WCBS-TV Sign-Off and Sign-On 1977 Complete

The New York flagship station of the CBS Television Network back when it signed off for one hour each morning at 5 AM. Complete with "Give Us This Day" (featuring a Rabbi), sign-off, National Anthem film, one minute of vintage black-and-white WCBS-TV test pattern, then the sign-on with the classic NAB Television Code Seal.

[@donm631]

I am so having flashbacks of my father asleep on the couch with the TV on. It would always be on channel 2. I would sometimes wake up and watch the National Anthem. Thanks for the memories.

[@sambradley2975]

I miss those days of simplicity & consistency.

[@lucariothehero5009]

Same. Especially when the world sucks with the COVID-19 Pandemic and the hatred, prejudice, and racism that most of our black community is experiencing. I just hope God fixed all of these solution.

[@da9618]

Amen to that

[@BriSchwa82]

Eventhough the loud voices and test pattern scared the hell out of me, I miss the old and simple days of television.

[@TheJr3008]

My 12 and 7 year old nephews looked at me as if I were crazy when I told them that the TV used to "sign off" for the night. Thank goodness this video was on KZbin so I could prove to them that I wasn't lying :)

[@rockvilleraven]

Now its just crass infomercials and reruns of poker after dark.

[@paktype]

My kids, who are all under age 13, do not understand the concept of a TV station "sign off" or a test pattern. To them, TV has always been on 24/7.

[@Tigerman1138]

"PAID PROGRAMMING" or as we used to call them "infomercials"

[@Tigerman1138]

"PAID PROGRAMMING" or as we used to call them "infomercials"

[@Fordham1969]

Absolutely!And let's remember that back in 77 when this aired most people didn't yet have VCR's so if you were up this late this sort of stuff was your only option.There was such a "vibe" about very late night tv back then.Between the old black and white films,old reruns and cheesy ads,it's a feeling the younger generation will never experience.

[@stevevasta]

+Fordham1969 I remember an ad, very short for the time -- maybe 20 seconds -- for Heckler's Unbleached Flour, which seemed only to run during the late movies: certainly never in the daytime!

[@flatcapman]

TV Test patterns would freak them out. 7:28 is a 400hz sine wave tone. My personal fave

[@johnking5174]

It is 1977 and CBS where back in the air at 6.05am. Here in the UK there was no such thing as breakfast television in 1977. For example in 1977 below is what BBC One aired on a typical weekday morning. 7.05am-7.55am - Open University, programs for learners. The station then signed off until 9.38am. 9.38am-12.30pm - Programs for Schools and Colleges. The station then signed off until 12.45pm. 12.45pm - BBC News, which was followed by a lunchtime talk show. Apart from more schools programs and the odd learning program, there was no daytime television at all on BBC One, certainly not what Americans would consider proper daytime television. It was around 3.55pm when television got going with young people and children's programs that the schedule would be consistent and a proper line up would be given until sign off (closedown as we called it) which could take place at around anytime from 11.30pm onwards depending on the late night schedule as there was no late night talk shows on UK tv at this time on weeknights. So that is what British viewers could look forward to on a typical weekday in 1977 on BBC One. The two other channels in Britain where BBC Two which had Open University from around 7.30am-8.00am. Then nothing until 11.00am when Playschool, a program for young children would air until 11.25am. The nothing until around 5.00pm. BBC Two would usually sign off at around midnight. ITV - the commercial channel would come on the air at 9.30am with two and a half hours of schools programs, but from 12.00pm it would have a similar daytime television mix of news, soap operas, quiz/game shows etc which the US channels would have, and there would be more content and no sign offs at all compared to BBC One during the day. ITV was the closest the UK had to an American style of television channel. So a little bit of history for those in the US, just look at what was on offer then compared to your line-up each day in 1977.

[@steadyc9277]

Reminds me of Monty Python - "On the BBC1 this evening, Upstairs Downstairs." "And, on the BBC2...Me telling you this." LOL I guess they weren't lying!

