National Anthem on sign off

[music_beans]

Why is it that most TV stations play the national anthem when they sign off?

[RichW]

I guess it is a show of patriotism (by stations that rely upon federal licenses for their continued operation.)

However, since many more stations these days run 24/7, I haven't come across a station recently that actually signs off. I think WSBK goes off the air, but i"m never watching it when it does.

[gcutler]

Thanks to Infommercials & Insomniacs, I don't think any of my local stations go off the air. It is more cost affective to do infomercials than sign off.

[Nick]

"...cost effective...? You mean profitable, don't you?

Atlanta's local PBS affiliate WGTV used to sign off at midnight with Ray Charles' rendition of "Georgia", with beautiful scenes from all over this diverse state. When my son was in Germany, I would tape video 'letters' to him. Once I added the WGTV signoff to give him a taste of home. He wrote saying it really made him homesick.

WGTV has been broadcasting 24 hours for some time now, so folks no longer get to see that beautiful sign-off that was unique to Georgia.

[gcutler]

"...cost effective...? You mean profitable, don't you?.

Well that depends, they have certain fixed costs. The airing of the infomercials may actually just reduce the losses while not actually guaranteeing profit (The fixed costs of liscenses, transmitter equipment, etc) Although it is very possible that they can earn a profit on the infomercials, I didn not have the exact information, so I stick by my original statement of being more cost-effective, figuring they would not do it unless there was reduced loss or some sort of profit.

[music_beans]

In my area, the Sioux Falls channels sign off on weekends. (except for KRNE, KTTW and KAUN, which sign off nightly. I could include KCSD, but they have Telelearning programs during sign-off hours) KELO, KTTW, and KDLT play the Anthem when they sign off. KSFY, KRNE, and KCSD don't. I can't confirm KAUN because I am out of their OTA coverage area.

[SamC]

The Fox station in San Diego, which is really in Tiajuana, does sign off (I think its a legal deal that they can't broadcast in the wee hours) and it plays the Mexican anthem with a film of scenes from the country.

As to the US, of course TV stations make money. Seen any for sale at the bankruptcy auctions lately?

Each of the armed services provide films of the anthem. In the good ole days, some stations would alternate, and others would show one only, I guess whichever service somebody at the station had an affiliation with.

[bradh404]

In my area, The Duluth TV Channels such
as KBJR and WDIO sign-off
on weekends.(Except for KQDS, UPN9
Which Sign Off Nightly).

So far WDIO is the only station in
the Duluth-Superior area carries the
National Anthem when they sign off.

As of right now KBJR, KQDS and UPN9
doesn't carry the National Anthem when
they sign-off.

Do you think KBJR, KQDS and UPN9
should begin airing the National Anthem
when they sign-off sometime this fall?

[CrankyYankee]

It's simply a traditional thing that probably crossed over from radio. I worked at a radio (and TV station) that used to play the "Christopher Thought" and then the National Anthem at sign-off...and the same thing in reverse order at Sign-On.

[zztzed]

Atlanta's local PBS affiliate WGTV used to sign off at midnight with Ray Charles' rendition of "Georgia", with beautiful scenes from all over this diverse state.
I suspect (although I don't know) that every GPTV station did that -- I know the GPTV station in Wrens, WCES, did.

[music_beans]

An update on sign offs around here, KAUN (Pax 18) signs off without doing anything. (ie: no anthem, just playing Worship TV, and turning off transmitter without notice.)

NETV (PBS from Nebraska) signs off the usual way, but at sign on, they play a nice video with the NETV transmitters superimposed over. It has scenes from around Nebraska, birds, animals, etc, while playing a cool musical piece.

[TimL]

An update on sign offs around here, KAUN (Pax 18) signs off without doing anything. (ie: no anthem, just playing Worship TV, and turning off transmitter without notice.)

NETV (PBS from Nebraska) signs off the usual way, but at sign on, they play a nice video with the NETV transmitters superimposed over. It has scenes from around Nebraska, birds, animals, etc, while playing a cool musical piece.
WDLI-TV 17 in Canton, Oh. (TBN Owned) used to sign off at 2AM Mondays for transmitter maintenance. Not sure if they do anymore. WBNX TV55 in Akron Till recently signed off with the Anthem a couple nights a week (They may still do) WOIO 19 CBS Cleveland used to sign off one day a week as well..A vast Majority of TV stations used to play The Anthem or "America the Beautiful" as they signed off EVERY night.But with the advent of Informercials and 24-hour program schedules..signing off at all is very rare.

Tim Lones

[bradh404]

When none of the Minneapolis/ST. Paul
commercial television stations didn't carry 24-hour
programming during the overnight hours
from the 1950's through the early 1980's.

Did any Twin cities TV Stations such as WCCO, KSTP, KMSP and
WTCN (now KARE) carried the National Anthem before
Sign-Off during the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's?

[waydwolf]

I guess it is a show of patriotism (by stations that rely upon federal licenses for their continued operation.)
Nice inference there, but wrong. It was a show of patriotism by people who genuinely felt it because they weren't obsessed with their self-created estrangement from the land they were blessed to be born in or accepted into as opposed to the hellish pits of tyranny the rest of this rock keeps seeing pop up. I know, you probably think real patriotism is naivete but some think it a genuine and proper feeling.

[Brett]

NJN used to sign off with a proud to be NJ theme, with scenes of NJ. I dont think they used the national anthem.

Maybe a decade ago and in the summers, they wouldnt sign on again until noon the next day.

Now WHYY, NJN and WYBE are 24 x 7 operations. After 11pm, the PBS stations are allowed to air content with adult language. Many PBS stations also carry course supplemental video material used by colleges, after midnight. The commercial UHF stations air infomercials mostly at night, and the network VHF stations which choose not to, air talk shows. WBPH 60(FamilyNet affiliate) and WPPX 61(Pax affiliate) both carry Worship TV at night.

[Bob Haller]

I remember when channel 22 in pittsburgh shut down, their owner group went belly up. I videotaped that sign off. The station crew all lost their job and they played sad music on that sign off i think it was 6pm.

I guess stations are more profitable today as that hasnt occured since. Althoiugh 22 is run by 53 thru some deal and CBS owns multiple channels.

maybe bigger saves money for stations> One office staff salesmen etc?

[bradh404]

I'd think KMSP-TV (Channel 9) carried
the National Anthem when they sign-off
late at night when KMSP was an ABC
Affiliate during the 1960's and 1970's?

[Nick]

<sigh> I really miss the old b&w test patterns, some of which are almost as old as this thread! :D