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. 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

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.

Ö1: Three notes signifying O–R–F by Werner Pirchner, played on viola.^[1]

$\relative c'{\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"viola" c g' c}$

Interval signal for Ö1

Radio Belarus: "Motherland, my dear" (Радзіма, мая дарагая) by Vladimir Olovnikov [ru; be] and Ales Bachyla.

China:

China National Radio and China Radio International: Chime version of March of the Volunteers (义勇军进行曲).

$\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \key g \major g'4. b8 d4 d e2 d}$

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

Radio Habana Cuba: Melody of "March of the 26th of July" (La Marcha del 26 de Julio) by Agustín Díaz Cartaya.

DR P1: "Drømte mig en drøm i nat", played on xylophone.^[2]

$\relative c'{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 2" \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 85 \time 3/4 f2 a4 g2 a4 f2 e4 d2 f4 a2 a4 a2 e4 d2.}$

Interval signal for DR P1

Radio France Internationale: Electronic-disco, culminating in the last 8 measures of "La Marseillaise".

Deutsche Welle: Celesta version of "Es sucht der Bruder seine Brüder" from Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven.

${ \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 72 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"harpsichord" \partial 4 << \relative c'' { g'4 g4. e8 g f d g a8. g16 g2 \fermata \bar "|." } \\ \relative c'' {\partial 4 r4 << c2 e2 >> <<b2 f2>> << c'2. e2. \fermata >> \bar "|." } >> }$

Interval signal for Deutsche Welle

Voice of Greece: "The Little Shepherd" (Ο Τσομπανάκος), played on floghera.^[3]

All India Radio: A tune composed by Walter Kaufmann or Thakur Balwant Singh, used since 1936.^[4]

$\relative c''{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute" c'16 b c4. b8 a f4 f8 b a f e4 e16 f a f e2 s}$

Interval signal for All India Radio

Radio Republik Indonesia: "Solace on Coconut Island" (Rayuan Pulau Kelapa), composed by Ismail Marzuki.

RTÉ Radio 1: Chime version of "O'Donnell Forever" (O'Donnell Abú).^[5]

Radio Japan:

"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

Voice of Korea: Melody of "Song of General Kim Il-sung" (김일성장군의 노래).
Pyongyang FM: Melody of "Song of General Kim Jong-il" (김정일장군의 노래).

KBS World Radio: "Dawn".

RTL Radio: "Feierwon" by Michel Lentz, played on chimes.^[6]

Voice of Mongolia: "Motherland" (Эх орон).^{[citation needed]}

$\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" g'4 e' e8. d16 c4 d8. e16 c4 g2}$

Interval signal for Voice of Mongolia

Radio New Zealand International: The call of a New Zealand bellbird

Radio Pakistan

$\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute" e1 a gis8 a b a \times 2/3 {gis a b} d4 e2 a2}$

Interval signal for Radio Pakistan

Philippines:

Far East Broadcasting Company: "We Have Heard the Joyful Sound".
Radio Veritas Asia: "O via, vita, veritas".

Radio Romania International: The first nine notes of “Pui de lei", lyrics by Ioan S. Nenițescu and song by Ionel G. Brătianu [ro]

Russia
- Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.
- Radio Sakha: Excerpt from a Yakut folk song.

Radio Slovenia: Electronically generated cuckoo chirping.

Radio Ukraine International: "Roar and groan, vast Dnieper [uk; fr]" (Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий).

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:

NBC: 3 chime-like notes.

$\relative c' { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f g'2 e'2 c1 }$

Interval signal for NBC

Trans World Radio: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".
Voice of America: Brass band version of "Yankee Doodle".

Interval signal for Voice of America

WEWN, later EWTN Global Radio: "Salve Regina"

Vatican Radio: "Christus Vincit", played on celesta.

${#(set-global-staff-size 18) \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key f \major <a' a''>2 <a' a''> <c'' c'''> <c'' c'''> <f' f''> <f' f''> <a' a''> <a' a''> <d' d''> <g' g''> <c' c''> <f' f''>4 ~ <bes' bes''> <a' a''>2 ~ <g' g''>4. <f' f''>8 <f' f''>1}$

Interval signal for Vatican Radio

Radio Nacional de Venezuela's Canal Internacional [es]: Beginning of "Alma Llanera" by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado.

Formerly used

Radio Australia: Chimes version of Waltzing Matilda (chorus), Kookaburra call. News signature tune: Majestic Fanfare.

Radio Netherlands: Carillon version of the Eighty Years' War song Merck toch hoe sterck.

