Interval signal
Template:Short description Template:Expand German
File:BBBC.PNG
Historical interval signal of the BBC
File:RAVAG-Pausenzeichen.ogg
RAVAG interval signal, clock ticking 270/min (9 in 2 sec)
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 programs in different languages.
It serves several purposes:
- It helps a listener using a radio with an analog tuner to find the correct frequency.
- 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 practice 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 stationEdit
- Template:Flagicon Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior: First eight notes of "Mi Buenos Aires querido" by Carlos Gardel, followed by people saying the station's name in eight languages.
- Template:Flagicon Bangladesh Betar: A tune composed by Samar Das.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Belarus: "Motherland, my dear" (Belarusian: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Russian: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) by Template:Ill and Ales Bachyla.
- Template:Flagicon Rádio Brasil Internacional: Xylophone version of "Brazilian Flag Anthem" (Brazilian Portuguese: Hino à Bandeira Nacional) by Antônio Francisco Braga and Olavo Bilac.
- China National Radio and China Radio International: Chime version of March of the Volunteers ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
- Voice of the Strait News Radio: Bell version of "Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
- Template:Flagicon Radio Habana Cuba: Melody of "March of the 26th of July" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) by Agustín Díaz Cartaya.
- Template:Flagicon DR P1: "Drømte mig en drøm i nat", played on xylophone.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> Template:Thumb
- Template:Flagicon Radio France Internationale: Electronic-disco, culminating in the last 8 measures of "La Marseillaise".
- Template:Flagicon Deutsche Welle: Celesta version of "Es sucht der Bruder seine Brüder" from Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven.
- Template:Flagicon Voice of Greece: "The Little Shepherd" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), played on floghera.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
- Template:Flagicon All India Radio: A tune composed by Walter Kaufmann or Thakur Balwant Singh, used since 1936.<ref>Tuning into broadcast history. The Hindu BusinessLine, 15 October 2015.</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Indonesia
- RRI Programa 3: Ending bars of "Solace on Coconut Island" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), composed by Ismail Marzuki.
- RRI Voice of Indonesia: "Feeling of Love" (Rasa Sayang).
- Template:Flagicon RTÉ Radio 1: Chime version of "O'Donnell Forever" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- "Kazoe-uta" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, counting-out game).
- "Sakura Sakura" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, cherry blossoms).
- Template:Flagicon Radio Nepal: A tune composed by Ustad Govinda Lal Nepali.
- Template:Flagu
- Voice of Korea: Melody of "Song of General Kim Il-sung" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
- Template:Ill: Melody of "Song of General Kim Jong-il" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
- Template:Flagicon KBS World Radio: "Dawn".
- Template:Flagicon RTL Radio: "De Feierwon" by Michel Lentz, played on chimes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Voice of Mongolia: "Motherland" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).Template:Citation needed
- Template:Flagicon Radio New Zealand International: The call of a New Zealand bellbird
- Template:Flagicon Radio Pakistan: A tune composed by Khwaja Khursheed Anwar.
- Far East Broadcasting Company: "We Have Heard the Joyful Sound".
- Radio Veritas Asia: "O via, vita, veritas".
- Template:Flagicon Radio Romania International: The first nine notes of “Pui de lei", lyrics by Ioan S. Nenițescu and song by Template:Ill
- Template:Flagu
- Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.
- Radio Sakha: Excerpt from a Yakut folk song.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Slovenia: Electronically generated cuckoo chirping.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Ukraine International: "Template:Ill" ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}).
- Template:Flagicon BBC World Service:
- 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.
- Trans World Radio: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".
- Voice of America: Brass band version of "Yankee Doodle".
File:Voa english signing on with yankee doodle.ogg
Interval signal for Voice of America
- WEWN, later EWTN Global Radio: "Salve Regina"
- Template:Flagicon Vatican Radio: "Christus Vincit", played on celesta.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Nacional de Venezuela's Template:Ill: Beginning of "Alma Llanera" by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado.
Formerly usedEdit
- Template:Flagicon Radio Tirana: Këputa një gjethe dafine (transmission intro) and the trumpet version of With Pickaxe and Rifle.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Australia: Chimes version of Waltzing Matilda (chorus), Kookaburra call. News signature tune: Majestic Fanfare.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Österreich International: Orchestral version of An der schönen blauen Donau ("Blue Danube Waltz") by Johann Strauss.<ref name="WRTH1983" />
- Template:Flagicon Ö1: Three notes signifying O–R–F by Werner Pirchner, played on viola.<ref name="O1">Template:Cite book</ref>
- Template:Flagicon RTBF International: Template:Ill.
- Template:Flagicon Rádio Nacional: Luar do Sertão ("Hinterlands Moonlight").
- Template:Flagicon Radio Canada International: First four notes of O Canada, played on piano or autoharp.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Peking (predecessor of China Radio International): Chimes version of 东方红 ("The East Is Red").
