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Our weekly
recordings of “NEWSWEEK” take place on Wednesday evening in our studio in Wheelock. The memory sticks are
then copied and sent by post to our listeners each Thursday. Any “special” recordings are also sent in the
same package. Our listeners then return the memory sticks in the pre-paid packages before the following Wednesday,
so that they may receive the following week’s recording.
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The Charity can advise anyone
who does not already have their own MP3 player and can also give technical advice on using the player.
If you would like to hear a few
extracts from recent recordings, please click on the links below (please be patient as the files are quite large!):
Newsweek intro
Newsweek 1000th edition
Message from Lady Winterton MP
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| The Technician's mixing desk |
A typical weekly recording of
“NEWSWEEK” will involve many people and starts well in advance of the actual recording. Each week a different
“team” is responsible for the recording. There are 5 such teams (as well as other teams for the “special”
recordings) and each comprises an Editor, four Readers and a Technician.
It is the editor’s responsibility
to confirm availability of the readers and technician, and to arrange for relief staff if necessary. The editor must then
scan the local newspapers for interesting articles, which are then cut out and pasted onto separate sheets of paper, in a
form convenient for the readers.
At the moment we select articles from 4 local newspapers
- The Sandbach Chronicle, Crewe Chronicle (Sandbach edition), Middlewich Chronicle and the Winsford & Middlewich Guardian.
We are always looking for new publications that will allow us to record some of their material. We would especially like to
find something covering Alsager.
On the evening of the recording,
the team assembles at the studio. This is a specially designed room with modern recording equipment. The team sits round a
table with the recording equipment and technician at one end. The technician sets up the equipment and does sound checks to
adjust the recording level for the loudness of each reader’s voice. This can vary a lot!
When all is ready, the technician
records some introductory music using the special software on our PC. This music is always the same every week so that
listeners can become familiar with it and know that they are at the start of the recording. The technician then nods to the
editor who introduces the week’s recoding and the readers. Each reader then takes it in turn to read the articles
he or she has been given. This continues until about half the articles have been read, at which point the recording is paused
and everyone takes a short break.
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| Our recording studio |
After the short break, the
recording continues. Often the editor will also give local information at this point, such as chemists’ rotas, as well
as any birthdays, anniversaries, weddings or bereavement notices that listeners have sent in. The recording then continues
with more local stories until the all the articles have been read. Everyone says goodbye and some more music ends the recording.
After the editor and readers
have left, it is the responsibility of the technician and assistants to convert the recording into mp3 files and copy them
to the memory sticks. Luckily this does not have to be done one at a time! Multiple recording equipment allows the job
to be completed fairly quickly. The memory sticks are then put into their envelopes
and taken for posting.
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| We send out over 100 recordings each week |
This process continues week in,
week out throughout the year. Sometimes, such as at Christmas, a festive flavour may be introduced into the recording
giving the team a chance to let their hair down a bit. But despite being volunteers, all the team members work very professionally
and to high standards. Our listeners are quick to tell us if anything is not up to scratch!
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Copyright 2006, Sandbach & District Talking Newspaper Association
Registered Charity No. 1049796
Sandbach & District Talking Newspaper has tried to ensure that
the information on this website is accurate at the time of its inclusion. However, it cannot accept responsibility for any
loss or damage resulting from errors or omissions appearing on this website and any user who relies on such information does
so entirely at their own risk.Links from this site to other sites do
not imply any endorsement either of the website supplier or its content. Sandbach & District Talking Newspaper carries
no responsibility for the accuracy of any information on the site concerned.
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