Interval signal
Encyclopedia
An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting
and by some domestic broadcasters. Played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, or (most commonly) between programmes in different languages it serves several purposes:
The practice 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.
or Magnetic Fields after "Magnetic Fields Part 1"
by Jean Michel Jarre
.
International broadcasting
International broadcasting is broadcasting that is deliberately aimed at a foreign, rather than a domestic, audience. It usually is broadcast by means of longwave, mediumwave, or shortwave radio, but in recent years has also used direct satellite broadcasting and the Internet as means of reaching...
and by some domestic broadcasters. Played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, or (most commonly) between programmes in different languages it serves several purposes:
- It assists a listener to tune his or her radio to the correct frequency for the station.
- 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 practice began in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and was carried over into shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
broadcasts. The use of interval signals has declined with the advent of digital tuning systems, but has not vanished.
Broadcasting services and interval signals
- BBC World ServiceBBC World ServiceThe BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
in English: Bow BellsSt Mary-le-BowSt Mary-le-Bow is an historic church in the City of London, off Cheapside. According to tradition, a true Cockney must be born within earshot of the sound of the church's bells.-Bells:...
. - BBC World Service in English (occasionally): LillibulleroLillibulleroLillibullero is a march that sets the words of a satirical ballad generally said to be by Lord Thomas Wharton to music attributed to Henry Purcell. Although Purcell published Lillibullero in his compilation Music's Handmaid of 1689 as "a new Irish tune", it is probable that Purcell hijacked the...
. - BBC World Service, non-English, non-Europe: three even notes tuned B-B-C.
- BBC World Service, non-English, to EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
: four notes tuned B-B-B-E, spaced to spell out VVV is the twenty-second letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Letter:The letter V comes from the Semitic letter Waw, as do the modern letters F, U, W, and Y. See F for details....
in morse codeMorse codeMorse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
. - China Radio InternationalChina Radio InternationalChina Radio International , the former Radio Beijing and originally Radio Peking, founded on December 3 of 1941, is one of the three state-owned media in China along with China National Radio and China Central Television in the People's Republic of China .As the PRC's external radio station, CRI...
: chime version of March of the VolunteersMarch of the VolunteersMarch of the Volunteers is the national anthem of the People's Republic of China , written by the noted poet and playwright Tian Han with music composed by Nie Er. This composition is a musical march...
. - Deutsche WelleDeutsche WelleDeutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
Radio: chimes from Beethoven's FidelioFidelioFidelio is a German opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used for the 1798 opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, and for the 1804 opera Leonora...
. - Radio SerbiaInternational Radio of SerbiaThe International Radio of Serbia is the official international broadcasting station of Serbia.The International Radio of Serbia is the only state-run short-wave radio station broadcasting its program to all parts of the world, in thirteen languages: English, French, German, Russian, Spanish,...
: national anthem "Bože pravdeBože pravde"Bože pravde" is the official anthem of Serbia, as defined by the Article 7 of the Constitution of Serbia. "Bože pravde" was the anthem of the Principality of Serbia and Kingdom of Serbia until 1918 when Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was formed. It was recommended by the Parliament of...
". - Radio AustraliaRadio AustraliaRadio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...
: chorus of Waltzing MatildaWaltzing Matilda"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
on chimes. - Radio Canada InternationalRadio Canada InternationalRadio Canada International is the international broadcasting service of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Until 1970, it was known as the CBC International Service and was sometimes referred to as the "Voice of Canada" in its early years.- The early years :The idea for creating an...
: first four notes of O CanadaO CanadaIt has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
played on a piano. - Radio France InternationaleRadio France InternationaleRadio France Internationale was created in 1975 as part of Radio France by the Government of France, and replaced the Poste Colonial , Paris Mondial , Radio Paris , RTF Radio Paris and ORTF Radio Paris...
: electronic-disco, culminating in the last 8 measures of La MarseillaiseLa Marseillaise"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
. - Radio Japan : Kazoe-uta ("Counting song").
- Radio Habana Cuba: melody of the March of the 26th of July.
- Radio Moscow (former service of the Soviet Union): Moscow NightsMoscow Nights"Moscow Nights" or "Midnight in Moscow" is a Russian song, and one of those best known outside its homeland.The song was originally created as "Leningradskie Vechera" by composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky in 1955 , but at the request of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, the...
or Midnight in Moscow. - Radio Norway International (former international shortwave service of NRK, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation): ancient folk tune from the HallingdalHallingdalHallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
region. - Radio NetherlandsRadio NetherlandsRadio Netherlands Worldwide is a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands...
: chime version of the Eighty Years' War song Merck toch hoe sterck. - Radio New Zealand InternationalRadio New Zealand InternationalRadio New Zealand International , a division of Radio New Zealand, is the official international broadcasting station of New Zealand. It broadcasts a variety of news, current affairs and sports programmes in English and news in seven Pacific languages...