[@BenFoldsFan421]

That’s a rather odd time to start something 38 minutes past the hour? Why! That makes my brain feel itchy and uncomfortable. Also I like the idea of school television programming because I grew up in South Central Kansas in the 1980s and our cable stations here the cable company here had three or so channels that showed either a continuously scrolling message about various events or win Board of Education meetings or City Hall meeting were To be held and subsequently broadcast and also there would be, each day a theme Such as the human body… Or drug addiction or nuclear power or so so if you or some other classroom film thing… The teachers in our school district were meant to record these videos and then show them to their classes they were all aimed at elementary or secondary education grade school/middle school/high school. I was a nerd Preferring studying random things into reading two other more active activities… So, those films would come on and then they would end and then he would get the scrolling message or whatever until the next film or broadcast of whatever meeting would happen along In the 90s when I was in high school they had an entire channel called mind extension University and it was college classes or high school classes but on the TV… I went along with the learning German class on the TV and it help me with actually learning German at high school. I wish they still had stuff like this but they don’t or it’s very hard tofine bbb

[@JennyAnnTea]

I do remember the days sat in the school dining area while a big cabinet with a tv in it was wheeled in and everyone would watch the clock count down to the school programmes.

[@JennyAnnTea]

Also who remembers the school radio programmes back in the days? Probably on BBC Radio 2 or 3. Oooh that so takes me back. I feel old lol! Born in the 70’s grew up in the 80’s and got drunk in the 90’s and beyond 🤣😂

[@JennyAnnTea]

@@_-Karl-_ commercials on ITV

[@soniasweet7186]

This Is My Favorite Sign Off Last Commercial Before The Rabbi Prayer And Still This Is The Most Classic Memories Back In 1977 To 1979

[@georgebrusstar2539]

I agree. This is a beautiful one.

[@Juliaflo]

@@georgebrusstar2539 Give Us This Day.

[@70sgirl4ever]

They should bring this back this kind of program makes people aware of acting like decent people man! Long live the 70s!

[@90sNath]

Long live the 90s for those that signed off at those times. And everything else 90s

[@sambradley2975]

That's when you knew when the station went on & off, the national anthem & an inspirational message, two things that are desperately needed on TV today.

[@ddplayerfromgodknowswhere7492]

My local CW affiliate station plays the national anthem every morning at 6 AM right after a church message

[@andersupdale4981]

Nobody can remember when Ch 2 WCBS TV sometimes used a 330 Hz audio tone with the b&w WCBS TV Test Pattern back in the 1970's?

[@itz2komplikayted207]

I ❤❤❤ these interstitials from years ago! When the announcer for CBS-2 came back on the air after the "Give Us This Day" segment, did you hear him shuffling his script sheets in the background? And also kind of knocking about at his desk near the end of this video? If you ask me, I believe that it adds an extra level of "charm" and humanity to NOT edit out the little ad-libbing or improvisations that can come up, maybe someone coughs or trips on a word, but, hey! We are all just human, things happen - For instance, The Carol Burnett Show where things like Harvey Korman struggling not to laugh at Tim Conway's antics would inevitably come up - It would have been SO different if the director had been overly fussy about perfection and had edited those things out ... Humanity is, after all, humanity, isn't it? THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT CHANNEL! I HAVE WATCHED YOUR VIDEOS FOR YEARS! 👍👍👍

[@disposableutopia]

The TV test pattern is the greatest piece of graphic art ever created. Neo-plasticism perfection

[@luisreyes1963]

How we miss it during these 4K HD times.

[@IrishRed0501]

I agree

[@gidzmobug2323]

Sometimes even a signoff has a flub.....

[@seanwilkinson3975]

I hummed "om" during the test pattern and greatly enjoyed the brain massage it provided. And the poem was both touching and disquieting. I'm going to try and memorize it. Does anyone feel a little uneasy, like I still do from childhood, to hear a mic hum and a very abrupt "Channel 2, New York" or stentorian "This is CBS" against a still image, even pleasant ones? Why does that simple 2 to 3 second ID feel like a portent of doom? Yeah, I'm neurotic...

[@thephangirl4379]

YES! SOMETIMES MY PARENTS TALKED ABOUT HOW THE TV WOULD PLAY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND THEN STATIC THEN IT WOHLD JUST BEEEEEEP! IT MAKES ME REALLY WEIRD OR UNCOMFORTABLE FOR SOME REASON!!! AND JUST THE 2 OR 3 SECONDS OF STATIC SILENCE MAKES ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE

[@metalisonline]

Sean Wilkinson I feel the same way when there's a low hum during a still image, the feel of potential doom manifests strongly in me

[@buzzy07405]

Because it was early in the morning. WCBS would sign off for about 10 to 20 minutes, then would come back on the air.

[@andersupdale4981]

WABC TV would Sign off the air for 3 hours back in the 1970's!

