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''See Hear'' is a monthly magazine programme for
deaf
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
and
hard-of-hearing
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken la ...
people in the United Kingdom, broadcast on Wednesday mornings at 8.00am. The programme focuses on the British and the worldwide
deaf community
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
and covers a broad range of topics from areas such as
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
, deaf people's rights,
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and Reproducibility, reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in me ...
and
language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...
. The programme is presented entirely in
BSL and is
broadcast with
voice-over
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...
and
subtitles in English. This allows both deaf and hearing people (who may be learning sign language) to understand the programme. ''See Hear'' is currently the fifth longest-running BBC programme.
History
1980s
''See Hear'' was launched on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
on 11 October 1981. It was broadcast with open
subtitles, and was presented in
sign by Martin Colville, a hearing
CODA, and a
Deaf
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
presenter
A presenter is a person or organization responsible for the running of a public event, or someone who conveys information on media via a broadcasting outlet. Presenter may refer to:
People
* News presenter, person who presents news during a new ...
Maggie Woolley. The programme was originally broadcast on Sunday afternoons during lunchtime. As the series went from strength to strength different topics, such as discussions, chat shows, and special editions focussing on technology and education for Deaf people were added that ran alongside the original magazine.
Over the years ''See Hear'' appeal within the Deaf community increased, and with it the involvement of
Clive Mason, the series' longest serving presenter who joined in 1984. Clive was prominently involved with the ''See Hear''
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
and
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
specials written by
Terry Ruane and the late
Dorothy Miles
Dorothy "Dot" Miles (19 August 1931 – 30 January 1993, née Squire) was a Welsh poet and activist in the deaf community. Throughout her life, she composed her poems in English, British Sign Language, and American Sign Language. Her work laid ...
, two deaf people with strong backgrounds in Theatre. By the late 1980s the show was focussed on the important issues and concerns of members of the Deaf community. As the show's popularity grew more Deaf staff were recruited to work on the show, both behind the scenes as well as in front of the camera. As the show neared its 10th anniversary, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, along with other Deaf organisations felt that it needed a change to keep it fresh.
''See Hear'' took a brief
hiatus
Hiatus may refer to:
*Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure
* Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy
*''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes''
* Gl ...
from broadcast, while the format of the show was revamped. The new format had a broader scope than the previous one, because the producers felt that Deaf people were interested in different activities and experiences outside of their own community. When ''See Hear'' was broadcast following the new format the audience almost doubled. The new format was a success, and with this the BBC recognised BSL as a language.
1990s
During the 1990s, ''See Hear'' was moved from the Sunday lunchtime slot to the Saturday morning slot. At this time the show was once again revamped, with new titles and music created for it. The show was also moved to the Light House in
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians ...
and new presenter Lara Crooks joined the staff. It was renamed ''See Hear on Saturday''. Since the time of this revamp, the show has constantly upgraded itself to keep up with the changes within the deaf community.
From 5 February 1990, a recorded version of the ''
BBC Breakfast News'' 7.00am bulletin from
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
was shown on
BBC Two for 15 minutes from 8.00 am – 8.15 am with sign language and subtitles under the name ''See Hear Breakfast News''. From 9 October 1995, it moved to 7.00am which was a simulcast with BBC One, with ''Children's BBC'' following at 7.15am. By February 1996, Children's BBC began at 7.30 am with ''Breakfast News'' starting at 7.15am instead of 7.00am. Starting on 6 October 1997 the programme returned to its 7:00am slot from 1995, with CBBC beginning at 7.15am. This practice stopped in April 1998, thus, the weekday CBBC block began on BBC Two full time from 7.00am. Sign language on Breakfast continues to appear from 7.00 am onwards on
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
.
2000s
In 2001, ''See Hear'' celebrated its 20th anniversary with three new TV projects: ''Switch'', a drama series that revolved around the lives and relationships of people in the deaf community; ''The House on the Hill'' for young Deaf children, written by viewer Amy Possart and presented by Lesley McGilp and
Julian Peedle-Calloo, and ''Hay's Way'', showcasing the history of various cities around the UK through deaf
academic
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
and
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
John Hay's visits.
Five years later, ''See Hear'' celebrated its 25th anniversary with a
retrospective of ''See Hears 25-year history. In October, coinciding with the 25th anniversary, ''See Hear'' switched from open
subtitles, in use since 1981, to
closed subtitles, which has to be activated for subtitles to appear on screen.
At the end of the 2006–2007 series, it was announced that ''See Hear'' would move its usual broadcast day from Saturday to Wednesday.
2010s
As of January 2013, ''See Hear'' airs on BBC Two on the first Wednesday of every month at around 8:00am, although this schedule would sometimes be altered if any events occur in the schedule (e.g. Christmas & New Year).
William Mager was appointed to produce the 33rd series in July 2013, which makes him See Hear's first deaf series producer since Terry Riley's departure in 2008.
The following year, the 34th series was commissioned to be aired weekly until March 2015.
See also
*
Doug Alker
*
Arthur Dimmock
References
External links
*
*
BBC Ariel interview with William Mager
{{sign language navigation
1981 British television series debuts
1980s British television series
1990s British television series
2000s British television series
2010s British television series
2020s British television series
BBC Television shows
Deaf culture in the United Kingdom
Sign language television shows
Deafness
Deaf culture
British Sign Language
Television shows about deaf people