Edinburgh, East And Fife

New Voice for critic Roger Ebert

By Hayley Millar
BBC Scotland business correspondent

film critic Roger Ebert is shown in the March 2010 issue of Esquire magazine, available on newsstands nationwide on Feb. 16. (AP Photo/Ethan Hill, Courtesy of Esquire)

An Edinburgh technology firm has rebuilt the voice of a renowned American film critic, after four years of silence.

Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Roger Ebert lost his voice four years ago, after surgery for thyroid cancer went wrong.

It ended a 40-year broadcast career as a revered film critic and one half of the long running US movie series Siskel and Ebert.

Last year Ebert found Edinburgh speech synthesis company Cereproc on the internet.

The firm specialises in creating voices with accents for call centres.

But after working with hours’ worth of recordings of Ebert’s film reviews, Cereproc have created a prototype of his voice.

It is the first time the company has rebuilt an actual voice from original recordings.

Chief technical officer Matthew Aylett said it was a very exciting project for Cereproc.

He said: "People are used to synthesised voices being disembodied.

"It was very nice to work on a project where the voice actually was someone’s voice. It shows you the power of this technology and what it can be used for."

‘Sounds like me’

The recordings were painstakingly broken down into individual sounds, transcribed and put together again.

Roger Ebert’s voice will be produced by typing what he wants to say on computer.

This week he used his new voice for the first time on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

"It still needs improvement, but at least it still sounds like me" he said.

"In first grade, they said I talked too much. And now I still can."

It is a remarkable turn of events for Ebert who made his name with his voice.

For Edinburgh-based Cereproc, the achievement could be transformational too.

Mr Aylett said: "We are looking forward to selling more voices in the States because of this, and also it raises the profile of the company and of the work that’s done in this field in Edinburgh.

"It’s great to have this on a world stage."</p

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Bragg in banker bonuses protest

Billy Bragg at Speakers' Corner

Musician Billy Bragg has taken his protest against excessive bonuses for RBS bosses to Edinburgh, the home of the bank.

He is calling on Chancellor Alistair Darling to cap bonuses for chiefs at the bailed-out bank to £25,000.

The campaign currently has 30,000 online supporters.

Bragg is refusing to pay tax on his earnings until the limit is imposed. He was due to speak at RBS’ former headquarters in St Andrew’s Square.

The singer-songwriter said: "At a time when we are being softened up for massive cuts in public services, neither government nor opposition seem prepared to rein in the excessive bonus culture that got us into this trouble in the first place.

"Millions of workers are already facing stark choices. Are they willing to work longer hours for less money or would they rather be unemployed

"I don’t see why the bankers at RBS shouldn’t be asked the same question."

‘A sham’

Bragg, who released the hit album Talking With The Taxman About Poetry in 1986, is urging people to send letters or e-mails to the chancellor as part of his online campaign.

RBS, which is 84% owned by the taxpayer following a string of bailouts, is expected to pay millions of pounds in bonuses to its investment bankers this year.

Asked previously about the prospect of going to jail for refusing to pay his taxes, Bragg said: "I’m hoping it won’t come to that.

"This is to draw attention to the issue. Either we own 84% of the company or the entire thing is a sham.

"I’m fed up with no-one doing anything about it."</p

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Boyle ‘fine’ after intruder scare

Susan Boyle

A man was detained by police after singer Susan Boyle discovered an intruder inside her house.

The talent show internet star is understood to have just flown back from London after helping to record the Helping Haiti charity single.

The man ran out of her house in Blackburn, West Lothian, when Boyle opened the front door on Tuesday night.

Police detained a man in connection with the incident but he was later released. Inquiries are continuing.

A spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police were called to an address in Blackburn at around 9.50pm yesterday following reports of a disturbance.

"A man was detained in connection with the incident and released pending further inquiries."

Despite her global success, Boyle, the Britain’s Got Talent runner-up, has not moved from the council house she has lived in since she was a child.

Her album, I Dreamed A Dream, went straight to number one in the charts and achieved the best first week’s sale for a debut.</p

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Darren Day admits drink driving

Darren Day arriving at court

Entertainer Darren Day has been banned from roads after admitting driving while over the legal alcohol limit.

The 41-year-old also pled guilty to failing to stop to give his name and address after an accident at Manor Place in Edinburgh last month.

Day had been accused of driving carelessly, losing control of the car and crashing into a lamppost.

But prosecutors at Edinburgh Sheriff Court accepted his not guilty plea to this charge.

The Crown also accepted not guilty pleas to charges that Day failed to report an accident, and failed to co-operate with a preliminary breath test.

Day admitted the amount of alcohol on his breath on the night he was arrested was 58mg per 100ml. The legal limit is 35mg.

But he still faces a further court hearing over an allegation that police found him in possession of a Kubotan keyring weapon.

Starring role

He will stand trial for that charge on 10 February, when he will also be sentenced for drink driving.

Police seized the Mercedes Day was driving in Manor Place on 18 December 2009 and it remains impounded by the Crown, pending next month’s sentencing.

The drinking and driving incident happened while Day was staying in the capital where he was appearing in the musical We Will Rock You.

He has since left his temporary residence in Scotland and was bailed to an address in England.

The singer became famous in the 1990’s when he took over the starring role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

He also appeared in the first ever series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. </p

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.