[@davidpar2]

I miss the simplicity of these days

[@sldl04]

i don't

[@davidpar2]

+sldl04 well, I still do

[@toddwacha5108]

Stay classy, Rabbi Levin!

[@Jiltedin2007]

I also remember a TV Show on KNXT TV(CBS in Los Angeles) called "Give Us This Day" back in 1974, it would come on in the wee hours after the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. And a Rabbi would speak in that program.

[@Tomovox_PAMS_Radio_JIngles]

I love those slides they created for the station- like viewing old family slides on a projector-except with a nice big "2" included!

[@muzikdude1188]

Many of the CBS O&O stations signed off with this same clip of the SSB. It is also the same one that was used in the original Poltergeist movie.

[@mr.tomraypaz6085]

You could hear the sound of papers rustling around before the announcer makes his spiel.

[@sambradley2975]

I remember this, it was Sunday morning in 1977.

[@jondickinson5623]

5am or so??

[@CreoleCW]

For the record, WCBS' tone here was a perfect "G".

[@wmbrown6]

@TheWestCoastBias - CBS O&O's had a "pool" arrangement where each of their stations would contribute a sermonette that would run on the rest. Another instance was in 1978 when WBBM-TV in Chicago (which called their sermonettes "Meditation") ran a film piece from a rabbi in Philadelphia. Sermonettes from St. Louis priests or rabbis were also aired. This L.A.-based sermonette originally aired on KNXT (now KCBS-TV) and doubtless was also run on WBBM, WCAU and KMOX.

[@Juliaflo]

WNBC-TV had 'Sermonette'. I miss those days. Don't figure out my age. LOLOLOLOL.

[@stanleytryhard1825]

"Some boys and I had a debate about it. . .": any boys/children you know ever admit that kind of thing these days?

[@fredpagniello3267]

Boy, does this bring back memories of the good old days when I was 20!

[@NikobellicLC08]

5:56 The Anthem Start Right Here.

[@jilliantavares8249]

This National Anthem sign off is the same one from Poltergeist, isn’t it?

[@NikobellicLC08]

@@jilliantavares8249 Yes

[@JasonDelarosa2000]

​@@jilliantavares8249 They're heeeeeeere... 😂

[@johnking5174]

1977 in Britain, breakfast television did not exist AT ALL! Station commencing at 6.05am would be unheard of in Britain in 1977. BBC used to come on the air for one hour around 7.00am for learning education programs and that was it until more schools and colleges programs commencing around 9.30am. Two VERY different worlds of television.

[@tkaye2]

Being on a test pattern for even a half and hour would give the engineering staff time to make some quick adjustments and even reduce transmitter power if necessary. I also wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some arcane union rule that required (or made it in the management's best interest to take) a brief period off-air.

[@fromthesidelines]

Pat Connell is the staff announcer here.

[@looneytunes9000]

Barry I. Grauman Connell was also a staff announcer for the CBS Network.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

Pat Connell is network television's first black staff announcer. He predates Fred Facey from NBC.

[@michaelcarlucci1760]

Pat Connell was a class act. As with most CBS announcers, he socialized with us in the control room in between “announces”. He always wore a cowboy hat when sitting in the booth. At the end of evening prime time, sometimes the network announce could be long (5-10 seconds) before local time started. Pat would always fill that time with am announce filled with pauses. “This……………is……………C………B……….S.” A true professional.

[@fromthesidelines]

He started out as an announcer and newscaster on WCBS-AM in the 1950's.

[@wmbrown6]

@cappy2009 - For most stations at that time. However, WCBS signed off that 1977 morning just prior to 6 A.M. - their "down time" (where the nearly 400 Hz audio tone was heard in tandem with the test pattern) was only a tad above 6 minutes in actuality. Small wonder that staff announcers (in this case, Pat Connell) handled both sign-offs and sign-ons on the same (calendar) day.

[@usaisnojoke]

That (Seal of Good Practice) at 5:29 would not be on any TV today. Most of television programming anymore today would never make any "good standard" policy since most of it is junk now anyways.

[@jerryhorn4697]

Well said, Matt! The current flood of terrible American television programmes is proof that the Seal of Good Practice has been trashed and replaced by the Swill of No-Good Malpractice!

[@usaisnojoke]

@@jerryhorn4697 VERY TRUE!

