioritizes and converts that information to audio. ENCO’s built-in automation intelligence delivers the audio in a natural sounding, non-fragmented human voice. All information is precisely logged and time-stamped to prove compliance.

The AIM-100, now shipping, represents an expansion of ENCO’s compliance product range for TV broadcasters, joining the enCaption automated closed captioning system among other tools. However, the AIM-100’s flexibility as an audio insertion manager extends to other broadcast needs in the automated workflow, enhancing its value for TV stations and networks.

“The availability of the AIM-100 ensures that broadcasters can come direct to ENCO to automate all pertinent text-to-speech and speech-to-text processes required for regulatory compliance today,” said Ken Frommert, General Manager, ENCO. “However, the AIM-100 casts a wider net for the broadcaster, providing a natural sounding, automated voice to the delivery of weather and sports reports, bilingual programming, ticker tape information and other urgent headlines. However applied, its lifelike sound is far easier to comprehend and more pleasant to the ears than traditional, robotic-sounding text-to-speech processors.”

The flexible customization features of the AIM-100 ensures broadcaster can assign specific parameters for prioritization and program interruption. This includes the insertion of audio tones and alert loops as desired to ensure visually impaired audiences are acutely aware of the emergency information being broadcast. Users can also create a custom dictionary of pronunciations to further optimize use, from adding regional dialects to building a comprehensive list of specialized jargon.