The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Global sign-off

Dale Patterson · February 27, 2022 11:57 am

I was scanning the TV around 4:30 this morning and much to my surprise discovered that Global TV had signed off. All they were showing was the Global logo. I thought the days of TV stations signing off were long gone but I guess not.

paterson1 · February 27, 2022 12:49 pm

They have been signing off briefly for years even more than a decade, but it is only for half an hour or less. Don't really know why they would bother but I believe it is pretty much every night. If it's for technical reasons then why don't other stations do the same?

Last edited by paterson1 (February 27, 2022 1:17 pm)

ED1 · February 27, 2022 3:10 pm

paterson1 wrote:
They have been signing off briefly for years even more than a decade, but it is only for half an hour or less. Don't really know why they would bother but I believe it is pretty much every night. If it's for technical reasons then why don't other stations do the same?

I thought it was to reset the start time of regular programming, since the tail end of the schedule ends in a random time like 4:37 or something, and they use that sign off time to have the schedules go back to :00 and :30. The sign-off time on Global is usually less than half an hour, and all Global stations do it.

Dale Patterson · February 27, 2022 4:10 pm

Naturally, there's a TV sign-off site...

https://www.tv-signoffs.com/

paterson1 · February 27, 2022 7:06 pm

ED1 wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
They have been signing off briefly for years even more than a decade, but it is only for half an hour or less. Don't really know why they would bother but I believe it is pretty much every night. If it's for technical reasons then why don't other stations do the same?
I thought it was to reset the start time of regular programming, since the tail end of the schedule ends in a random time like 4:37 or something, and they use that sign off time to have the schedules go back to :00 and :30. The sign-off time on Global is usually less than half an hour, and all Global stations do it.

That's likely what is happening ED1, but they could do what CTV does overnight. All they do is cut some of the promo and commercials on a show like Seinfeld to get back to the regular start times. I have seen Seinfeld overnight on CTV2 only play two promos or ads in a break to catch up on the time. So they have a show that actually only runs 25 minutes or so.

Radiowiz · February 27, 2022 8:34 pm

Why does Global sign off? Where are the infomercials?? That's a lot of money right there not being generated!

MJ Vancouver · February 27, 2022 8:45 pm

paterson1 wrote:
ED1 wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
They have been signing off briefly for years even more than a decade, but it is only for half an hour or less. Don't really know why they would bother but I believe it is pretty much every night. If it's for technical reasons then why don't other stations do the same?
I thought it was to reset the start time of regular programming, since the tail end of the schedule ends in a random time like 4:37 or something, and they use that sign off time to have the schedules go back to :00 and :30. The sign-off time on Global is usually less than half an hour, and all Global stations do it.
That's likely what is happening ED1, but they could do what CTV does overnight. All they do is cut some of the promo and commercials on a show like Seinfeld to get back to the regular start times. I have seen Seinfeld overnight on CTV2 only play two promos or ads in a break to catch up on the time. So they have a show that actually only runs 25 minutes or so.

On the west coast, CTV shows Your Morning overnight starting at 3am - which of course is 6am in Toronto - followed by the local CTV Morning Live starting at 5:30.

paterson1 · February 27, 2022 9:08 pm

MJ Vancouver wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
ED1 wrote:

I thought it was to reset the start time of regular programming, since the tail end of the schedule ends in a random time like 4:37 or something, and they use that sign off time to have the schedules go back to :00 and :30. The sign-off time on Global is usually less than half an hour, and all Global stations do it.
That's likely what is happening ED1, but they could do what CTV does overnight. All they do is cut some of the promo and commercials on a show like Seinfeld to get back to the regular start times. I have seen Seinfeld overnight on CTV2 only play two promos or ads in a break to catch up on the time. So they have a show that actually only runs 25 minutes or so.
On the west coast, CTV shows Your Morning overnight starting at 3am - which of course is 6am in Toronto - followed by the local CTV Morning Live starting at 5:30.

We get the short end of the stick for local morning programming. CTV has local morning shows all across the country except for Ontario and Quebec. All we get are the ladies from CTV News Channel Your Morning giggling all during the show. Seems like every time I tune them in they are playing videos of pets and children with the odd pretty sunrise/sunset thrown in...BORING! At least Canada AM was a real show.

