Two Blue Ridge Public Television Sign-Offs from Summer 1988

The first sign-off was recorded on an early weekday afternoon and features a few shots of BRPTV technicians at work. I suspect that BRPTV also used this clip at sign-on time as well, for no mention of signing-off is mentioned. The second clip was recorded late at night and displays video of the Roanoke skyline at night, then to some very brief color bars before the carrier is cut. The BRPTV stations are WBRA-TV 15, Roanoke, WSBN-TV 47, Norton, and WMSY-TV 52, Marion.

WDBJ-TV 7, Roanoke VA
Sign-Off from Autumn 1988

Simple station ID graphic followed by a choral recording of "America the Beautiful" with still photos of scenes from all over Virginia supplied by the Virginia State Travel Service. The sign-off announcement is rendered by long-time WDBJ-TV announcer and personality Irv Sharp, who passed away in 1993.

WEFC-TV 38 (now WPXR), Roanoke VA Sign-Off and Sign-On from Autumn 1988

Sign-Off and Sign-On combined into one clip. Both feature live video scenes of the WEFC-TV studios and equipment. At the time of this recording, Channel 38 was an independent station that aired Christian and family-friendly programming. It is currently WPXR-TV, Roanoke's ION Network owned-and-operated station.

WSET-TV 13, Lynchburg VA
Sign-Off from Autumn 1988

The clip begins with Michael Guido's "Seed From The Sower" sermonette, followed by the sign-off announcement. Most unusual for this date is that WSET mentions subscribing to the NAB's Television Code, which the NAB had abolished five years earlier. This is a composite clip taken from two seperate recordings of the sign-off. Watch carefully for the shift in video quality right before the Mormon SSB film starts.

WVFT-TV 27 (now WFXR) Roanoke VA Sign-Off from Autumn 1988

Slickly-made computer-generated animated sign-off (unfortunately, the first few seconds of it is missing). The SSB Iwo Jima Memorial film was most likely produced by the U.S. Marine Corps, for it has the address and phone number of the Roanoke recruiting office posted at the end. In 1993 independent Channel 27 joined with Fox charter affiliate WJPR (now WWCW) to become "FOX 21/27" (WVFT's call changed to the current WFXR the same year).

WSLS-TV 10, Roanoke VA
Sign-Off from Summer 1989

Sign-off clip of Roanoke's first TV station, which starts off with a promo for A Current Affair. From there it's on to "Words To Live By", featuring Rabbi Jerome Fox of the Beth Israel Synagogue rendering a Hebrew chant. Following that is the WSLS sign-off, featuring night views of Roanoke and the Channel 10 studio building. Look carefully toward the end and you will get a glimpse of the 1950's-vintage NBC-TV "Color Chimes" logo underneath the Channel 10 sign.

WSET-TV 13, Lynchburg VA
Sign-Off from Autumn 1989

A then-new sign-off clip, replacing the earlier version posted above. This one features music by James Taylor and video of Lynchburg folks engaged in numerous summertime activities. It also has a fine cast of assorted rural mailboxes. Like the 1988 clip posted above, this one also is preceded by Michael Guido's "Seed From The Sower".

As far as my memory goes (back to the early 1970s), Roanoke's NBC affiliate never used the SSB or any patriotic music in its sign-offs or sign-ons except in this instance. The sign-off uses the SSB as background music which accompanies video shots of downtown Roanoke. The sign-off is preceded by the soon-to-be-axed Words To Live By, delivered by a Church Of The Brethren pastor.

Fox 21 & 27, Lynchburg/Roanoke
Sign-Off from June 1993

In 1993 Roanoke's WVFT-TV 27 (now WFXR) joined together with Lynchburg's WJPR-TV 21 (now WWCW) to become "FOX 21/27". This clip features an animated Fox 21/27 logo sign-off announcement, followed by a U.S. Air Force National Anthem film where "Old Glory" sits stationary in the middle of the screen.

WDBJ-TV 7, Roanoke VA
Sign-Off from June 1993

Features a wonderful acoustic guitar rendition of "America The Beautiful" by Brad Jones, presumably a local musician, which serves as background music for numerous video views of various points of interest in the Old Dominion State.

WSLS-TV 10, Roanoke VA
Sign-Off and Sign-On
from June 1993

Combined sign-off and sign-on in one video file, both recorded on a Sunday morning in June 1993. Starts off with a Channel 10 News promo, then on to the short sign-off which features the Channel 10 logo descending behind a mountain at the very end. After several seconds of black comes a minute or so of musical color bars, then the sign-on which has the Channel 10 logo emerging from behind the mountains at the start. The sign-on is followed by a music video piece called "Spirit Of Virginia", which was a slogan WSLS-TV was using at the time.