Interval signal

An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting, numbers stations, and by some domestic broadcasters, played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, but most commonly between programmes in different languages.

Historical interval signal of the BBC

It serves several purposes:

  • It assists a listener to tune their radio to the correct frequency of the station. This is because most older and cheaper radio receivers do not have digital frequency readout.
  • It informs other stations that the frequency is in use.
  • It serves as a station identifier even if the language used in the subsequent broadcast is not one the listener understands.

The practise began in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and was carried over into shortwave broadcasts. The use of interval signals has declined with the advent of digital tuning systems, but has not vanished. Interval signals were not required on commercial channels in the United States, where jingles were used as identification.

List of interval signals by station

Interval signal for Ö1
  •  China:
Interval signal for China National Radio and China Radio International
Interval signal for Voice of the Strait
Interval signal for DR P1
Interval signal for Deutsche Welle
Interval signal for All India Radio
  • "Kazoe-uta" (数え歌, counting-out game).
  • "Sakura Sakura" (さくらさくら, cherry blossoms).

Interval signals for Radio Japan
  •  North Korea
Interval signal for Voice of Mongolia
Interval signal for Radio Pakistan
  •  Philippines:
  • Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.
  • Radio Sakha: Excerpt from a Yakut folk song.
  • English programme: "Bow Bells".
  • Non-English programme, non-Europe: "Lillibullero", three notes tuned B–B–C.
  • Non-English programme, to Europe: four notes tuned B–B–B–E.

Interval signals for BBC World Service
  •  United States:
Interval signal for NBC
Interval signal for Vatican Radio

Formerly used

  • Radio Tirana: Këputa një gjethe dafine (transmission intro) and the trumpet version of With Pickaxe and Rifle.
Radio Tirana
Radio Österreich International
Radio Canada International
Radio Peking
  • Trumpet version of Kupředu levá ("Forward, Left") by Jan Seidl
Radio Prague
Radio Finland (Yle)
Radio France Internationale
Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk
  • Reichssender Berlin: Ending bars of Volk ans Gewehr, played on glockenspiel.
Reichssender Berlin
  •  East Germany
Radio Berlin International
Deutschlandfunk
  • Radio Budapest: Excerpts from the suite 1848 by T.K. Polgar played on three trumpets and two cornets.
Radio Budapest
Kol Yisrael
Trans World Radio
  •  Netherlands
Radio Netherlands
  •  Norway
  • NRK P1: Motif from Sigurd Josarfal by Edvard Grieg.[11]
  • Radio Norway International (Utenlandssendingen (in Norwegian), former international service of NRK): Ancient folk tune from the Hallingdal region.[12]
Radio Norway International (NRK)
  •  Poland
Radio Polonia
Radio RSA
Swiss Radio International
  • Radio Moscow (former international service of the Soviet Union):
Radio Moscow

Classical radio station WQXR-FM in New York City, during its ownership by The New York Times Company, played different variations of a classical infused gong with the ID read at the same time as "The Classical Station of the New York Times, WQXR, New York (And WQXR.com 2000–2009)

Numbers station interval signals

Numbers stations are often named after their interval signals, such as The Lincolnshire Poacher or Magnetic Fields after "Magnetic Fields Part 1" by Jean-Michel Jarre.

References

  1. Treiber, Alfred (2007). Ö1 gehört gehört : die kommentierte Erfolgsgeschichte eines Radiosenders (in German). Vienna: Böhlau. p. 218. ISBN 978-3-205-77495-2. OCLC 127107294.
  2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: stephensen (2009-10-19). "Pausesignal". Retrieved 2020-04-02 via YouTube.
  3. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Ο τσομπανάκος σήμα ΕΡΤ). YouTube.
  4. Tuning into broadcast history. The Hindu BusinessLine, 15 October 2015.
  5. "'O'Donnell Abú'". RTÉ.ie.
  6. "Pausenzeichen und ihre musikalischen Quellen".
  7. Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1983). World Radio TV Handbook. New York: Billboard Publications.
  8. "Radion väliaikamerkki". yle.fi.
  9. "kalter-krieg-im-radio.de". www.kalter-krieg-im-radio.de.
  10. nl:Pauzeteken
  11. http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Articles/The_Interval_Signal.pdf
  12. Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1974). World Radio-TV Handbook. London: Billboard Publications. ISBN 9780823058983.
  13. "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  14. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: RADIO INTERVAL SIGNALS - "Radio Polonia". YouTube.
  15. "DX Listening Digest 7-043".
  16. Radio Sweden interval signal Retrieved 2011-11-24.
  17. BBC World Service (Europe) interval signal Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  18. "Top deset pjesama o Titu". vijesti.ba.

Further reading

  • Sennitt, Andrew G. (1997). World Radio and Television Handbook 1997. Billboard Books. p. 560. ISBN 0-8230-7797-7.
  • Sennitt, Andrew G.; David Bobbitt (December 2005). World Radio and Television Handbook 2006. Billboard Books. p. 608. ISBN 0-8230-7798-5.
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