Last station to still use Indian Head TP?

[ixnay]

What is Indian Head TP? Never heard of that term before.

TP? Why thats toilet paper, er test pattern!

I was about to post a Wikipedia link before I realized he was just being a smart-ass.... ;D

Hahaha, well when I see "TP" I automatically think "toilet paper". TP was the polite term used until Archie Bunker broke the barrier mentioning "terlet paper".

In several decades of discussion of TV Geekery, I've always seen TP used to abbreviate "test pattern." Guess the acronym is no longer is widespread use. (Unlike the other "TP," which presumably still IS in widespread use...)

Thanks for the Wiki IH TP link.

Those circles resemble the old Santa Fe Railroad logo.

But that TP is nothing like the tic-tac-toe TP put up when Happy Housewife (hosted by Wilma Flintstone and sponsored by Rockenschpeel Meats) was unceremoniously canceled mid-jingle! ;D

ixnay

 

[wbhist]

In England, the term used has been "test card." However, in the U.S. such TP's as on 35mm slides were technically considered "test slides."

But back to the question at hand: I presume the question dealt with the last station to use an Indian head TP from a monoscope or telop source, rather than a computer .TIF/.JPG/.TGA/.BMP etc. file (as that Madison, WI station used on its last day of analogue transmission).

 

[quadraphonic]

Dang yall, I was wondering that myself.
I didn't figure it was Toilet Paper though.
I was thinking about the cigar store Indian, and that made me think of Totem Pole.
I later figured out Test Pattern from the youtube links.
But where's the Indian head?

But where does the Indian head come in???

Thanks. I would have never thought of that.
I don't actually remember any test patterns from when I was a kid [the 70s] well because I was a kid and went to bed before sign-off, and got up after sign-on, probably. And I don't think I ever noticed an Indian head on one, even in historical accounts or college, until that wikipedia article [which I would have never thought someone would have wrote either] .
Given the joking and sarcasm we sometimes indulge in here, it can at times be hard to realize when someone is genuinely puzzled vs. just goofing around. So, if you genuinely don't understand the main topic of this thread, your assigned reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Head_test_card

 

[crainbebo]

KTNT (now KSTW) in Tacoma, WA used the Indian Head in the 60s, with no callsign, channel number, or city to be seen. Just a big Indian in the middle of the TP. WCBS used the classic CBS test pattern until about 1992 or so. WNBC used a modified Indian Head Test pattern (w/o the indian) in the 70s. Many Boston stations used test patterns without the Indian. You are correct about 'GBH, they used a test pattern without the Indian for many years in the mid 60s. They later switched to color bars, from a YouTube video posted by user MSTS1. WPRI 12 used a TP w/o the indian for many years, into the 80s. Topeka, KS' KTWU Ch. 11 used a straight IHTP (but small, placed at the top like most drawings) used in the National Educational Television days (from sign on in 1965 to about 197?).

-crainbebo

 

[CrankyYankee]

Anyone remember part of a Cheech & Chong bit that went something like...

Cheech: Hey, whatcha watchin' ?
Chongwith tone in the background) It's a movie about Indians, man...

 

[radioman148]

I remember it... ;D

 

[firepoint525]

Anyone remember part of a Cheech & Chong bit that went something like...
Cheech: Hey, whatcha watchin' ?
Chongwith tone in the background) It's a movie about Indians, man...

That would be SO politically incorrect now! :'(

 

[radioman148]

Anyone remember part of a Cheech & Chong bit that went something like...
Cheech: Hey, whatcha watchin' ?
Chongwith tone in the background) It's a movie about Indians, man...

That would be SO politically incorrect now! :'(

No doubt.

 

[crainbebo]

WFIE Ch. 14 Evansville, IN used a modified Indian Head test pattern in the 80s. Most every station in the US used either a straight IHTP or a modified IHTP (it's test pattern, not toliet paper). I have seen videos of WEWS' test pattern (Cleveland) from the mid 70s, however the test pattern itself dated back to 1947 (WEWS signed on that year). Also seen a video of WNBK Cleveland's Test pattern from the 50s. No Indian head.

What I was asking was, what is the last station to use a modified Indian Head test pattern? CTV in Canada used one (with the logo over the Indian) in the early 90s, but did stations sign off with a modified "old" test pattern further than 1990 or so?

-crainbebo

 

[azumanga]

What I was asking was, what is the last station to use a modified Indian Head test pattern? CTV in Canada used one (with the logo over the Indian) in the early 90s, but did stations sign off with a modified "old" test pattern further than 1990 or so?

I remember that one in the late-1990s and early-2000, though it was for CTV Saskatchewan (CKCK Regina) -- by then, the other CTV stations (and the network) were already using color bars.