[@andersupdale1761]

Only if someone out there can find an old video of WCBSTV Ch 2 off the air from the early 1970's, because that was the time I can remember sometimes hearing the B&W WCBS TV Test Pattern with that low 330 Hz tone.

[@moxie96]

This was on my local network for cbs being channel 5 in san francisco. Surprised I remember this stuff from at nearly not even born yet. i guess it stayed the same long enough for me to remember.

[@ScoopNemeth]

Signed off for ONE HOUR? at 5 o'clock in the morning? Then return to the air at 6am? WOW!

[@stevevasta]

Yes. Channel 2 (WCBS-TV) would show movies through most of the night, sign off at about 5 am or so, and resume broadcasting at 6.15 or thereabouts with "Sunrise Semester"or such. I remember getting up very early on a Saturday morning to catch the transition: the last movie was called "The Late Late Show III"!

[@steadyc9277]

@@stevevasta Why didn't they just stay on the air for that hour then? I don't remember because I was 3, and hopefully not up watching the Late Late Late Late Show.

[@stevevasta]

@@steadyc9277 Mind you, I rarely got to stay up to watch this myself! I wonder whether the break was necessary for technical reasons, or whether it night have been mandated by regulations. Remember, as recently as the 1990s, twenty-four-hour broadcasting was still very much the exception.

[@rafaelperez9652]

@@steadyc9277 Transmitter maintenance!

[@steadyc9277]

@@rafaelperez9652 Ohhhh...thank you!

[@gidzmobug2323]

The "Give Us This Day" part used to be on here in LA (on the local CBS station)

[@bossradio930]

KNXT (now KCBS-TV) Los Angeles.

[@jerryhorn4697]

I believe many CBS television stations ended their daily broadcasts with their own local "Give Us This Day" programmes. WCAU, Channel 10, in Philadelphia had one during the 1970s and 1980s with a great title theme tune.

[@edwinvalenzuela7113]

HAPPY PRIDE RABBI MARTIN

[@guillermomatias6337]

That brings back memories.

[@Rashaed]

That 'Late Late Show' intro is so 70s.

[@fredicagoillanoise1309]

Rashaed In Chicago we had the same late late show opening and closing on WBBM Ch2 after which the station signed off.

[@imrustyokay]

Yeah, funny how old that "Late Late Show" title is. Considering that the talk show has all been around since only 1995.

[@lucariothehero5009]

70’s and 80’s were a really good time

[@kevinnelson66]

I wish CBS and Worldwide Pants had used this Late Late Show font for the intros for Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn, and Craig Ferguson's shows following Letterman. That would have been awesome.

[@TheRetro64]

Actually, I was wrong. That indeed was an A flat tone used in that test pattern. I was thinking about the "top of the hour" tones they used before a program came on. Those tones were A naturals.

[@soniasweet7186]

Awesome Right There

[@The_Mimewar]

I would LOVE it if you did a sign on playlist, or series. I don’t watch tv anymore, but I have a few Chicago station sign ons that I’ll watch in the morning.

[@albear972]

The dude at 1:40 has a good Ron Burgundy look going.

[@sldl04]

Who cares

[@frankjames6232]

Make American Television Great Again ❤

[@edwinvalenzuela7113]

The Little Yellow Bat Boy

[@andersupdale1761]

Yes for the most part the WCBS TV test pattern was accompanied mainly by a G key tone from July 1977 to May 1978, and November 1980 to November 1982 before becoming 24/7. But in between that time I recall early mornings hearing a tone on Ch 2 when off the air of the E key (330 Hz.).

[@Juliaflo]

Ahhh--you must have perfect pitch.

[@donaldcasalone4243]

Rabbi Burgundy?

[@fromthesidelines]

Rabbi Martin Levin is still around, although he's no longer at Hollywood Temple Beth El. He has a Facebook page.....

[@stevevasta]

I know. He really does look like the Ron Burgundy character. When I saw the KZbin title card, I thought it was a put-on!

[@TheRetro64]

@columbusmozart Actually the WCBS tone was an A natural.

[@NJTank]

Ron Burgandy at 1:39

[@1986SSMONTECARLO]

I dated his Daughter back in '83

[@rogerdispatcher3146]

The Rabbi went on to become Harry Reams.

[@luisreyes1963]

Stay Classy, Slim. 😒

[@sambradley2975]

We had that in NY, which is where this is from.