- Template:Flagicon Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: Avkoritsa by Andreas Mappouras, played on guitar
- Template:Flagicon Radio Prague
- Trumpet version of Kupředu levá ("Forward, Left") by Jan Seidl
- Template:Flagicon Yle Radio 1: Pim-pam-pulla by A. O. Väisänen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Thumb
- Template:Flagicon Radio France Internationale: Trumpet version of a popular song, Template:Ill.<ref name="WRTH1983" />
- Template:Flagicon Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk: The 4th symphony by Brahms.
- Template:Flagicon Template:Ill: Ending bars of Volk ans Gewehr, played on glockenspiel.
- Berliner Rundfunk: Motif from the opera Regina by Albert Lortzing, played by trumpets.
- Radio Berlin International: Beginning of Auferstanden aus Ruinen ("Risen from Ruins"), played on chimes.
-
- File:Radio NTS 1972.oggInterval signal for Radio NTS
-
- File:Deutscher Freiheitssender 904.oggInterval signal for DFS 904
- Template:Flagicon Deutschlandfunk: Celesta version of Dir, Land voll Lieb' und Leben from "Ich hab' mich ergeben" by Hans Ferdinand Maßmann.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Thumb
- Template:Flagicon Radio Budapest: Excerpts from the suite 1848 by T.K. Polgar played on three trumpets and two cornets.
- Template:Flagicon Kol Yisrael: Trumpet and drum version of Hatikvah.
- Template:Flagicon Rai Italia Radio: Mechanically generated canary chirping.
- Template:Flagicon Trans World Radio: Hymne Monégasque
- NPO: First seven notes of Wilhelmus, played on clarinet (Radio 1 and Radio 5), synthesizer (Radio 3), spinet (Radio 4) and flute (Radio 2).<ref>nl:Pauzeteken</ref>Template:Better source needed
- Radio Netherlands: Carillon version of the Eighty Years' War song Merck toch hoe sterck.
- NRK P1: Motif from Sigurd Jorsalfar by Edvard Grieg.<ref>http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Articles/The_Interval_Signal.pdf Template:Bare URL PDF</ref>
- Radio Norway International (Template:Ill Template:Inlang, former international service of NRK): Symphony No. 1, Op. 26: Innover viddene. 1938, 51 by Eivind Groven
- Radio Katowice: Sound of a hammer striking an anvil.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Template:Ill: Excerpt from O Warmio moja miła by Feliks Nowowiejski, played on barrel organ.
- Polish Radio External Service: Excerpt from Prząśniczka by Stanisław Moniuszko, played on piano.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
- Radio Polonia: Piano version of Etude No. 12 ("Revolutionary Etude") by Frédéric Chopin.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Bucharest 1 and Radio Bucharest External Service (pre 1989): Fragment from Cantata anilor luminǎ by Anatol Vieru
- Template:Flagicon Voice of Russia: "Majestic" chorus from the "Great Gate of Kiev" portion of Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Serbia: Bože pravde.
- Template:Flagicon Radio Slovakia International: Kto za pravdu horí.
- Template:Flagicon Radio RSA (former international service of Apartheid-era South African Broadcasting Corporation): Bokmakierie chirping and first bars of Ver in die Wereld, Kittie, played on guitar.<ref name="WRTH1983">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Thumb
- Template:Flagicon Radio Sweden: Chime version of Ut i vida världen ("Out in the Wide World"), composed by Ralph Lundsten and the opening notes of Carl Michael Bellman's Storm och böljor tystna r'en.<ref name="WRTH1983" /><ref>Radio Sweden interval signal Retrieved 2011-11-24.</ref>
- Template:Flagu
- Template:Ill: D' Zit isch do, played on music box.
- Swiss Radio International: Lueget, vo Berg und Tal.
- Template:Flagicon Voice of Turkey: Turkish makam, played on piano.
- File:Voice of Turkey Interval Signal.oggInterval signal of Voice of Turkey as heard in 2013
- Template:Flagicon Radio Moscow (former international service of the Soviet Union):
- Подмосковные вечера ("Moscow Nights"), played on vibraphone.
- Песня о Родине ("Wide Is My Motherland")
- Template:Flagicon BBC World Service: Trumpet version of Oranges and Lemons, first four notes of Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven, played on timpani; Lillibullero (signature tune, played on trumpet).<ref>BBC World Service (Europe) interval signal Retrieved 2013-10-09.</ref>
- Template:Flagicon WYFR: First two bars of To God Be the Glory by William Howard Doane played by a brass band
- Template:Flagicon Radio Yugoslavia (1980–1989): First bar of Druže Tito, ljubićice bjela anonymous Partisan song, in various orchestral renditions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon Radio Yugoslavia, later International Radio of Serbia and Montenegro: Jugoslavijo by Nikola Hercigonja.
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) Template:Citation needed
Numbers station interval signalsEdit
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.
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
External linksEdit
- Interval Signals Online
- Nobuyuki Kawamura's Interval Signal Library
- IntervalSignal DataBase (German) English version
- Uwe Volk's Sound Library (available both in English and in German)
- Kurzwelle-Historisch
- Interval signals on Live-Radio.net