RadioActive · February 27, 2022 9:44 pm

paterson1 wrote:
At least Canada AM was a real show.

I wonder how many people remember the forerunner of Canada AM. It was on CTV in 1966. And yes, it had puppets.

Canada AM didn't make an appearance until Sept. 11, 1972.

RadioActive · February 27, 2022 10:18 pm

Bill Dulmage wrote:
Tons of sign-off's on YouTube too.

I have this great and rare LP on Warner Bros. Records called "The Age Of Television." It's narrated by Milton Berle (aka the one time 50s "Mr. Television") and Hugh Downs.

It tries to encapsulate the history of TV in sound, of all things, from the beginning of the medium until the album was recorded in 1971. Needless to say, they could never have predicted what was to come in the years ahead, including cable, satellite and streaming!

In any event, the album ends with a mini-bit of classical music over which they overlay the sound of all the New York City TV stations signing off for the night, with those traditional old announcements. It's weird to say, but it still sends a chill down my spine every time I hear it. Which, come to think of it, isn't very often. I don't think I've listened to the thing in 30 years or more.

Either way, it's a classic piece of TV history and a really tremendous finish to an obscure and very odd LP.

Front Cover:

Back Cover:

RadioAaron · February 27, 2022 11:21 pm

paterson1 wrote:
We get the short end of the stick for local morning programming. CTV has local morning shows all across the country except for Ontario and Quebec. All we get are the ladies from CTV News Channel Your Morning giggling all during the show. Seems like every time I tune them in they are playing videos of pets and children with the odd pretty sunrise/sunset thrown in...BORING! At least Canada AM was a real show.

Exception: Ottawa

Radiowiz · February 28, 2022 12:59 am

Dale Patterson wrote:
I was scanning the TV around 4:30 this morning and much to my surprise discovered that Global TV had signed off.

Instead of signing off, or maybe going to infomercials, maybe Big Brother Canada should consider airing a live stream of the Big Brother house in that late night timeslot.
BB is where Global seems to be doing well with businesses glad to sponsor... https://mediaincanada.com/2022/02/23/three-new-sponsors-join-big-brother-canada/

ED1 · February 28, 2022 2:42 am

paterson1 wrote:
ED1 wrote:
paterson1 wrote:
They have been signing off briefly for years even more than a decade, but it is only for half an hour or less. Don't really know why they would bother but I believe it is pretty much every night. If it's for technical reasons then why don't other stations do the same?
I thought it was to reset the start time of regular programming, since the tail end of the schedule ends in a random time like 4:37 or something, and they use that sign off time to have the schedules go back to :00 and :30. The sign-off time on Global is usually less than half an hour, and all Global stations do it.
That's likely what is happening ED1, but they could do what CTV does overnight. All they do is cut some of the promo and commercials on a show like Seinfeld to get back to the regular start times. I have seen Seinfeld overnight on CTV2 only play two promos or ads in a break to catch up on the time. So they have a show that actually only runs 25 minutes or so.

The sign off block is only 23 minutes long. It’s probably also a buffer in the event the schedule gets delayed because of whatever. The sign off block makes a terrible lead-in to Global News Morning in BC/Calgary/Edmonton (they start at 5 AM) 😂

Kinda wish there was a proper sign on during that time (national anthem, station identification).

Last edited by ED1 (February 28, 2022 2:43 am)

Dale Patterson · February 28, 2022 9:55 am

Remember test patterns?

https://kottke.org/19/06/vintage-tv-test-patterns

Retrontario · February 28, 2022 10:26 am

I always thought it remarkable that in the 70s and early 80s, both Global TV and Citytv signed off with a song by Tommy Ambrose:

"Point of View"

"People City"

Media Observer · February 28, 2022 3:40 pm

paterson1 wrote:
We get the short end of the stick for local morning programming. CTV has local morning shows all across the country except for Ontario and Quebec. All we get are the ladies from CTV News Channel Your Morning giggling all during the show. Seems like every time I tune them in they are playing videos of pets and children with the odd pretty sunrise/sunset thrown in...BORING! At least Canada AM was a real show.

A perfect summation of the situation, here in Southern Ontario.