WSBradio.com Launches ''Voice of Reason'' Dupree's Return to Air

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Washington correspondent Jamie Dupree's story of perseverance and triumph is captured in a new documentary, "Voice of Reason" -- now available online at wsbradio.com. His journey has been recognized by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTNDA) and Atlanta Press Club, earning WSB and Cox Media Group an Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation and News Innovation Award.

A radio reporter for more than 30 years with Cox Media Group, Dupree lost his voice in 2016 and was diagnosed with tongue protrusion dystonia, a rare neurological condition with no cure to date.

"During his ordeal, Jamie never took a day off," said News 95.5 and AM750 WSB Director of Branding and Programming Pete Spriggs. "Instead, he found new ways to continue his decades of reporting with his blog and through social media. His spirit and determination inspire us all."

In 2018, Cox Media Group identified a new approach to return Dupree's voice to radio. Working with CereProc, Dupree and WSB Radio sent hours of his archived radio reports to Scotland where engineers and audio specialists digitized and recreated Dupree's voice. Now when Dupree writes a script for a report the text is converted into an audio file that sounds nearly identical to his natuarl voice. WSB Radio and CMG refers to the computer synthesized version as Jamie Dupree 2.0.

"Our support for Jamie is unwavering," said Cox Media Group Executive VP/content, Digital Strategy, Research and Technology Marian Pittman. "As we wait for a cure, CMG was delighted to partner with CereProc to return Jamie to radio with Jamie Dupree 2.0."

"My health is fine, but my voice is not -- and I honestly don't know if I will ever speak normally again," added Dupree. "I'll be forever grateful to my WSB and CMG family for getting me back on the air with Jamie Dupree 2.0."

View Dupree's emotional journey with this new documentary, available at wsbradio.com.