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 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 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

  • Argentina 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.
  • Belarus Radio Belarus: "Motherland, my dear" (Belarusian: Радзіма, мая дарагая, Russian: Родина моя дорогая) by Vladimir Olovnikov and Ales Bachyla.
  •  China:
\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \key g \major g'4. b8 d4 d e2 d}
Interval signal for China National Radio and China Radio International
  • Voice of the Strait News Radio: Bell version of "Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" (三大纪律八项注意).
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key a \major \time 4/4 b'2. cis''4 e''2 e''2 | cis''4. e''8 cis''4 a'4 b'2 s}
Interval signal for Voice of the Strait
  • Cuba Radio Habana Cuba: Melody of "March of the 26th of July" (La Marcha del 26 de Julio) by Agustín Díaz Cartaya.
  • Denmark DR P1: "Drømte mig en drøm i nat", played on xylophone.[1]
\relative c'{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 2"  \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 85 \time 3/4 f2 a4 g2 a4 f2 e4 d2 f4 a2 a4 a2 e4 d2.}
Interval signal for DR P1
{ \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 72 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"harpsichord" \partial 4
  << \relative c'' { g'4 g4. e8 g f d g a8. g16 g2 \fermata \bar "|."
      } \\ \relative c'' {\partial 4
     r4 << c2 e2 >> <<b2 f2>> << c'2. e2. \fermata >> \bar "|."
  } >> }
Interval signal for Deutsche Welle
  • Greece Voice of Greece: "The Little Shepherd" (Ο Τσομπανάκος), played on floghera.[2]
  • India All India Radio: A tune composed by Walter Kaufmann or Thakur Balwant Singh, used since 1936.[3]
\relative c''{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute" c'16 b c4. b8 a f4 f8 b a f e4 e16 f a f e2 s}
Interval signal for All India Radio
  • "Kazoe-uta" (数え歌, counting-out game).
  • "Sakura Sakura" (さくらさくら, cherry blossoms).
\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key a \major \time 2/4 a'8^\markup { Kazoe-uta } a cis a cis4 d8 cis fis fis d d cis4 a8 cis d d cis a gis2}

\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"orchestral harp" \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 120 \key f \major d'4^\markup { Sakura Sakura } d e2 d4 d e2 d4 (e) f (e) d (e8 d) bes2}
Interval signals for Radio Japan
  •  North Korea
  • South Korea KBS World Radio: "Dawn".
  • Luxembourg RTL Radio: "De Feierwon" by Michel Lentz, played on chimes.[5]
  • Mongolia Voice of Mongolia: "Motherland" (Эх орон).
\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" g'4 e' e8. d16 c4 d8. e16 c4 g2}
Interval signal for Voice of Mongolia
\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute" e1 a gis8 a b a \times 2/3 {gis a b} d4 e2 a2}
Interval signal for Radio Pakistan
  •  Philippines:
  • Far East Broadcasting Company: "We Have Heard the Joyful Sound".
  • Radio Veritas Asia: "O via, vita, veritas".
  • Romania Radio Romania International: The first nine notes of “Pui de lei", lyrics by Ioan S. Nenițescu and song by Ionel G. Brătianu
  •  Russia
  • Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.
  • Radio Sakha: Excerpt from a Yakut folk song.
  • Slovenia Radio Slovenia: Electronically generated cuckoo chirping.
  • Ukraine Radio Ukraine International: "Roar and groan, vast Dnieper" (Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий).
  • United Kingdom 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.
 \relative c'' { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f b^\markup { B–B–C } b c }

 \relative c'' { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f b^\markup { B–B–B–E } b b e }
Interval signals for BBC World Service
  •  United States:
 \relative c' { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f g'2 e'2 c1 }
Interval signal for NBC
{#(set-global-staff-size 18) \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key f \major <a' a''>2 <a' a''> <c'' c'''> <c'' c'''> <f' f''> <f' f''> <a' a''> <a' a''> <d' d''> <g' g''> <c' c''> <f' f''>4 ~ <bes' bes''> <a' a''>2 ~ <g' g''>4. <f' f''>8 <f' f''>1}
Interval signal for Vatican Radio
  • Venezuela Radio Nacional de Venezuela's Canal Internacional: Beginning of "Alma Llanera" by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado.

