Tony Soper
Encyclopedia
Tony Soper is a naturalist
, author
and broadcaster
from Plymouth
in England
. Born 10 January 1929, he was educated at Hyde Park Elementary School and at Devonport High School
, both in Plymouth. He joined the BBC at 17 as a 'youth-in-training', subsequently graduating by way of studio manager to features producer in radio, then to TV.
Soper co-founded the BBC
's Natural History Unit
as its first film producer
. Cutting his teeth on the ground-breaking LOOK series he organised far-flung wildlife adventures. He presented live television
programs, including Birdwatch, Birdspot, Discovering Birds, Discovering Animals, Beside the Sea, Wildtrack, and Nature.
As Expedition Leader and a pioneer of wildlife cruising, he has spent the last twenty years exploring both polar regions.
He holds a British
Yacht
master's licence, and is a qualified compressed air, oxygen, and hard hat diver
.
Soper's wife Hilary is a painter, and they have two sons.
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
from Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Born 10 January 1929, he was educated at Hyde Park Elementary School and at Devonport High School
Devonport High School
Devonport High School is a co-educational public 7-10 high school in Devonport, Tasmania....
, both in Plymouth. He joined the BBC at 17 as a 'youth-in-training', subsequently graduating by way of studio manager to features producer in radio, then to TV.
Soper co-founded the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
as its first film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. Cutting his teeth on the ground-breaking LOOK series he organised far-flung wildlife adventures. He presented live television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programs, including Birdwatch, Birdspot, Discovering Birds, Discovering Animals, Beside the Sea, Wildtrack, and Nature.
As Expedition Leader and a pioneer of wildlife cruising, he has spent the last twenty years exploring both polar regions.
He holds a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
master's licence, and is a qualified compressed air, oxygen, and hard hat diver
Standard diving dress
A standard diving dress consists of a metallic diving helmet, an airline or hose from a surface supplied diving air pump, a canvas diving suit, diving knife and boots...
.
Soper's wife Hilary is a painter, and they have two sons.