Test Patterns with Music Instead of Tones

[Stanislav]

Back when you could still see test patterns in the wee hours, some stations broadcast music over the TP rather than tones, especially in the period prior to sign-on. (Tones would still be used during actual "tests," of course.) The most famous example of this is probably WCBS-2 in New York, which used music over its classic bulls-eye TP in the brief period between the end of the Late, Late Show (or was it the Late, Late, LATE Show?) and the start of the morning schedule. What are some others? What type of music did they use (I seem to recall from the stations I saw, it was often inoffensive "easy listening" or "101 Strings" type stuff) and was it generated in-house or was a local FM station rebroadcast?

 

[ercjncpr]

Back when you could still see test patterns in the wee hours, some stations broadcast music over the TP rather than tones, especially in the period prior to sign-on. (Tones would still be used during actual "tests," of course.) The most famous example of this is probably WCBS-2 in New York, which used music over its classic bulls-eye TP in the brief period between the end of the Late, Late Show (or was it the Late, Late, LATE Show?) and the start of the morning schedule. What are some others? What type of music did they use (I seem to recall from the stations I saw, it was often inoffensive "easy listening" or "101 Strings" type stuff) and was it generated in-house or was a local FM station rebroadcast?

The short lived UHF KMTW Channel 52 (Los Angeles) used Bert Kaemfert's Orchestra playing "That Happy Feeling"

 

[ixnay]

WPHL-17 Phila. used this technique in the late '70s, using light pop songs IIR. One time I heard Todd Rundgren's version of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" during WPHL's test pattern. BTW, Rundgren's version reached #34 in the summer of 1976 according to my Whitburn book. For those who don't know, Rundgren is a native of Upper Darby, PA - literally next to Philadelphia. (Again, according to Whitburn.)

ixnay

 

[mleach]

WHSV channel 3 in Harrisonburg, VA actually played themes of various ABC shows back in the late 70s.

I remember hearing themes from Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, Eight is Enough, Whats Happening, The Love Boat. Even SWAT !!!

WHSV also played the themes of hello, Larry, Diff'rent Strokes and Real People as well, since at the time they aired a few select NBC shows in the 7 to 8pm timeslot.

 

[Ultimajock]

...I can recall KFIZ-TV/34 Fond du Lac, WI, using a tape of assorted popular instrumental records in 1971-72, including Paul Mauriat's "Love is Blue," "Overture from Tommy" by The Assembled Multitude, "Cast Your Fate To the Wind" by Sounds Orchestral, and "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams...WSAU-TV/7 Wausau used George Benson's "Breezin'" a few years later...

 

[davect]

I recall in the 70's WLVI 56 Cambridge/Boston (probably still WKBG at the time) used to play instrumental "elevator music" over the indian head test pattern.

 

[compubit]

KNAZ in Flagstaff played NBC themes during it's test pattern periods in the early 90s...

Jim

 

[kirkiefan]

As a kid I remember the instructional programming aired by MPATI in the mid 1960s...I even remember the experimental call signs KS2XGA Channel 72 and KS2XGD Channel 76 and the vintage DC6 airplane flying over Montpelier near Hartford City,Indiana which transmitted its programming.
It aired Muzak-type music between programs while the old Indian head test patern was shown.

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


The former WKTR-TV in Kettering, Ohio(now WPTD) in the late 1960s aired popular songs while color bars were displayed.

 

[ixnay]

kirkiefan, I neglected to mention that WPHL also used color bars over (or behind) their music. Their legal ID/logo appeared continuously along the bottommost tier of the screen, in transparent form.

ixnay

 

[therealjm12]

WUTR TV20 (Utica) played Pink Floyd over color bars.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

WUTR TV20 (Utica) played Pink Floyd over color bars.

Did you hear dogs barking?

 

[FreddyE1977]

WQED and WQEX in Pittsburgh would run a mixture of classical pieces, Benny Goodman
and bluegrass stuff.

WTRF in Wheeling, WV would use instrumental, easy-listening near-Country pieces
(like Floyd Kramer's "Music Box Dancer", etc.)

 

[crainbebo]

I believe WKBD in Detroit used music in the early 80s...

-crainbebo

 

[Bluenoser]

In my neck of the woods, both CHSJ Saint John and ATV both ran music on their test patterns (in CHSJ's case, 30 min prior to sign-on). CHSJ leaned more towards Muzak, whereas ATV had a bit more variety in their music...I remember hearing a Paul McCartney tune on ATV once (Uncle Albert, I think that's the title?)

 

[gr8oldies]

I think it was WNDU 16 in South Bend who used to track a Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass LP in the 60s. I didn't realize stations were still doing that in the late 70s.

 

[crainbebo]

WTOL also used music around the time 'KBD did...this would be around '81.

-crainbebo

 

[The King Bee]

I remember WHAS-TV Louisville playing jazz under test pattern from transmmtter turn-on at 6 am until program sign-on at either 6:30 weekdays or 7:00 weekends throughout the Sixties.

 

[stdjsb25]

KETK in Tyler at one point ran the instrumental version of NBC's 1988-89 "Come Home to the Best, Only on NBC" jingle. But that was for a short time only prior to KETK going 24/7 in the early 90s.

 

[4dude]

I remember one time when a channel here accidently left a MIC open in the studio and instead of a tone,you heard what was going on in the room ;D (Until some idiot called and told them)

 

[Bob1370]

WROC-TV in Rochester, in the late 70s-early 80s before it began programming 24/7, would run some strange electronic music instrumentals accompanying the color bars (with a station ID in the lower right corner where the black level is shown), with a fast disco-style tempo (110 beats a minute or faster)--melodies like no pop tune I'd ever heard. Could be they were put together in-house.