Well, there's always CHU, Canada's Time Station.

A friend and I always used to do this ridiculous sketch about CHU, where people would call up and request their favourite time.

----------------------

"Yes, I'd like to hear 5:54 PM please."

"We'll get it on in about an hour, sir. Anyone you want to dedicate it to?"

"Yes, my girlfriend Sophie, who accused me of being late for dinner."

"OK, we'll do it for Sophie. What's your favourite radio station all the time?"

"CHU Canada!"

"Yours, mine and hours!"

Beep!
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It was a stupid idea then and it's just as stupid now. But it always made us laugh anyway!

turkeytop wrote:

If you want accuracy and timliness, just listen to it on real radio.

Online streaming is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining.

The problem is that the “real” radio itself is now subject to delayed audio.

RadioAaron wrote:

[
Also, some bad news: Even when you’re listening to “real” radio, it is in fact re-broadcasting an online stream.

@RadioAaron can you explain? Are you referring to radio's automation systems? 

The article is slightly misleading - it was broadcast at 1:00pm Eastern time, not 1:00pm nationwide which the article seems to suggest.

In BC it’s broadcast at 10:00am Pacific time and I’ve heard it on CBC Calgary, at 11:00am Mountain. It seems the beeps were broadcast simultaneously across the network but the preceding announcement was tailored to the time zone of the transmitter.

Last edited by MJ Vancouver (October 10, 2023 3:00 pm)

MJ Vancouver wrote:

The article is slightly misleading - it was broadcast at 1:00pm Eastern time, not 1:00pm nationwide which the article seems to suggest.

In BC it’s broadcast at 10:00am Pacific time and I’ve heard it on CBC Calgary, at 11:00am Mountain. It seems the beeps were broadcast simultaneously across the network but the preceding announcement was tailored to the time zone of the transmitter.

The differences in the regions even within the same timezone. On CBC Calgary, the NRC announcement is voiced by Katherine Duncan, while I think CBC Edmonton got the network voiceover guy. 

And for the low cost of just $19 (plus shipping), you can have a commemorative tea towel celebrating the NRC time signal on CBC, customized to your local time zone.
https://www.saboothroyd.com/products/tea-towel-cbc-the-beginning-of-the-long-dash-10am-1pm
 

The linked article is from the CBC itself. And this line stood out to me:

"CBC declined an interview and would only provide written responses to questions about the change." 

So the CBC wouldn't talk to itself? What a weird place it is when a reporter from their own organization can't get hold of anyone in charge to answer a question about their own network.

Maybe if they'd called at the exact stroke of 1 PM. Not that they know when that is anymore...

RadioActive wrote:

Well, there's always CHU, Canada's Time Station.

A friend and I always used to do this ridiculous sketch about CHU, where people would call up and request their favourite time.

----------------------

"Yes, I'd like to hear 5:54 PM please."

"We'll get it on in about an hour, sir. Anyone you want to dedicate it to?"

"Yes, my girlfriend Sophie, who accused me of being late for dinner."

"OK, we'll do it for Sophie. What's your favourite radio station all the time?"

"CHU Canada!"

"Yours, mine and hours!"

Beep!
---------------
It was a stupid idea then and it's just as stupid now. But it always made us laugh anyway!

Made me chuckle! Mind you, another song request could be 8:15 by the Guess Who…..!
 

RadioActive wrote:

Or perhaps the CBC could replace it at 1 PM with the Guess Who's "No Time." And it would be CanCon!

 
Bingo!

Tomas Barlow wrote:

turkeytop wrote:

I=Online streaming is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining.

It never gets any less ridiculous no matter how many times you repeat it.

How could it get less ridiculous when it isn't ridiculous to begin with? Makes perfect sense.
 

Well, at least one ancient tradition continues. Even if there's no long dash. How about a long bell?

Bong! Big Ben broadcasts to return to Radio 4’s regular schedule 

It wasn't just at 1 PM. In Britain, the BBC has those "pips" marking the top of the hour every 60 minutes. Now, like the CBC, there's a huge debate about whether there's any point in keeping those time indicators, thanks to digital delays and other factors.

I love this story. Turns out, they're been marking time on the Beeb for 100 years, with Feb. 5, 1924 officially marking that centennial. Now the issue has become something of a cause celebre in England, with those who want to keep the tones facing off with those arguing they should be cut. And in typical BBC fashion, they did an entire show dedicated to the topic of 'should they stay or should they go?'

It turns out, dealing with this issue for the on-air people is a lot harder than it may seem, leading to the danger they might walk all over them, something those at CityNews 680 certainly can sympathize with. 

"Today Programme presenter Mishal Husain says that the 'safe' moment to stop before the pips start is '59.54' - six seconds before the end of the hour.

'It is like a speeding car. And often I feel you are in that speeding car with a road block in front of you, which is the pips,' she says.

'So there is a kind of horror, and also a challenge in trying to slam the brakes on the car just before.'

Personally, I think they should restrict them just to the evenings, when people are happy to be home. They could call it "Glad It's Night, With The Pips..."

After 100 years, isn't it FINALLY time to ditch the pips? BBC dedicates entire radio show to debate scrapping the six beeps at the top of the hour after switch to digital made them far less accurate

Notice how BBC has even incorporated "The Pips" in their dramatic openings for their TV newscasts..
https://www.google.com/search?q=bbc+news+theme&rlz=1C1GGRV_enCA751CA751&oq=&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBEEUYOxjCAzIJCAAQRRg7GMIDMgkIARBFGDsYwgMyCQgCEEUYOxjCAzIJCAMQRRg7GMIDMgkIBBBFGDsYwgMyCQgFEEUYOxjCAzIJCAYQRRg7GMIDMgkIBxBFGDsYwgPSAQk0MzI2M2owajeoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:19f1607d,vid:xxqTXlMVizg,st:117