Silent Network

Silent Network (1989) In  a brief video awards contest held by the Silent Network, there were five finalists:

David Conyer won first prize, a round trip to Los Angeles for his 30-minute TV special, "Portraits" featuring Mary Beth Barber, a deaf actress, and Dr. Robert F. Panera, a deaf writer/poet.

Herb Larson was the host of "Off-Hand."

The four runner ups who won special certificates were:

The Milwaukee Telecommunication Authority their 30 minute TV program "Education of the Hearing-Impaired" featuring Gary Olsen, executive director of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and his views on the future of deaf education. 

Deaf Milwaukeean Production

Gary A. Fitts, Director

Lee Archelger, Producer

⦁ Hawaii Community Television in Honolulu, HI  for their 30-minutes TV program called  ''SIGNS OF LIFE'

⦁ The Deaf Media Collaborative in West Somerville, MA fora satellite hookup discussion called 'The Politics of Deafness in the Four Corners of the Globe'. Yerker Anderson, President of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) is seen in a discussion with other countries regarding concerns of deaf persons in each country. This broadcast was also interpreted into two different sign languages simultaneously;

⦁ NorCal Center on Deafness in Sacramento, CA for a 30-minute TV program called 'Sign-A-Thon' which took place at a local shopping mall in the Sacramento area. Feathered was comedian C.J. Jones by the Electric Sign Company.

In those days, you had to have a big satellite disk in your backyard and aim it at Satcom F4 that is orbiting the earth beaming the Silent Network once a week, usually four different programs with commercials. I looked through my archives and found this tape, although incomplete, at least you get a general idea. It's nerve wrecking trying to captions our programs, having three cameramen, a floor manager, technical director as a producer, getting interpreters, set up teleprompters, credit rolls, filling out forms, setting up a TTY for call-ins during a live broadcast, setting up stage and lighting, fitting the audience in our studio, etc. It's never a dull moment. 
Note: Jean Cordano, shown asking questions, is the mother of our present President of Gallaudet.