[@jondickinson5623]

What month in 1977 was this?? Occasionally I would wake up very early in the morning and go down to the living room and turn on the TV to watch the test pattern and listen to the sine wave until the network came back on, Memories

[@wmbrown6]

@chriskvideochallenge - I actually measured that high-pitched 'D' tone to be more along the lines of 1170 Hz. But you're close. WCBS, at the period here (1977), had their tone around 398 Hz.

[@andersupdale1761]

Does anybody remember hearing the WCBS TV Test Pattern with a 330 Hz tone that had the low E key?

[@soniasweet7186]

Love The Sound Test Pattern And Contrast Too Okay But Still Remember Sign On Too Starts At 600 To 630

[@flatcapman]

I love the 400hz tone shown here it's the 1000hz beep that gives me a migraine

[@clockwork1203]

What?

[@sambradley2975]

Some stations had color bars after the test pattern.

[@soniasweet7186]

I Remember This Commercial Before The Giving This Day Comes On And Then Give Us This Day The Star Athena Sign Off Start But Didn't Understands What It's The Sign On Starts At 6:00 To 6:30 Pm

[@andersupdale1761]

You probably don't ever remember hearing the B&W WCBS TV Test Pattern being accompanied by a 330 Hz tone do you?

[@fayettebrown14]

What happened to the announcer for WCBS in 1977? Is he still around?

[@vln2012]

I think he passed a while back

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

That is staff announcer Pat Connell, the first black staff announcer in the history of network television.

[@soniasweet7186]

Amen To Halelujah

[@soniasweet7186]

Beeeeep Mmmmm Okay That Means Off The Airrr

[@flatcapman]

ITS NOT GOING BEEEP it's going BOOOOOOOO

[@Madbandit77]

@303Gregg Too much money to get the rights to air a rerun.

[@LandondeeL]

6:05 Uh-oh! Somebody there was asleep at the switch!

[@fortnite_gamer2019]

5:16*

[@austinchris19]

This was used in poltergeist

[@Sammy4549]

He's got a lot of hair for a Rabbi.

[@Rashaed]

Sammy4549 not anymore.

[@sldl04]

not really

[@shaneturner500]

Hes reform, but youd be surprised

[@sherri419]

I wonder why they got a Rabbi from LA to do the sign off in NYC?

[@gmfd76]

Reminds me of "Poltergeist" ;)

[@jareddicarlo7816]

Poltergeist actually used the same clip of the national anthem as is shown here, but with different music

[@NEPatriot]

Arranged by Jerry Goldsmith.

[@heatherferreira4225]

This is the way American TV used to be, and I swear to Gd I will make it again

[@luisreyes1963]

Good Luck bringing back rabbis on late night TV in a nation with a growing Islamic population. 😕

[@Vazyuk]

Sign off on the 5 o'clock AM?

[@soniasweet7186]

God Is'nt Anyone Enmey Okay That A True Speech Right There Sign Off Is Not Today 6:05 P

[@CelesteK]

I wonder where Rabbi Levin is now?

[@Rashaed]

CelesteK San Francisco, CA.

[@alexanderarce3341]

Why sign off for a hour? It would've been better if a sign off was at 2:30-3 am.

[@MrJacMac1968]

Why only sign off for 1 hour?Guess the technicians had maintenence to do off air

[@sldl04]

Maybe they had to take a dump.

[@rafaelperez9652]

You are correct! The time was used for transmitter maintenance.

[@valentineshoney]

*sigh*

[@freedomanbar584]

CBS

[@alyssamurray6306]

That was random @ 7:20.

[@freedomanbar584]

O say can u see

[@antdogg422]

1:32 ANCHORMAN

[@emilywestwood4016]

Stay classy San Diego! LOL

[@luisreyes1963]

You mean Sun Diaggio! 😆

[@sambradley2975]

The Atheists should watch the sermon given by the rabbi.

[@joshgellis9463]

Sam Bradley Agreed.😅 -and I'm a Mormon convert saying that. ...it *_is_* true. God is not "waiting for us to make mistakes, just to dump on us." He is there for us all and his Son forgives us. 🤓😥😐😊

[@francis802us]

1:32 ron bugundy's inspiration look

[@edwinvalenzuela7113]

He's cute

[@luisreyes1963]

Oy Vey. 😑

[@toddwacha5108]

The first porn rabbi that I've ever seen.

[@valentineshoney]

*sigh*

[@luisreyes1963]

"John Has A Long Mustache, John Has A Long Mustache..." 📟