Click here To browse NPR Labs' Video Presenation: Overview of Captioned Radio; Radio Text Display Final Report: 3 Studies; Best Manufacturing Recommendations For Blind and Low Vision Users; Results from NPR Election Night '08 Captioned Radio Event; and see the NPR Labs' CONSOLIDATED REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
Update regarding the NPR Labs IBOC Power Calculator
Now that the FCC has acted on the NPR/iBiquity IBOC Power Proposal, the NPRLabs IBOC Power Calculator, originally provided as a courtesy to the industry to estimate allowable digital ERP for preliminary planning purposes, has been superseded.
Although the FCC ruling adopts the NPR-recommended power increase formula, the IBOC Power Calculator itself was based on a snapshot of the FCC database from late 2009, and is not to be relied upon for filing purposes.
Licensees may now prepare to file for voluntary digital facility upgrades, which should be based on accurate, current studies prepared by a qualified engineer, to determine their station's permissible digital ERP.
Please feel free to contact NPR Labs for more information on preparing digital ERP studies via
Comments and questions on retiring the power calculator should be directed to
This report adds sections dealing with compatibility (impairment to analog main FM channel reception from same-station IBOC transmissions) and a means for estimating increases in IBOC coverage at elevated digital powers.
NPR Labs Online Viewing Applications for Public Radio and Television
20100301: REVISED NPR Labs PAD Applications for iBiquity v4.x and later Importer software
NPR Labs has learned that the PAD applications provided free-of-charge to NPR Members are incompatible with iBiquity's version 4.x and later Importer Software.
NPR Labs has been working to revise the software, and is developing the replacement using the PADSDK provided through iBiquity Digital Corporation. The alpha version has recreated the software as a Windows service with 'plug-in' components to operate the desired PAD stream, flexible scheduling to allow different services to push PAD to the same network port at different times.
IBOC DAB Interference Maps and Population Reports for 49 Public Radio Stations
Click here to see the maps and learn more about them.
Digital Radio Coverage and Interference Analysis Study Now Available
NPR Labs completed their DRCIA project - an exhaustive 18-month study projecting the consequences of interference between HD Radio and station analog broadcast signals, as well as HD Radios overall success in meeting coverage expectations and needs. Visit http://www.nprlabs.org/research/drcia to download the final report.
The following research papers document our progress on National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)-sponsored grant activities at NPR Labs:
• June 2010: Captioned Braille Initiative Project paper: Towards A Braille Radio Service Captioned Braille is a new initiative funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research to NPR Labs and the Helen Keller National Center with support from the National Federation of the Blind. This paper describes the project origins, objectives, and initial directions as presented to the Braille Research Summit in Denver in June, 2010.
•June 2010: NPR Labs video presentation: Overview of Captioned Radio
• January 2010: The Technical Basis of PAIS Background and Technical Specifications of the Personalized Audio Information Service (PAIS) Project under NIDRR grant CFDA #84.133G‐2. Includes the history, research, program category codes and more.
•Radio Text Display: Results from 3 studies June, 2009. In three studies, consumer preferences and memory performance for radio text displays were
examined. In total over 140 consumers participated in this experimental program, including
hearing, hard-of-hearing and deaf individuals.
Results from NPR Election Night '08 Captioned Radio Event Approximately 150 guests visited 5 locations (Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Phoenix and Washington) on election night 2008. 75 deaf and hard-of-hearing participants responded to questions concerning 3 displays.
CONSOLIDATED REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NPR Labs seeks information from interested manufacturing and sourcing organizations on integration capabilities for bringing purpose-specific sensory radio devices to market.These four RFI are the following
Captioned Radio Manufacturing Integration Readiness
Personalized Audio Information Systems Readiness
Blackboard Radio Integration Expertise
Braille Radio Manufacturing Expertise