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \key g \major e'4 dis'8 e'8 fis'4 e'8 fis'8 g'4 fis'8 e'8 fis'4 \skip4}$

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).^[7]

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 Österreich International: Orchestral version of An der schönen blauen Donau ("Blue Danube Waltz") by Johann Strauss.^[8]

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"brass section" \key g \minor \time 3/4 bes d' f' <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {\skip2 <d'' f''>4}>> <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {<d'' f''>4 \skip4 <bes' d''>4}>> <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {<bes' d''>4} \skip2>> }$

RTBF International: Où peut-on être mieux qu’au sein de sa famille.

Rádio Nacional: Luar do Sertão.

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 Peking (predecessor of China Radio International): Chimes version of 东方红 ("The East Is Red").

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key c \major \time 4/4 g'2 g'4 a'4 d'1 c'2 c'4 a4 d'1}$

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: Avkoritsa by Andreas Mappouras, played on guitar

Radio Prague
- Trumpet version of Kupředu levá ("Forward, Left") by Jan Seidl

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trumpet" a'8 r16 d''16 d''8 r8 e''8 d''4. b'8 r16 d''16 d''8 r8 e''8 d''4.}$

Adagio – Allegro molto from Symphony No. 9 by Dvořák.

Radio Finland: Pim-pam-pulla by A. O. Väisänen.^[9]

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key f \major <c'' f' f>2 bes'4 a'4 g'2 <a' f'> c'' bes'4 a'4 g'2 r2 <a' f' f>1}$

Radio France Internationale: Trumpet version of a popular song Nous n'irons plus au bois.^[8]

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trumpet" \key f \major \time 2/4 \skip8 f'8 a'8 bes'8 c''4 d''4 c''8 bes'8 a'8 c''8 bes'4 a'8( g'8) f'8 \skip8 \skip4}$

Reichssender Berlin [de]: Ending bars of Volk ans Gewehr

East Germany

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.

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 1" \key f \major \time 2/4 <a' f'>4 <a' f'> <g' c'> <f' bes> <bes' g'> <bes' g'> <a' f'> <g' c'>}$

Radio DDR: First few bars of Wann wir schreiten Seit’ an Seit’.
Radio NTS

Interval signal for Radio NTS

DFS 904 [de]: "Ode to Joy"

Interval signal for DFS 904

Deutschlandfunk: Celesta version of Dir, Land voll Lieb' und Leben from "Ich hab mich ergeben" by Hans Ferdinand Maßmann.^[10]

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \time 4/4 \skip2. d''4 <b'' g''>4 <b'' g''>4 <d''' b''>4 <b'' g''>4 <fis'' a''>4 r4 <d'' fis''>4 \skip4}$

Radio Budapest: Excerpts from the suite 1848 by T.K. Polgar played on 3 trumpets and 2 cornets.

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"french horn" e''2-- a''8 e''8 d''8. fis''16 e''1-- e''4-_ e''8-. e''8-. a''8 e''8 d''8. fis''16 e''1}$

Kol Yisrael: Trumpet and drum version of Hatikvah.

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"muted trumpet" d' <f' d''>4 <f' d''>4<f' d''>4 <<{a'2} {c''8 d''8 c''8 bes'8}>> <<{a'1} {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"timpani" \clef bass d,8 a,, d, a,, d,4}>>}$

Rai Italia Radio: Mechanically generated canary chirping.

Trans World Radio: Hymne Monégasque

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 1" \key f \major c'2 f'4. g'8 a'2 bes'4. a'8 g'2 a'4. g'8 f'2 c'4. r8 c''2 c''4. c''8 c''2. r8 f'8 g'4. a'8 bes'4. a'8 g'2 r2}$

NPO: First seven notes of Wilhelmus, played on clarinet (Radio 1 and Radio 5), synthesizer (Radio 3), spinet (Radio 4) and carillon (Radio 2).^[11]^{[better source needed]}

Norway

NRK P1: Motif from Sigurd Josarfal by Edward Grieg.^[12]
Radio Norway International (Utenlandssendingen [no] (in Norwegian), former international service of NRK): Ancient folk tune from the Hallingdal region^[13]

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"xylophone" \time 3/4 \skip2 \skip8 bes'8 bes'16 bes'16 d''16 f''16 es''16 d''16 es''8 ~ es''8 es''8 d''16 bes'8. c''16 as'8. bes'4 ~ bes'2 r8 bes'8 bes'16 bes'16 d''16 f''16 es''4. des''8 ces''8 bes'16 as'16 ges'4. ges'8 as'8 bes'16 des''16 ces''8 bes'4 as'8 ges'16 f'16 ges'16 f'16 es'16 f'16 ges'8 ~ ges'8 as'8 ges'16 f'16 ges'16 f'16 es'16 f'16 ges'8 ~ ges'8 f'8 es'8 des'8 es'2 bes2 \skip4}$

Poland

Radio Katowice: Sound of a hammer striking an anvil.^[14]
Radio Olsztyn [pl]: 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.^[15]
Radio Polonia: Piano version of Etude No. 12 ("Revolutionary Etude") by Frédéric Chopin.