: the call of a New Zealand BellbirdNew Zealand BellbirdThe New Zealand Bellbird , also known by its Māori names Korimako or Makomako, is a passerine bird endemic to New Zealand. It has greenish colouration and is the only living member of the genus Anthornis. The bellbird forms a significant component of the famed New Zealand dawn chorus of bird song...
, a distinctive sounding NZ bird species, repeated every 3 minutes. - Radio PoloniaRadio PoloniaPolish Radio External Service is the official international broadcasting station of Poland.Polish Radio External Service is a part of Poland’s public radio network - Polish Radio. Its aim is to broadcast programs on developments in Poland, Polish foreign policy, the economy, business and foreign...
: Etude for Piano No. 12 ("Revolutionary Etude") by Frederic Chopin (historic). - Radio RAI International: bird chirping and bells sound.
- Radio Republik IndonesiaRadio Republik IndonesiaRadio Republik Indonesia is the state radio network of Indonesia. The organization is a public broadcasting service. It is a national radio station that broadcasts all over Indonesia and abroad to serve all Indonesian citizens throughout the nation and overseas. RRI also provides information about...
: Rayuan Pulau KelapaRayuan Pulau KelapaRayuan Pulau Kelapa is an Indonesian song written by Ismail Marzuki , who wrote a number of popular tunes in the country's early post-independence period...
, composed by Ismail MarzukiIsmail MarzukiIsmail Marzuki was an Indonesian composer, songwriter and musician who wrote between 202 and 240 songs between 1931 and 1958, including numerous popular patriotic songs. Among his best known works are "Gugur Bunga" and "Rayuan Pulau Kelapa". In 1968, he was honoured with the creation of Taman...
. - Radio RSARadio RSARadio RSA: The Voice of South Africa was the international broadcasting service of the Republic of South Africa. It was run by the South African Broadcasting Corporation from its inception on 1 May 1966 until its demise in 1992 following the end of the apartheid era...
: The Voice of South Africa (former service of Apartheid-era South African Broadcasting CorporationSouth African Broadcasting CorporationThe South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
): Afrikaner folk tune, "Ver in die Wereld, Kittie". - RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
: O'Donnell Abú. - Radio Slovenia: the European Common CuckooCuckooThe cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
chirping, electronically generated. - Radio Sweden: Ut i vida världen ("Out in the Wide World"), composed by Ralph LundstenRalph LundstenRalph Lundsten is a Swedish composer of electronic music, as well as a film director, artist and author.He was born on 6 October 1936 in Ersnäs, Norrbotten, in northern Sweden, and now lives in Nacka on the outskirts of Stockholm, still close to the forest and the sea...
. - Vatican RadioVatican RadioVatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican.Set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave , medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. The Jesuit Order has been charged with the management of Vatican...
uses the chimes of the clock in St. Peter's Square, Rome, followed by the Papal fanfare. - Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
: Yankee DoodleYankee Doodle"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
played by a brass band. - Voice of KoreaVoice of KoreaVoice of Korea is the international broadcasting service of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It broadcasts primarily information in Korean, Chinese, Spanish, German, English, French, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic...
: melody of the Song of General Kim Il-sungSong of General Kim Il-sung"The Song of General Kim Il-sung" is a North Korean marching song composed by Kim Won-gyun in 1946. As a part of an ongoing cult of personality, the song praising Kim Il-sung, North Korea's "Eternal President", who died in 1994, is still widely played in that country.The first two bars of the song...
. - Voice of RussiaVoice of RussiaVoice of Russia is the Russian government's international radio broadcasting service owned by the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company. Its predecessor Radio Moscow was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.-Early years:Radio Moscow...
: chime version of "Majestic" chorus from the "Great Gate of Kiev" portion of MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
's Pictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an ExhibitionPictures at an Exhibition is a suite in ten movements composed for piano by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874.The suite is Mussorgsky's most famous piano composition, and has become a showpiece for virtuoso pianists...
.
Numbers stations interval signals
Numbers stations are often named after their interval signals, such as The Lincolnshire PoacherLincolnshire Poacher (numbers station)
"The Lincolnshire Poacher" was the nickname of a mysterious, powerful shortwave numbers station that used two bars from the English folk song "The Lincolnshire Poacher" as an interval signal. The radio station was believed to be operated by the British Secret Intelligence Service and emanated from...
or Magnetic Fields after "Magnetic Fields Part 1"
Magnetic Fields (album)
Magnetic Fields is the third mainstream album by Jean Michel Jarre , released on Disques Dreyfus in 1981...
by Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
.
Sources Used
External links
- Interval Signals Online
- Nobuyuki Kawamura's Interval Signal Library
- TRS Consultants' Audio Bytes
- IntervalSignal DataBase (German) English version
- Uwe Volk's Sound Library (available both in English and in German)