Sign-Offs

[jc]

The only TV stations that--well--if you can call it that--sign-off--would be WTIC Fox 61, WVIT NBC 30 (I think for like 15 minutes) and WTXX WB 20.  All just leave their logos up.

That doesn't make any since.  Surely they can put a program on at that daytime.  During daylight savings time,  another station in my area, WKRG-TV 5 (CBS) Mobile/Pensacola, FL signsoff  at 4 AM for an hour and back on at 5 AM.  They lave the test pattern on after the national anthem

[dxtrfn]

I recorded the final UNC-TV sign off on July 1, 2000 at 1:30am after North Carolina Now. It was sad to see it go. Eventually, WBRA went 24/7 also. I remember as a kid that late at night the only option other than cable tv was WFMY-2 as all the other stations signed off by 2am.

[jc]

I recorded the final UNC-TV sign off on July 1, 2000 at 1:30am after North Carolina Now. It was sad to see it go. Eventually, WBRA went 24/7 also. I remember as a kid that late at night the only option other than cable tv was WFMY-2 as all the other stations signed off by 2am.

I guess the UNC-TV signoff is the same as this one, which is from Summer 1999.  Or did they change it.http://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/UNCTV-signoff-1999.asfThere's a video of the WBRA signoff, along with other stations of Blue Ridge Public Television here.  This one is from Summer 1988.  And also there's an audio clip of a WBRA signoff from 1979http://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/BRPTV-signoff-1988.asfhttp://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/WBRA-signoff-1979.mp3And to conclude, there's two audio clips of WFMY signoffs from 1980 and 1981, respectivelyhttp://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/WFMY-signoff-1980.mp3http://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/WFMY-signoff-1981.mp3

[Stanislav]

I kind of miss the old traditional sign-ons and sign-offs -- they are a part of TV culture that is now history.  There were all those films like "High Flight" or the one with the Indian doing the Lord's Prayer in sign language.  And seemingly dozens of different National Anthem films -- many of them supplied by the various branches of the military, but a few of them were unique.  I remember one that used an acoustic version (just a female singer and guitar) that actually included some of the OTHER verses of the SSB -- yes, few realize that Francis Scott Key wrote more verses of the SSB than the one which became the de facto National Anthem.  As a musician, I always appreciated the different arrangements of the music that were used.  And some stations even did their own custom SSB films -- I recall once seeing a Jacksonville FL station that had a very well-done montage featuring scenes from around the area, and accompanied by a local wind ensemble.Someone in this thread or another derided the "Sermonette" that many stations used at s/off, but I found some of them interesting from a humorous standpoint -- it was usually local ministers doing it, and some of them were very unaccustomed to being on camera -- and it showed!  And also, what ever happened to the Television Code and the Seal of Good Practice -- do those things even still exist anymore?

[dxtrfn]

I recorded the final UNC-TV sign off on July 1, 2000 at 1:30am after North Carolina Now. It was sad to see it go. Eventually, WBRA went 24/7 also. I remember as a kid that late at night the only option other than cable tv was WFMY-2 as all the other stations signed off by 2am.

I guess the UNC-TV signoff is the same as this one, which is from Summer 1999.  Or did they change it.http://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/UNCTV-signoff-1999.asfThere's a video of the WBRA signoff, along with other stations of Blue Ridge Public Television here.  This one is from Summer 1988.  And also there's an audio clip of a WBRA signoff from 1979http://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/BRPTV-signoff-1988.asfhttp://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/WBRA-signoff-1979.mp3And to conclude, there's two audio clips of WFMY signoffs from 1980 and 1981, respectivelyhttp://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/WFMY-signoff-1980.mp3http://www.jawtoons.com/sign-offs/WFMY-signoff-1981.mp3

The UNC-TV sign-off was the same one as at Jawtoons.com.

