Any of you guys remember when the TV day used to sign off?

[Reverend Conehead]

I remember when TV stations used to not all broadcast 24/7. At midnight or 1 AM, they would end their broadcast day, sometimes by playing the national anthem. They would start maybe with some fighter jets flying overhead and then start playing the Star-Spangled Banner and showing beautiful scenery from around the country like Mount Rushmore, national forests, and farm fields. Most of the time, they played the Star-Spangled Banner, but on occasion they would play America the Beautiful, which I've always felt was kind of like a second national anthem and also a great song. It was kind of a cool way to end the day on a patriotic note.

Now with 24/7 TV and streaming TV, we've lost this end of the broadcast day thing. I kind of miss it.

 

[CyberB0b]

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Yep, also seemed like there was much more on TV.

 

[paladin]

I remember the opposite side...turning on the TV, waiting for the tube to warm up, seeing the dot of light expand into a test pattern and, impatiently awaiting the start of cartoons.

 

[paladin]

Yep, also seemed like there was much more on TV.

Nods
5 channels (I lived outside NYC) always something good on.

 

[Runwildboys]

I remember they always aired that boring Indian movie at about 1 a.m.

 

[big dog cowboy]

 

[CouchCoach]

Nothing wrong with that test pattern, at least they didn't put the Indian Chief in the middle like a bulls-eye for a bunch of 9 year old boys with fanner 50's strapped to their hips.

 

[Runwildboys]

Thanks, I couldn't get it to post the image!

 

[cowboyec]

I remember when TV stations used to not all broadcast 24/7. At midnight or 1 AM, they would end their broadcast day, sometimes by playing the national anthem. They would start maybe with some fighter jets flying overhead and then start playing the Star-Spangled Banner and showing beautiful scenery from around the country like Mount Rushmore, national forests, and farm fields. Most of the time, they played the Star-Spangled Banner, but on occasion they would play America the Beautiful, which I've always felt was kind of like a second national anthem and also a great song. It was kind of a cool way to end the day on a patriotic note.

Now with 24/7 TV and streaming TV, we've lost this end of the broadcast day thing. I kind of miss it.

i remember it was a big deal to stay up til the national anthem.
and then one night...instead of signing off...they stayed on...with an info-merical.
some channels played old movies.
but i remember the fighter jets well.

 

[DanteEXT]

Yeah I remember that. Long time ago.

 

[Vtwin]

Ah, the good old days.
Back when tobacco companies could advertise and pharmaceutical companies couldn't.

 

[CyberB0b]

I always wondered why TV stations signed off. From what I remember, it was around 2-3am, and they would start up again in a few hours. Why not run some programming during that time?

 

[DBOY3141]

yes indeed

 

[Runwildboys]

I always wondered why TV stations signed off. From what I remember, it was around 2-3am, and they would start up again in a few hours. Why not run some programming during that time?

Since they were only paid by advertising, I assume they felt they're wouldn't be enough people watching, and advertisers wouldn't want to pay for airtime when nobody was seeing their commercials.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Ah, the good old days.
Back when tobacco companies could advertise and pharmaceutical companies couldn't.

I remember the cigarette ads. Those have been gone a long time. I think they nixxed them in about '72. Recently, I found an old Cowboys game on Youtube that still had the ads in. A cigarette ad came on and I was like, whoah!

I do find the prescription drug ads annoying. They go on and on about how great their drug is, then all of a sudden, they're like, "May cause asthma, epileptic spazzes or death." I'm like, WTH, I thought you said it was so great.

 

[DanteEXT]

Since they were only paid by advertising, I assume they felt they're wouldn't be enough people watching, and advertisers wouldn't want to pay for airtime when nobody was seeing their commercials.

That was what I was thinking though this thread had me curious. I did find that in the mid-80's the FCC rescinded the policy banning program-length television commercials. Helped usher in the infomercial.

 

[Runwildboys]

Since they were only paid by advertising, I assume they felt they're wouldn't be enough people watching, and advertisers wouldn't want to pay for airtime when nobody was seeing their commercials.

Since they were only paid by advertising, I assume they felt there wouldn't be enough people watching, and advertisers wouldn't want to pay for airtime when nobody was seeing their commercials.

Fixed it for me.

 

[CouchCoach]

Since they were only paid by advertising, I assume they felt there wouldn't be enough people watching, and advertisers wouldn't want to pay for airtime when nobody was seeing their commercials.

Fixed it for me.

There wasn't enough product or the budgets to produce them.

 

[Hardline]

Back before the lame arse late night talk shows and infomercials. Mrs. Cleo and phone numbers of hot chicks that really wanted to talk to you for only 10 bucks a minute.