WCBS-TV Channel 2 Sign-off and Sign-on from 1977

WCBS-TV Channel 2, New York City
Sign-Off and Sign-On recorded circa 1977

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Sign-off and sign-on of the CBS Network's flagship station combined in one clip. The video commences with the closing of The Late Late Show (local late movie) followed by a religious PSA. Then comes the Give Us This Day message delivered by a Los Angeles Rabbi. The live sign-off announcement, delivered by Pat Connell, follows with a mix-up of the slide graphics (presumably the person handling those had been dozing a little bit), followed by the National Anthem film that all CBS owned-and-operated TV stations at the time used (e.g., WBBM-TV in Chicago). Afterwards its about one minute of the black-and-white 1940s-vintage WCBS-TV test pattern (which actually ran about an hour between the sign-off and sign-on). Then Channel 2 signs on for a new day (again done live by Connell), which displays a rather greenish NAB Seal of Good Practice.

CBS 2, as WCBS-TV brands itself currently, is the second oldest operating commercial TV station in the United States, but by only an hour or so. It was licensed as WCBW by the FCC on 24 June 1941, the same day as New York's NBC station WNBT Channel 1 (now WNBC Channel 4). By FCC regulation, both NBC and CBS was to commence operations on 1 July 1941 at exactly 1 PM local time, so that neither station could claim a "first". WNBT was launched right on time, but WCBW experienced technical difficulties of some kind, and was not able to sign on until 2:30 that afternoon.

Page edited Sunday, 2 October 2016