New JVC radio to let listeners catch fast talk more clearly

TOKYO, Japan - Victor Co. of Japan (JVC) will put on the market in early December a radio (photo) that can slow down parts of broadcast speech so that older listeners and foreign-language students can more clearly catch each sentence. The device has been jointly developed by JVC and NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories, and is expected to sell for around 35,000 yen. The radio will first store a voice, such as that of an announcer, in an integrated circuit, and will then use voice signal processing technology to slow down the speed of pronunciation of the first part of each sentence, gradually returning to normal speed in the latter part.