 

[wbhist]

WFIE Ch. 14 Evansville, IN used a modified Indian Head test pattern in the 80s. Most every station in the US used either a straight IHTP or a modified IHTP (it's test pattern, not toliet paper). I have seen videos of WEWS' test pattern (Cleveland) from the mid 70s, however the test pattern itself dated back to 1947 (WEWS signed on that year). Also seen a video of WNBK Cleveland's Test pattern from the 50s. No Indian head.

Actually, what was called the "NBC test pattern" (with various gradations of grey), as used by then-WNBK (and also what started out as WNBT New York, WNBW Washington and KNBH Hollywood), had no Indian head whatsoever. This design was also used by the ABC O&O's (ironic, given that ABC was spun off from NBC's Blue Network). As for the WEWS test pattern, after 1949 or so its shape differed from when the station first signed on in 1947. The clip from the 1970's was the post-1949 variation. One difference between the original 1947 TP and the 1949 mod was the former had "WEWS Cleveland" on the top left, whereas the latter said "WEWS Channel 5."

The same TP design that was used as the basis for WEWS' 1949 mod, was also used (with some changes) for what signed on in 1949 as WXEL/9. (However, by the time what moved to Channel 8 in 1953 and became WJW in 1956 inaugurated a color TP in the mid-to-late 1960's whose use carried on into the late 1970's, the design used was that of WPIX New York.) This alternate (to the IH) lined TP design was used by such stations as WBZ Boston (with a color modification in the 1960's), WOAI San Antonio, the Crosley/Avco "WLW" stations, WBTV Charlotte, NC; WGBH Boston, WGN Chicago, KSL Salt Lake City, KMJ (now KSEE) Fresno, WGR (now WGRZ) Buffalo, KRLD (now KDFW) Dallas (actually, that station used both that and the IH), WICS Springfield, IL; WMAL (now WJLA) Washington, DC; WSLS Roanoke, VA; KMTV Omaha, KOTV Tulsa, and others too numerous to mention.

As for "IHTP's," it would appear that in the early years of Channel 5 New York's stint as WNEW-TV (starting Sept. 7, 1958), they used a straight Indian Head, as opposed to the 12-star DuMont TP used for much of its run (i.e. since c.1949) as WABD.

 

[kirkiefan]

Actually, what was called the "NBC test pattern" (with various gradations of grey), as used by then-WNBK (and also what started out as WNBT New York, WNBW Washington and KNBH Hollywood), had no Indian head whatsoever. This design was also used by the ABC O&O's (ironic, given that ABC was spun off from NBC's Blue Network). As for the WEWS test pattern, after 1949 or so its shape differed from when the station first signed on in 1947. The clip from the 1970's was the post-1949 variation. One difference between the original 1947 TP and the 1949 mod was the former had "WEWS Cleveland" on the top left, whereas the latter said "WEWS Channel 5."

The same TP design that was used as the basis for WEWS' 1949 mod, was also used (with some changes) for what signed on in 1949 as WXEL/9. (However, by the time what moved to Channel 8 in 1953 and became WJW in 1956 inaugurated a color TP in the mid-to-late 1960's whose use carried on into the late 1970's, the design used was that of WPIX New York.) This alternate (to the IH) lined TP design was used by such stations as WBZ Boston (with a color modification in the 1960's), WOAI San Antonio, the Crosley/Avco "WLW" stations, WBTV Charlotte, NC; WGBH Boston, WGN Chicago, KSL Salt Lake City, KMJ (now KSEE) Fresno, WGR (now WGRZ) Buffalo, KRLD (now KDFW) Dallas (actually, that station used both that and the IH), WICS Springfield, IL; WMAL (now WJLA) Washington, DC; WSLS Roanoke, VA; KMTV Omaha, KOTV Tulsa, and others too numerous to mention.

As for "IHTP's," it would appear that in the early years of Channel 5 New York's stint as WNEW-TV (starting Sept. 7, 1958), they used a straight Indian Head, as opposed to the 12-star DuMont TP used for much of its run (i.e. since c.1949) as WABD.
[/quote]

A similar "NBC TP" design was also used by WTTV Bloomington,IN (before the Blommington/Indianapolis dual city ID was used.

WCET "Educational TV" Cincinnati,OH

Crosley/Avco's stations were WLW-T Cincinnati, WLW-D Dayton WLW-I Indianapolis and WLW-C Columbus that used the NBC-styled TP

The last time I saw the Indian Head was on WRTV,Indianapolis in the mid 1970s. The Indian Head at the top of the TP was replaced however by "WRTV Indianapolis,Indiana Channel 6."

In the 1960s MPATI used the Indian Head on Channels 72 and 73 in that DC-6 transmitting airplane flying above Montpelier,IN (northeast of Hartford City)until its demise in 1967.

