There’s a lot on the horizon for followers of ACB Radio. On July 1st, we are excited to announce the launch of the ACB Media Network, which will be the go to place for all of ACB’s digital media video and audio channels. More to come on that announcement, but for now we also wanted to share a very important update launching on June 27th for those who listen to ACB Radio using an Alexa-enabled device.
In an effort to modernize ACB radio’s live streams, The American Council of the Blind will be updating its popular Alexa skills. This new skill will provide greater ease of access with minimal technical hiccups.
What does this mean for listeners?
Effective June 27th, the current skills used to access ACB Radio over Alexa-enabled devices will no longer work. To listen to ACB Radio streams, please follow the below simple steps to access the newly created skill:
- From your Alexa-enabled device first Enable the skill by saying: “Alexa, Enable ACB Media.”
- Launch the skill by saying: “Alexa, Open ACB Media.”
You’ll then be asked what stream you would like to access. As convention season ramps up, listeners will have ten streams to choose from. With so many choices, we are moving to a numbered order for the streams (Think BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, etc, but in this case use ACB).
- Ask for the name of the stream that you would like to hear. For example, to hear the General Sessions at the convention that had previously been on ACB Mainstream, then tune in to open ACB Media 1 by saying: “ACB Media 1” Or simply “ACB 1”
Stream Designations
Below provides names for each of the stream designations:
- ACB Mainstream is now ACB 1
- ACB Mainstream 2 is now ACB 2
- ACB Treasure Trove is now ACB 3
- ACB Café is now ACB 4
- ACB Community is now ACB 5
- ACB Live Event is now ACB 6
- ACB Special Event is now ACB 7
- (new) ACB Convention is now ACB 8
- (new) ACB Convention is now ACB 9
- (new) ACB Convention Information is now ACB 10
To follow along during our upcoming 60th annual ACB Conference & Convention, please refer to the convention daily announcements or the ACB Convention web site to determine the stream you should use for the event you are interested in hearing.
Accessing the New Convention Information Channel at the Annual Convention
The new ACB Media Alexa skill adds a special channel for information about this year’s ACB convention. This includes things like the convention daily schedule, the convention newspaper and other important convention details. . After launching the ACB Media skill ask for the Convention Information stream by simply saying: “Convention Information” or “ACB 10”
Additional Resources
Stay tuned as we continue to prepare for the launch of this year’s annual convention. Additional information about the ACB Media Network along with audio-based tutorials will be launching soon. We will distribute this information once it becomes available.
ACB is excited to provide you with these important technology advances to help keep you up to date on how to access the ACB Media content that you need and enjoy.
For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].