$<<{\key c \minor \skip2 \skip8. <c'' c'''>16[ <d'' d'''>8. <es'' es'''>16] <es'' es'''>2 r8. <g'' es'' c'' g'>16[ <g'' es'' c'' g'>8.\< <g'' es'' c'' g'>16]\! <as'' es'' c'' as'>2\> <g'' es'' c'' g'>2\!} {\key c \minor \clef bass \skip2. es16\> d c g,\! c,\< g, c d es g c' d'\! es'\> d' c' g es d c g,\! c,\< g, c d\! es\> d c g,\! c,2}>>$

Radio 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.^[8]^[16]

Radio Bucharest 1 and Radio Bucharest External Service (pre 1989): Fragment from Cantata anilor luminǎ by Anatol Vieru

Voice of Russia: "Majestic" chorus from the "Great Gate of Kiev" portion of Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.

Radio Serbia: Bože pravde.

Radio Slovakia International: Kto za pravdu horí.

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.^[8]^[17]

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"acoustic guitar (nylon)" \key c \major \time 2/4 g'8 g'16 g'16 g'8 f'8 e'8 g'4. d'8 f'4. e'8 g'4. g'8 g'16 g'16 g'8 f'8 e'8 g'4. d'8 f'8 e'8 d'8 c'4 r}$

Switzerland

Radio Beromünster [de]: D' Zit isch do, played on music box.
Swiss Radio International: Lueget, vo Berg und Tal.

${\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"accordion" \key a \major \time 3/8 cis''8. d''16 cis''8 b'8 e'8 cis''8 a'4 r8 e'8. fis'16 e'8 a'8 cis''8 e''8 b'4 r8}$

Voice of Turkey: Makam, played on piano.

Interval signal of Voice of Turkey as heard in 2013

Radio Moscow (former international service of the Soviet Union):

Midnight in Moscow, played by balalaika.
Песня о Родине ("Wide Is My Motherland")

${\key g \major \skip2. d'4. d'8 g'2. fis'4 e'4 fis'4 g'4 a'4 g'2 d'2 \skip2}$

WYFR: First two bars of To God Be the Glory by William Howard Doane played by brass band

Radio Yugoslavia (1980–1989): First bar of Druže Tito, ljubićice bjela anonymous Partisan song, in various orchestral renditions^[18]
- Radio Yugoslavia, later International Radio of Serbia and Montenegro: Jugoslavijo by Nikola Hercigonja.

NWDR: The 4th symphony by Brahms.

${\key g \major d''8 e'' fis''4 d'' gis'' fis'' \skip2.}$

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) ^{[citation needed]}

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

^ 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.
^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: stephensen (2009-10-19). "Pausesignal". Retrieved 2020-04-02 – via YouTube.
^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Ο τσομπανάκος σήμα ΕΡΤ). YouTube.
^ Tuning into broadcast history. The Hindu BusinessLine, 15 October 2015.
^ "'O'Donnell Abú'". RTÉ.ie.
^ "Pausenzeichen und ihre musikalischen Quellen".
^ BBC World Service (Europe) interval signal Retrieved 2013-10-09.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1983). World Radio TV Handbook. New York: Billboard Publications.
^ "Radion väliaikamerkki". yle.fi.
^ "kalter-krieg-im-radio.de". www.kalter-krieg-im-radio.de.
^ nl:Pauzeteken
^ http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Articles/The_Interval_Signal.pdf
^ Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1974). World Radio-TV Handbook. London: Billboard Publications. ISBN 9780823058983.
^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: RADIO INTERVAL SIGNALS - "Radio Polonia". YouTube.
^ Radio Sweden interval signal Retrieved 2011-11-24.
^ "DX Listening Digest 7-043".
^ "Top deset pjesama o Titu". vijesti.ba.

External links

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

[O1-1] 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] BBC World Service (Europe) interval signal Retrieved 2013-10-09.

[WRTH1983-8] Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1983). World Radio TV Handbook. New York: Billboard Publications.

[9] "Radion väliaikamerkki". yle.fi.

[10] "kalter-krieg-im-radio.de". www.kalter-krieg-im-radio.de.

[11] :Pauzeteken

[12] ttp://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Articles/The_Interval_Signal.pdf

[13] Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1974). World Radio-TV Handbook. London: Billboard Publications. ISBN 9780823058983.

[14] "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.

[15] Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: RADIO INTERVAL SIGNALS - "Radio Polonia". YouTube.

[16] Radio Sweden interval signal Retrieved 2011-11-24.

[17] "DX Listening Digest 7-043".

[18] "Top deset pjesama o Titu". vijesti.ba.

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List of interval signals by station

Formerly used

Numbers station interval signals

References

Further reading

External links