‘Perfect Paul’ to Be Dumped Next Year
NWS Perfect Paul to be Replaced by Craig and
Donna
by Randy J. Stine
WASHINGTON Even though it used the best technology
of its kind when launched in 1997, Perfect Paul was never quite
good enough.
That’s why many broadcasters and Emergency
Alert System managers say they won’t miss the much-maligned
computer-generated voice used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s weather radio.
National Weather Service officials say two new
voices – a male’s and a female’s – will replace
the old system beginning in early 2002 if testing continues to
go well.
Named Craig and Donna, these voices will help
deliver warnings and forecasts for the 121 weather stations in
the United States.
The decision comes after several months of focus
groups and online surveys to determine a suitable replacement.
Weather service officials said their goal was to find a voice-synthesis
system more easily understood. Broadcasters long complained that
Perfect Paul often was unintelligible. Some refused to air the
robotic warnings.
The technology used for the new voices is different
from the outmoded software of Perfect Paul, said Joanne Swanson,
NWS meteorologist and voice-evaluation leader. The new voice’s
text-to-speech software, called Speechify, combines concatenated
pre-recorded phonetic sounds with the intonation of a human voice.
The new voices are human voices, recorded and
cut at the syllable level with intonation and grammar added, she
said. NOAA meteorologists will be able to tune the system to include
local geographical terms and pronunciations.
The NWS awarded a $633,000 contract to Siemens
Information and Communication Network for the voice synthesizing
software. Siemens will team with SpeechWorks International to
provide the computer program for the voice makeovers.
"It’s a more natural language sounding
system. I think everyone would admit that Perfect Paul had problems.
What is more important is how far the automation has come in the
past five years," Swanson said.
The automated system was implemented as part
of the Console Replacement Program the NWS undertook beginning
in 1997, which allows meteorologists to type in messages and have
them automatically "voiced" by computer.
Swanson said the "timeliness and effectiveness"
of warnings are critical in protecting the public. She said that’s
why the public’s input was important in determining the new
synthesized voice.
More than 19,000 Internet surveys were relayed
to NOAA about Paul’s possible successor between March and
July. A NWS Web site featured five voices, including Paul, for
comparison. Of the samples, the voices called Art and Linda failed
to make the grade while Craig received the highest marks, Swanson
said. Ninety-five percent of respondents rated his voice number
one. Donna got an 80-percent approval ranking, according to the
public surveys.
Swanson said the NWS was asked by its meteorologists
to provide a female voice to give them the option of alternating
male and female voices.
To download and hear the new voices, visit the
NWS Web site at www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/newvoice.htm.
EAS officials differ as to the likely success
of NOAA Weather Radio’s Craig and Donna voices. Swanson said
the NWS wants to make sure EAS officials and broadcasters are
"back on board" and carrying the weather warnings promptly,
she said.
Swanson said some broadcasters have refused
to carry Paul-voiced warnings because they found him hard to understand.
Instead, those broadcasters waited for the information to be read
by an on-air person.
Clay Freinwald, chairman of the SBE/EAS committee
and Washington State EAS committee, said the difference between
the old and the new voice system is dramatic.
"I think they have made a significant improvement.
It’s likely that broadcasters who had concerns previously
about carrying the automated messages won’t be hesitant to
do so now," Freinwald said.
Bill Croghan, chief engineer for KOMP(FM), KXPT(FM)
and KENO(AM) in Las Vegas, said it’s likely more stations
will now carry the verbatim NWS warnings.
"That should help in eliminating the delay
in getting the warnings out. I consider the new voices a great
improvement over Perfect Paul," Croghan said.
Several other radio sources said they had listened
to the voices and believe Craig is the best. "Except for
a few inflection problems, the voice is very natural-sounding,"
one source said.
However, despite advances in text-to-speech
technology, some EAS officials and broadcasters are not yet satisfied
with the timbre of the new voices.
Richard Rudman, chairman of the EAS National
Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles County local emergency
committee, said he wished the voice choice committee would have
waited for something better to come along.
"The new voices chosen are an improvement
but still have major shortcomings," Rudman said. "They
still have quality and inflection issues that bother me."
Rudman commended the Weather Service for listening
to broadcasters’ complaints about quality problems. He said
he hoped the NWS will continue to seek improvement.
"What EAS folks want is the best possible
voice for the purpose of issuing warnings," Rudman said.
"I won’t be inclined to carry them,"
said Chris Boone, chief engineer for KDMX(FM) and KEGL(FM) in
Dallas/Ft. Worth. "They still sound computer-like and too
canned. I can hear the digital artifacts in them. … not as
bad as Paul, but I wouldn’t put them on a broadcast station."
Boone said he would rather have the Dallas LP-1
station, WBAP(AM), air a human read of the warning, even if that
means delaying the information by a minute. "It’s still
better than the robot radio voice," he said.
Michael Barnes, chief engineer at KVMV(FM) in
McAllen, Texas, was disappointed with the results of the search.
"We do not air Perfect Paul and I’m
not sure if we’ll use the new system or not. I have heard
better-sounding computer voices on various IVR (interactive voice
response) systems and other automated systems," Barnes said.
Swanson admits the new voices are not perfect.
"It’s very subjective. However, they
are the best we have right now and the closest technology can
get us to sounding more human. We have signed up for all of the
available upgrades when they become available, so we expect the
system will improve with time."
Each weather service office will receive a new
computer and Speechify software. Swanson estimates all 121 weather
stations should be retrofitted with the new equipment by the end
of 2002.
|
