AbleTV.net at the DNC . . .

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you all know of our accessible webcast
coverage we will be doing from the DNC.  The coverage starts each day for the
next 4 days at 3:45 PM est and will run non stop for over 8 hours giving the
most complete convention coverage that can be viewed over the web.  We will
also be conducting interviews with members of the delegation at large to
discuss issues concerning people with disabilities.  To participate in the
accessible webcast coverage use the links at ither the dems2000.com home page
under the 'ada info' or from the abletv.net home page under the late braking
news section.  I would appreciate it if this information could be posted on
other lists where it hasn't already appeared.  Thanks and heres hoping that
many of you can join in this event.  


Jeffrey Pledger 
president, AbleTV.net 




Democrats Choose Alderson, AbleTV and TVWorldwide.com Team For Accessible
Convention Web Video Streaming to Benefit Disabled 

  
     New 'Webcapting(TM)' Capability Will Allow Captioned Video Streaming
Of Convention Activities and Interaction with Disabled Participants Worldwide

    CHANTILLY, Va., July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- AbleTV.net, the first web-based
global TV network for the disabled, and a network affiliate of
TVWorldwide.com, Alderson Reporting, Inc., and the Democratic National
Committee announced a strategic alliance that will enable people with
disabilities to participate in the 2000 Democratic Convention through
interactive captioned video streaming.  Developed in a joint venture with
Alderson Reporting by the award-winning AbleTV.net and streaming video
provider TVWorldwide.com, the technique known as "Webcapting," will be
employed to caption a live video streaming signal of convention activities on
both the DNC home page and at AbleTV.net on the TVWorldwide.com network.
During breaks in convention activities, the AbleTV.net and TVWorldwide.com
team will provide coverage and commentary from the perspective of the disabled
community in an interactive format through chat and e-mail.
    Sixteen years after losing his eyesight to illness, AbleTV President Jeff
Pledger said he is proud of the benefits webcapting technology will bring to
over 54 million Americans and 750 million worldwide within the disabled
community.
    "We want to be more than just C-SPAN for the disabled community," stated
Pledger, referring to the popular public affairs station operated by US cable
companies.  "We want to provide disabled Americans with the chance to become
full participants in the proceedings."
    Joe Andrew, National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
remarked, "We are proud that the 2000 Democratic National Convention will be
the most technologically advanced convention.  The captioned video streaming
will mean that for the first time ever, those with disabilities will be able
to participate interactively during the entire convention."
    To insure quality and accuracy, captions used during the broadcast will
come directly from the real-time transcript of the proceedings prepared by
Alderson Reporting Company.  Both Democrats and Republicans have chosen
Alderson to provide the official transcripts of their conventions for more
than 50 years, and the company now plays an important role in providing
Internet content and access.
    Alderson Reporting Company President Rose Ann Sharp said, "In the same way
that the Americans with Disabilities Act opened the doors of many offices to
the disabled and allowed them to join the workforce, webcapting will help open
doors for the disabled to the office of the future.  That is because the
office of the future will be on the Internet -- not in a building made of
bricks and mortar."
    As Alderson Reporting transcribes the Democratic Convention proceedings,
engineers from TVWorldwide.com will "webcapt" the broadcast for disabled
participants.  The webcapting process was recently tested for the first time
ever during a live fundraising event featuring Virginia democratic
gubernatorial candidate Mark Warner.
    "This is truly a milestone in video streaming on the Internet and we are
preparing technically to support huge participation from the disabled
community," commented Dave Gardy, Chairman and CEO of TVWorldwide.com.  "It's
events like this that make AbleTV.net one of our most popular Internet TV
channels."

    About TVWorldwide.com and AbleTV.net
    A full-service video streaming application service provider,
TVWorldwide.com is currently working with a variety of clients and strategic
partners on the latest in live and archived state-of-the-art video streaming
content applications.
    The TVWorldwide.com network is an affiliation of community-based Internet
TV channels, each underwritten by a strategic partner, "aimcasting" to
targeted b2b and professional special interest audiences worldwide.
TVWorldwide.com has worked with one of its first aimcast channels, AbleTV.net,
to pioneer live and archived video streaming with closed captioning and audio
description to aid in web site accessibility for the disabled.  With this
advance, AbleTV.net received its charter sponsorship from Microsoft
Corporation.  TVWorldwide.com recently received first round financing from
PSINet Ventures, Ltd., the wholly-owned corporate unit of PSINet, Inc.

    Contacts:

    Public Relations Division
    TVWorldwide.com
    703-961-9250
    http://www.tvworldwide.com

    Rose Ann Sharp
    Alderson Reporting
    800-367-3376
    http://www.aldersonreporting.com

    Jeff Pledger
    AbleTV.net
    301-890-5944
    http://www.abletv.net

Received on Monday, 14 August 2000 09:12:40 UTC