[RobertAnthony]

I kind of miss the old traditional sign-ons and sign-offs -- they are a part of TV culture that is now history.  There were all those films like "High Flight" or the one with the Indian doing the Lord's Prayer in sign language.  And seemingly dozens of different National Anthem films -- many of them supplied by the various branches of the military, but a few of them were unique.  I remember one that used an acoustic version (just a female singer and guitar) that actually included some of the OTHER verses of the SSB -- yes, few realize that Francis Scott Key wrote more verses of the SSB than the one which became the de facto National Anthem.  As a musician, I always appreciated the different arrangements of the music that were used.  And some stations even did their own custom SSB films -- I recall once seeing a Jacksonville FL station that had a very well-done montage featuring scenes from around the area, and accompanied by a local wind ensemble.Someone in this thread or another derided the "Sermonette" that many stations used at s/off, but I found some of them interesting from a humorous standpoint -- it was usually local ministers doing it, and some of them were very unaccustomed to being on camera -- and it showed!  And also, what ever happened to the Television Code and the Seal of Good Practice -- do those things even still exist anymore?

If I may respond to it, one TV station in CT takes both of the examples shown in that first paragraph and ran with it.  That station was WFSB Channel 3; the CBS affilliate in Hartford.  For 15 years, maybe even more, they used their own SSB film, a montage of the state of Connecticut--coastline, highways, small towns, mountains, etc. set to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's record of the SSB.  This version had the first AND forth stanzas of the song in it.  It was used from the Post Newsweek era till the early days of Meredith about 1998.  Ever since, the station is 24/7.After the moment of meditation (which had the same three priests in rotation)  came the sign-off annoucnement, featuring a logo with tech specs (including STL KCG-26) and the video/audio frequencies for channel 3, came the anthem.  Then the same slide/GFX would come up with a tone underneath, followed by cutting carrier.  For sign-on, the same thing would come up, followed by color bars, and then for most of the test period, the weather radar--even lasting into the Doppler 3000 era.  It would be boring if the day was to be sunny, but quite interesting when a storm is coming.  This would be followed by the anthem, then sign-on.In terms of the TV Code, the only station I remember seeing it on as a little kid was WTNH-8--now this was before cable!  I remember there being some Star Wars type effect, with various icons zooming in including the Boxy 8 logo, ABC, The TV Code, the STL (KCA-60).  It is then followed by ironically enough the Mormons SSB Film--noted for being on WSBK, WOR, WCCB and WEYI.  Speaking of WCCB, if you check out JAW-MAN's site, you can see the WCCB sign-off from 1989, but using the 1970's sign-off.  Then again, I was 6 years old when that happened so it may be cloudy to remember that.

[oldiesfan6479]

Surely they can put a program on at that daytime.  During daylight savings time,another station in my area, WKRG-TV 5 (CBS) Mobile/Pensacola, FL signsoffat 4 AM for an hour and back on at 5 AM.

I'm a bit confused--why is it different during DST than during standard time?AL and both zones in FL observe DST, so everything is on at the same "clocktime" year-round.Oh, and don't call me Shirley 

[jc]

I'm a bit confused--why is it different during DST than during standard time?AL and both zones in FL observe DST, so everything is on at the same "clocktime" year-round. Oh, and don't call me Shirley 

Ha ha    Anyway,  when Daylight Savings Time takes affect in the fall, you lose an hour,  when it takes affect in the spring, you gain hour.  To put it more simply you set your clocks to 1 AM (when its fall) when its 2 AM or set it to 3 AM (when its spring) when its 2 AM.   Although you don't have to set your clocks at 2 AM it can be before.  I hope that answers your question.  If not, I don't know.

[RobertAnthony]

There's a TVDX site that has been updated with some ancient sign-offs.  How ancient--try 1964!http://www.oldtvguides.com/analog/This will blow you away!

[jc]

Maybe it would blow me away if I was able to listen to them as I keep getting 404 not found messages when I click on the files