UK Gold 'in vision' sign language

When are they going to start UK Gold Gold to show all the great old programmes they used to show on UK Gold?

i think the deaf people are a very vocal minority (no punn intended) - of course there should be signing for selected programmes overnight - plus subtitles for most regular programmes...

but for some digital channels and daytime programming to start signing is OTT. remember deaf people have a reducion in the license fee, and therefore do not really cover the costs of the existing service - never mind expanding the service and ruining programmes for the rest of us. im not against deaf people, i just think theyre too quick to demand more and more and more

It is a legal requirement for all commercial channels broadcast on digital terrestrial to carry an amount of programmes with sign language. The BBC has agreed to match this, though is not legally obliged to. Hence News 24 signs certain editions of Hardtalk, as well as Breakfast 0800-0815 and I believe 1200-1215?

Eventually broadcasters hope to broadcast signing in a manner which allows it to be switched on and off in the same manner as subtitles.

However - it is important to remember that BSL (British Sign Language) is as much its own language as English is to the hearing community - it is not a simple sign translation of the English language. Many hearing impaired people have written English as effectively their second language, with BSL their first, so english subtitles are not as natural a medium for them to enjoy their programmes.

They, in my opinion, have as much a right to enjoy TV as the rest of us, and until signing can be made optional, I am happy to put up with the odd bit of signing...

(Also I think it is only the blind who are offered a reduced TV license fee, not the deaf and hearing impaired... Though of-course broadcasters are also attempting to improve TV for the visually impaired and blind by introducing optional audio-description on digital TV)

I was going to say (although I don't agree with it), 'sod them they can't say anything' but then again thats the drink talking! I think signing is very important, I think I heard a while back about not just being able to switch it on and off, but also it being comp generated so you could get it on any programme that is subtitled, but could be turned on the same way as subtitles are which I think is a great idea. I've thought for a few years.


No seriously i've thought for a few years that it would be good to get an audio only TV and replace a radio in a car, and make a few improvements to an ariel, but that shows how many long car journeys i've been on and how much I like TV! (I know you can get TV's fitted in headrests but thats too expensive, not as simple as sound only TV, and i'm pretty sure you can't view live TV from them just videos/games consoles etc.

Yep - there were experiments with a system called Simon. This used a computer generated signer added at the receiver and rendered according to data sent by the broadcaster in a similar manner to subtitles.

However this system did not use BSL (British Sign Language), it used SSE (Simple Signed English). BSL is a totally different language to SSE (which is effectively English in signs, and a far less well developed and rich language) and Simon was not popular with deaf viewers.

Instead the latest plan is, I believe, to transmit a small sub-channel (at a much lower data rate) which can be superimposed in the receiver. (It will need new receivers, and new playout technology though...)

I have to disagree with you. Deaf people deserve a service from broadcasters. OK, they might have a reduction in the licence fee but that doesn't subsidise listening to a programme instead of reading. Also, there are some people who are illiterate or have poor english and may not be able to understand the written word. Signing is a universal language.

News24 starts signing from 1300-1330 Monday.

If the superimposed signing will require new boxes, don't expect to see it in the foreseeable future.

I agree that this is an essential public service. I also think there should be a switchable sound track giving a programme description for the blind, as some networks in other countries are doing.

Already available (although not too widely) via SkyDigital, by selecting 'Narative' in the language setup options

I hope they do come up with switchable signing. I hate signing but its neccesery for deaf people. Switchable signing would mean that more programmes could be signed as they could be chosen by the viewer whether itw as wanted or not.