BBC1 Sign Zone - Why?

I've been wanting to get this off my chest for some time. Now, I have to say, I dearly miss the closedowns of BBC1 and 2, especially on BBC1 when the globe would bow out to the national anthem. If it hadn't have been for N24, we may still have these closedowns. But what annoys me is how BBC1 clearly have no intentions of "closingdown" at night again because of the Sign Zone.

Can anyone tell me what is the point in this? Do the BBC think that deaf people only watch TV at night? The BBC cram repeat programmes from daytime TV into the N24 slot late at night with someone stood infront doing sign language, when all the time they could sign off and show the testcard. It's ridiculous.

Sorry, I don't see your argument to needing to have a closedown as what's the point in one if you're going into N24 anyway? I'd expect this type of rant from ol' Luxo.

Just a guess, but most people have facilities to record programmes...

I think Sign Zone is a good idea and is obviously usefull for the hard of hearing who may have missed any of the BBC programmes when they were first shown. I would rather have Sign Zone than simultainious late night News 24 coverage, something which I wish the BBC would abolish altogether. Why can't the Beeb fill the late night schedules with films or repeats.

Tell that to Radio 4...

I think they should show Sign Zone on Momdays and Tuesdays,N24 Wednesdays and Thursdays and a closedown Fri/Sat/Sun or something like that.

Sometimes someone on here says something so ridiculous (in an out of the ordinary way) that it amazes me.

What you are saying is that rather than provide a service of signed programmes to a minority audience, it should deliberately provide nothing at all. That'd be a much better use of your licence fee, clearly.
(Incidentally there is a quota of signed programmes that the BBC channels must comply with, set by OFCOM).

It's perhaps even worse than Simon Luxt0n's assertion that rather than show filler programmes , the filler should be pages from Ceefax.

Well I for one would rather BBC1 show something rather than Pages from Ceefax or a complete closedown. The 'closedown' days are a thing of the past and I really don't think the BBC should even remotely consider going down that road again.
This is now the 24 hour TV era and the BBC are at least making a reasonable effort by showing the likes of Sign Zone on BBC1 and The Learning Zone on BBC2 even though perhaps they are not to everybody's personal taste, mine included it has to be said.

I do think a better alternative to "Sign Zone" would be an interactive service running in conjunction with the original broadcast, so viewers can Press RED for signing and be switched to another stream broadcasting a signed version of the same programme.

After all, most of the time the BBCi services lie idle!

It really is unbelievable that anyone could think that a black screen and silence if preferable to programmes, especially those providing a service to a minority who otherwise wouldn't have any programmes.

The Sign Zone is also useful for those of us with hearing to catch up on programmes they've missed

What about analogue viewers?.... when they press red their telly turns off

I have never had any objections to the Sign Zone - it's an essential public service and shows other channels how things should be done. The only suggestion I would make is give it a fixed start time, like the Learning Zone.

But you have to accept that with our dyed-in-the-wool views, you and I will never agree over Ceefax so we should just leave it at that.