Time signal

A time signal is a distinctive sequence of notes that every hour often signaled in a radio program with a Vorkennung. It usually consists of five short blasts on the last seconds before the hour, followed by a different ( longer, deeper ) sound exactly on the hour beginning.

Later this service was also taken from the TV stations, however, only the beginning of their newscasts and not every hour einblendeten a clock, sending a sequence of beeps as the radio to do so.

When ZDF the opening and closing credits of the newscast subject today one composed by Peter Herbolzheimer melody, in the course of which the Morse code for the letters h, e, u, t, e the sequence of beeps · · · · · · · - · processed several times is.

This time characters were in earlier times the audience for comparison over time to provide their precise mechanical watches. Today, it is becoming more and more obsolete by automatically synchronized clocks that receive either by radio waves a time signal for example DCF77 or time information from the RDS, teletext or EPG data extract, which also come from the broadcasters.

In some countries ( eg Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe) was and is partially usual until today to send the full hour a time signal, even if no newscast follows. The time signal is then performed either in the background of the current program or in a short break. This practice is still in use today at the RAI in Italy or at Catalunya Ràdio in Catalonia. At some stations there and there was also time on the half hour mark.

• Broadcasting
• Time signal