 

[wbhist]

The last time I saw the Indian Head was on WRTV,Indianapolis in the mid 1970s. The Indian Head at the top of the TP was replaced however by "WRTV Indianapolis,Indiana Channel 6."

Funny . . . I'd thought "WRTV Indianapolis, Indiana Channel 6" (set in Helvetica Medium) on the top replaced, not the Indian head, but info on the previous call letters sported by the station: "WFBM-TV Indianapolis Indiana Channel 6." Because I saw online a DX document with examples of modified Indian Head TP's, and the one they showed was of the then WBFM.

 

[crainbebo]

WFIE Ch. 14 Evansville, IN used a modified Indian Head test pattern in the 80s. Most every station in the US used either a straight IHTP or a modified IHTP (it's test pattern, not toliet paper). I have seen videos of WEWS' test pattern (Cleveland) from the mid 70s, however the test pattern itself dated back to 1947 (WEWS signed on that year). Also seen a video of WNBK Cleveland's Test pattern from the 50s. No Indian head.

Actually, what was called the "NBC test pattern" (with various gradations of grey), as used by then-WNBK (and also what started out as WNBT New York, WNBW Washington and KNBH Hollywood), had no Indian head whatsoever. This design was also used by the ABC O&O's (ironic, given that ABC was spun off from NBC's Blue Network). As for the WEWS test pattern, after 1949 or so its shape differed from when the station first signed on in 1947. The clip from the 1970's was the post-1949 variation. One difference between the original 1947 TP and the 1949 mod was the former had "WEWS Cleveland" on the top left, whereas the latter said "WEWS Channel 5."

The same TP design that was used as the basis for WEWS' 1949 mod, was also used (with some changes) for what signed on in 1949 as WXEL/9. (However, by the time what moved to Channel 8 in 1953 and became WJW in 1956 inaugurated a color TP in the mid-to-late 1960's whose use carried on into the late 1970's, the design used was that of WPIX New York.) This alternate (to the IH) lined TP design was used by such stations as WBZ Boston (with a color modification in the 1960's), WOAI San Antonio, the Crosley/Avco "WLW" stations, WBTV Charlotte, NC; WGBH Boston, WGN Chicago, KSL Salt Lake City, KMJ (now KSEE) Fresno, WGR (now WGRZ) Buffalo, KRLD (now KDFW) Dallas (actually, that station used both that and the IH), WICS Springfield, IL; WMAL (now WJLA) Washington, DC; WSLS Roanoke, VA; KMTV Omaha, KOTV Tulsa, and others too numerous to mention.

As for "IHTP's," it would appear that in the early years of Channel 5 New York's stint as WNEW-TV (starting Sept. 7, 1958), they used a straight Indian Head, as opposed to the 12-star DuMont TP used for much of its run (i.e. since c.1949) as WABD.

Do you mean, on WNEW, the Indian placed on the top? Or the Indian placed in the middle of the TP with no callsign info, etc?

-crainbebo

 

[wbhist]

Do you mean, on WNEW, the Indian placed on the top? Or the Indian placed in the middle of the TP with no callsign info, etc?

From what I saw in an ad from a TV monitor manufacturer as in Broadcast Engineering magazine within that publication's first year (1959-60), WNEW would've had an unadorned Indian head with the Indian on top and not replaced with call sign, city and channel info.

I'm curious as to what type of color test pattern WNEW would've used in the late '60's/early '70's period (outside of electronic color bars).

 

[Joe_Capitano]

KTNT (now KSTW) in Tacoma, WA used the Indian Head in the 60s, with no callsign, channel number, or city to be seen. Just a big Indian in the middle of the TP.

I remember things a bit differently. KTNT's IHTP replaced the Chief with the following (going from fuzzy memory here):

KTNT TELEVISION
SEATTLE-TACOMA, WASH.
CHANNEL 11

Sometime later, it was decided that the station logo should be used rather than the Chief, so the layout became...

SEATTLE  (Logo)    TACOMA

The cities of license also changed places at some point. When the WKY folks (later Gaylord) took over, the callsign was blacked out for a time before they switched to the good ol' classic IHTP we all know and love ... until they got rid of it and went all color bars on us.

KCTS used the standard, unmodified IHTP back then. KOMO used a variant with the call sign filling the upper section, the words "ABC AFFILIATE" cutting through the left side quad, "SEATTLE" in the middle of that bottom funnel, and a big "4" smack in the middle where the "30" would be.

 

[crainbebo]

OK, thank you! My dad said there was an Indian in Channel 11's Test pattern, but not. Do you have details about KIRO, KING, and KTVW's Test patterns?