We Now Conclude Our Broadcast Day
I've been having a blast digging through the dozens of videos on YouTube depicting TV sign-off messages throughout the years, back before most stations broadcasted on a 24-hour programming schedule.
It's interesting to see how many there are from the mid-1980s, presumably when adoption of VHS players took off.
WCBS, New York, NY (1960s)
WKYC, Cleveland, OH (1976)
CHCH, Hamilton, ON (1979)
WJZ, Baltimore, MD (1981)
WUAB, Cleveland, OH (1981)
WCBS, New York, NY (1981)
KOAP, Oregon (1981)
WNAC, Boston, MA (1982)
WCLQ, Cleveland, OH (1982)
KXLY, Spokane, WA (1982)
KTHI, Fargo/Grand Forks, ND (1983)
KFSM, Fort Smith, AR (1983)
KCET, Los Angeles, CA (1984)
WNEW, New York, NY (1984)
KTXL, Sacramento, CA (1985)
KHQ, Spokane, WA (1985)
WLVT, Allentown, PA (1986)
WNEV, Boston, MA (1986)
WSBK, Boston, MA (1986)
WUSI, Carbondale, IL (1986)
WNJS, Camden, NJ (1986)
KITV, Honolulu, HI (1986)
KCOP, Los Angeles, CA (1986)
CBWT, Winnipeg, MB (1986)
WABC, New York, NY (1986)
WNBC, New York, NY (1986)
WNYW, New York, NY (1986)
WTNH, New Haven, CT (1986)
KYW, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WPVI, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WTAF, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WPHL, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WTAE, Pittsburgh, PA (1986)
WBOC, Salisbury, MD (1986)
KOMO, Seattle, WA (1986)
KHQ, Spokane, WA (1986)
WNET, Trenton, NJ (1986)
WNJT, Trenton, NJ (1986)
WTVN, Columbus, OH (1987)
CBUT, Vancouver, BC (1987)
CHEK, Victoria, BC (1988)
WPTF, Durham/Raleigh/Fayetteville, NC (1988)
WCOM, Mansfield, OH (1988)
WJZY, Charlotte, NC (1989)
WRAL, Raleigh, NC (1989)
WNRW, Winston-Salem, NC (1989)
WKFT, Fayetteville NC (1993)
KDLT, Sioux Falls, SD (1993)
WNYC, New York, NY (1996)
WMVS, Milwaukee, WI (1999)
WOAY, Oak Hill, WV (2007)
If you're into this kind of ephemera, you can find lots more patriotism and conclusions of broadcast days at TV-Signoffs.com.
WCLQ, Cleveland, OH (1982)
KXLY, Spokane, WA (1982)
KTHI, Fargo/Grand Forks, ND (1983)
KFSM, Fort Smith, AR (1983)
KCET, Los Angeles, CA (1984)
WNEW, New York, NY (1984)
KTXL, Sacramento, CA (1985)
KHQ, Spokane, WA (1985)
WLVT, Allentown, PA (1986)
WNEV, Boston, MA (1986)
WSBK, Boston, MA (1986)
WUSI, Carbondale, IL (1986)
WNJS, Camden, NJ (1986)
KITV, Honolulu, HI (1986)
KCOP, Los Angeles, CA (1986)
CBWT, Winnipeg, MB (1986)
WABC, New York, NY (1986)
WNBC, New York, NY (1986)
WNYW, New York, NY (1986)
WTNH, New Haven, CT (1986)
KYW, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WPVI, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WTAF, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WPHL, Philadelphia, PA (1986)
WTAE, Pittsburgh, PA (1986)
WBOC, Salisbury, MD (1986)
KOMO, Seattle, WA (1986)
KHQ, Spokane, WA (1986)
WNET, Trenton, NJ (1986)
WNJT, Trenton, NJ (1986)
WTVN, Columbus, OH (1987)
CBUT, Vancouver, BC (1987)
CHEK, Victoria, BC (1988)
WPTF, Durham/Raleigh/Fayetteville, NC (1988)
WCOM, Mansfield, OH (1988)
WJZY, Charlotte, NC (1989)
WRAL, Raleigh, NC (1989)
WNRW, Winston-Salem, NC (1989)
WKFT, Fayetteville NC (1993)
KDLT, Sioux Falls, SD (1993)
WNYC, New York, NY (1996)
WMVS, Milwaukee, WI (1999)
WOAY, Oak Hill, WV (2007)
If you're into this kind of ephemera, you can find lots more patriotism and conclusions of broadcast days at TV-Signoffs.com.
My name is Doug Hammond, and I love chocolate hamburgers and ice cream.
Comments
Oprah and Richard Sher... classic.
Posted by: Dewey | January 1, 2008 11:10 PM
Television New Zealand used to play this little sign off every night back before it went 24 hours. It's known as Good Night Kiwi and, in an odd way, helped to shape the national identity of our small country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H2BOGGUbm4
Feel free to add it to your list.
Posted by: Michael NZ | February 13, 2008 11:47 AM
Thanks Michael. It's not very clear from the post, but if you click on the "dozens of videos on YouTube" link above, there's a playlist with all of the videos, including the Kiwi segment and a few others I've since found.
Posted by: Doug | February 13, 2008 04:27 PM
Which stations still have sign-offs in the present day of 2008?
I really wish to see sign-offs come back as it does save money on electricity for broadcast stations.
Posted by: Nadav | April 22, 2008 04:59 PM