Listeners of the Radio Reading Service of Eastern North Carolina have been adjusting to a new voice in the booth during some of the readings lately.

Robert Lancet decided to step down as executive director of the service on June 30 after nearly 14 years on the job. He was replaced by Jake Postma, who also has assumed Lancet's duties as reader a couple days a week.

Greg Eans/The Daily Reflector (ENLARGE)

Jake Postma, the new director of the Radio Reading Service, wants to recruit more volunteers and improve technology to reach more listeners with the service, which provides daily newspaper readings for the visually impaired.

Jason A. Frizzelle/The Daily Reflector (ENLARGE)

Bob Lancet, at his home in Greenville, stepped down after nearly 14 years as volunteer executive director at the service to write and pursue other goals.

Lancet, 81, relinquished his volunteer position to pursue other goals, including the completion of a novel. He also is hoping to have a pair of children's books published.

"At this point, I don't want to feel like I'm working full time," said Lancet. "I've got some other things I've been working on for some time, and I want to finish."

Based out of East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine, the Radio Reading Service of Eastern North Carolina began in 1992 to read daily newspapers over the air to the visually impared.

The service reaches an estimated audience of 2,200 registered blind citizens living in Pitt, Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Greene, Jones, Onslow, Pamlico and Wayne counties.

WTEB in New Bern, Public Radio East, broadcasts the programing 24 hours a day on a frequency that can be picked up with special radios the service provides.

Lancet, whose interest in the service was heightened considering he has experienced occasional blind spells, says he will miss the feeling of taking readers out of the house while painting a picture for them.

"I really enjoyed the Radio Reading Service and what we did," Lancet said. "I like that we kind of took blind listeners out and we help them socialize again. We would tell them about things going on in the community and details that they may not get otherwise."

Postma has hit the ground running since taking over the service, which reads articles from The Daily Reflector, New Bern Sun Journal and Raleigh News and Observer along with several national newspapers.

The 58-year-old serves on the board of the reading service and says he is still learning to balance reading with the workload involved with other areas of the position. He already has set some lofty goals for the service, including the improvement of its signal to reach more listeners and the upgrading of equipment to keep pace with the evolving world of technology.

"Technically we've got to do some upgrading to get the quality of signal we would like to have," Postma said prior to a reading Monday. "The more the public can hear us, the more they realize what the reading service is. It really is neat when you listen to it. There are things that I'd like to change, but it's going to take some initiative to get it done."

Postma also is focusing on recruiting more volunteers to serve on the organization's board and obtaining additional grants to help the service function.

The organization works on a budget of just less than $44,000 a year while receiving help from more than 50 volunteers. Funding comes from grants and through the solicitation of local businesses and groups.

With a $50 donation to the service, the organization provides a free radio to visually impaired or disabled people for a lifetime. Anyone wishing to obtain more information about the service or to volunteer can call Postma at 916-2201.

Brock Letchworth can be reached at 329-9574 or bletchworth@coxnc.com