Formerly used

  • Albania Radio Tirana: Këputa një gjethe dafine (transmission intro) and the trumpet version of With Pickaxe and Rifle.
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trombone" \key g \minor \time 2/4 \skip4 \skip8. d''16 d''4 d''8. es''16 d''4 c''8. a'16 bes'2 g'2}
Radio Tirana
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"brass section" \key g \minor \time 3/4 bes d' f' <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {\skip2 <d'' f''>4}>> <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {<d'' f''>4 \skip4 <bes' d''>4}>> <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {<bes' d''>4} \skip2>> }
Radio Österreich International
\relative c'{\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"viola" c g' c}
Interval signal for Ö1
  • Belgium RTBF International: Où peut-on être mieux qu’au sein de sa famille.
  • Brazil Rádio Nacional: Luar do Sertão ("Hinterlands Moonlight").
  • Canada Radio Canada International: First four notes of O Canada, played on piano or autoharp.
\relative c''{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"orchestral harp" \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 2 = 120 \key g \major b2 d4. d8 g,2. \skip4}
Radio Canada International
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key c \major \time 4/4 g'2 g'4 a'4 d'1 c'2 c'4 a4 d'1}
Radio Peking
  • Trumpet version of Kupředu levá ("Forward, Left") by Jan Seidl
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trumpet" a'8 r16 d''16 d''8 r8 e''8 d''4. b'8 r16 d''16 d''8 r8 e''8 d''4.}
Radio Prague
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key f \major <c'' f' f>2 bes'4 a'4 g'2 <a' f'> c'' bes'4 a'4 g'2 r2 <a' f' f>1}
Radio Finland (Yle)
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trumpet" \key f \major \time 2/4 \skip8 f'8 a'8 bes'8 c''4 d''4 c''8 bes'8 a'8 c''8 bes'4 a'8( g'8) f'8 \skip8 \skip4}
Radio France Internationale
{\key g \major d''8 e'' fis''4 d'' gis'' fis'' \skip2.}
Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk
  • Nazi Germany Reichssender Berlin: Ending bars of Volk ans Gewehr, played on glockenspiel.
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"glockenspiel" \key d \minor \time 4/4 f''2 a'4. d''8 c''1 a'2 <a' g'>4. a'8 <d'' a' f'>1}
Reichssender Berlin
  •  East Germany
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 1" \key f \major \time 2/4 <a' f'>4 <a' f'> <g' c'> <f' bes> <bes' g'> <bes' g'> <a' f'> <g' c'>}
Radio Berlin International
  • Germany Deutschlandfunk: Celesta version of Dir, Land voll Lieb' und Leben from "Ich hab' mich ergeben" by Hans Ferdinand Maßmann.[9]
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \time 4/4 \skip2. d''4 <b'' g''>4 <b'' g''>4 <d''' b''>4 <b'' g''>4 <fis'' a''>4 r4 <d'' fis''>4 \skip4}
Deutschlandfunk
  • Hungary Radio Budapest: Excerpts from the suite 1848 by T.K. Polgar played on three trumpets and two cornets.
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"french horn" e''2-- a''8 e''8 d''8. fis''16 e''1-- e''4-_ e''8-. e''8-. a''8 e''8 d''8. fis''16 e''1}
Radio Budapest
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"muted trumpet" d' <f' d''>4 <f' d''>4<f' d''>4 <<{a'2} {c''8 d''8 c''8 bes'8}>> <<{a'1} {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"timpani" \clef bass d,8 a,, d, a,, d,4}>>}
Kol Yisrael
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 1" \key f \major c'2 f'4. g'8 a'2 bes'4. a'8 g'2 a'4. g'8 f'2 c'4. r8 c''2 c''4. c''8 c''2. r8 f'8 g'4. a'8 bes'4. a'8 g'2 r2}
Trans World Radio
  •  Netherlands
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \key g \major e'4 dis'8 e'8 fis'4 e'8 fis'8 g'4 fis'8 e'8 fis'4 \skip4}
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]
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"xylophone" \time 3/4 \skip2 \skip8 bes'8 bes'16 bes'16 d''16 f''16 es''16 d''16 es''8 ~ es''8 es''8 d''16 bes'8. c''16 as'8. bes'4 ~ bes'2 r8 bes'8 bes'16 bes'16 d''16 f''16 es''4. des''8 ces''8 bes'16 as'16 ges'4. ges'8 as'8 bes'16 des''16 ces''8 bes'4 as'8 ges'16 f'16 ges'16 f'16 es'16 f'16 ges'8 ~ ges'8 as'8 ges'16 f'16 ges'16 f'16 es'16 f'16 ges'8 ~ ges'8 f'8 es'8 des'8 es'2 bes2 \skip4}
Radio Norway International (NRK)
  •  Poland
<<{\key c \minor \skip2 \skip8. <c'' c'''>16[ <d'' d'''>8. <es'' es'''>16] <es'' es'''>2 r8. <g'' es'' c'' g'>16[ <g'' es'' c'' g'>8.\< <g'' es'' c'' g'>16]\! <as'' es'' c'' as'>2\> <g'' es'' c'' g'>2\!} {\key c \minor \clef bass \skip2. es16\> d c g,\! c,\< g, c d es g c' d'\! es'\> d' c' g es d c g,\! c,\< g, c d\! es\> d c g,\! c,2}>>
Radio Polonia
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"acoustic guitar (nylon)" \key c \major \time 2/4 g'8 g'16 g'16 g'8 f'8 e'8 g'4. d'8 f'4. e'8 g'4. g'8 g'16 g'16 g'8 f'8 e'8 g'4. d'8 f'8 e'8 d'8 c'4 r}
Radio RSA
  • Sweden 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.[6][16]
  •   Switzerland
{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"accordion" \key a \major \time 3/8 cis''8. d''16 cis''8 b'8 e'8 cis''8 a'4 r8 e'8. fis'16 e'8 a'8 cis''8 e''8 b'4 r8}
Swiss Radio International
  • Soviet Union Radio Moscow (former international service of the Soviet Union):
  • Подмосковные вечера ("Moscow Nights"), played on vibraphone.
  • Песня о Родине ("Wide Is My Motherland")
{\key g \major \skip2. d'4. d'8 g'2. fis'4 e'4 fis'4 g'4 a'4 g'2 d'2 \skip2}
Radio Moscow
  • United Kingdom 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).[17]
  • United States WYFR: First two bars of To God Be the Glory by William Howard Doane played by a brass band
  • Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Radio Yugoslavia (1980–1989): First bar of Druže Tito, ljubićice bjela anonymous Partisan song, in various orchestral renditions.[18]
  • Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro 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)

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. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: stephensen (2009-10-19). "Pausesignal". Retrieved 2020-04-02 via YouTube.
  2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Ο τσομπανάκος σήμα ΕΡΤ). YouTube.
  3. Tuning into broadcast history. The Hindu BusinessLine, 15 October 2015.
  4. "'O'Donnell Abú'". RTÉ.ie.
  5. "Pausenzeichen und ihre musikalischen Quellen". 8 October 2007.
  6. Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1983). World Radio TV Handbook. New York: Billboard Publications.
  7. 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.
  8. "Radion väliaikamerkki". yle.fi. 4 July 2008.
  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.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.