Interval signal

Historical interval signal of the BBC

RAVAG interval signal, clock ticking 270/min (9 in 2 sec)

An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting, numbers stations, and by some domestic broadcasters, played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, but most commonly between programs in different languages.

It serves several purposes:

• It helps a listener using a radio with an analog tuner to find the correct frequency.
• It informs other stations that the frequency is in use.
• It serves as a station identifier even if the language used in the subsequent broadcast is not one the listener understands.

The practice began in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and was carried over into shortwave broadcasts. The use of interval signals has declined with the advent of digital tuning systems, but has not vanished. Interval signals were not required on commercial channels in the United States, where jingles were used as identification.

List of interval signals by station

• Rádio Nacional de Angola:

Rádio Nacional de Angola

• Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior: First eight notes of "Mi Buenos Aires querido" by Carlos Gardel, followed by people saying the station's name in eight languages.

Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior

• Bangladesh Betar: A tune composed by Samar Das.

Interval signal for Radio Bangladesh

• Radio Belarus: "Motherland, my dear" (Belarusian: be:Радзіма мая дарагая, Russian: Родина моя дорогая) by Vladimir Olovnikov  [ ru; be ] and Ales Bachyla.

Radio Belarus

• Rádio Brasil Internacional: Xylophone version of "Brazilian Flag Anthem" (Brazilian Portuguese: Hino à Bandeira Nacional) by Francisco Braga and Olavo Bilac.^{[ citation needed ]}
• Radio Bulgaria:

Radio Sofia

• Radio Burkina:

Radio Burkina

•  China:

• China National Radio and China Radio International: Chime version of March of the Volunteers (义勇军进行曲).

China National Radio

China Radio International

• CRI Indonesian Radio (and Radio Peking, predecessor of China Radio International): 东方红 ("The East Is Red").

CRI Indonesian

• Voice of the Strait News Radio: Bell version of "Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" (三大纪律八项注意).

Interval signal for Voice of the Strait

• Radio Habana Cuba: Refrain of "March of the 26th of July" ( es:La Marcha del 26 de Julio ) by Agustín Díaz Cartaya.

Radio Habana Cuba

• DR P1: "Drømte mig en drøm i nat", played on metallophone. ^[1]

Interval signal for DR P1

• Radio Ethiopia:

Radio Ethiopia

• Radio France Internationale: Electronic-disco, culminating in the last 8 measures of "La Marseillaise".

Radio France Internationale

• Deutsche Welle: "Es sucht der Bruder seine Brüder" from Fidelio (Act2 No.16 Finale. Heil sei dem Tag!) by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Interval signal for DW

• Voice of Greece: "The Little Shepherd" ( el:Ο Τσομπανάκος ), played on floghera. ^[2]

Interval signal for Voice of Greece

• All India Radio: A tune composed by Walter Kaufmann or Thakur Balwant Singh, used since 1936. ^[3]

Interval signal for All India Radio

• Indonesia
  • RRI Programa 3: Ending bars of "Solace on Coconut Island" (Rayuan Pulau Kelapa), composed by Ismail Marzuki.

RRI Programa 3

• • RRI Regional: "Love Ambon" by George de Fretes

RRI Regional

• • RRI Voice of Indonesia: "Feeling of Love" ( Rasa Sayang ).^{[ citation needed ]}
• RTÉ Radio 1: 2nd segment of "O'Donnell Forever" ( O'Donnell Abú ). ^[4]

RTÉ Radio 1

• NHK Radio Japan: "KazoeUta (Hitotsu to ya)" (数え歌, counting-out game).

NHK Radio Japan

• Radio Nikkei: Kan Ishii

Radio Nikkei

• Radio Nepal: A tune composed by Ustad Govinda Lal Nepali.

Interval signal for Radio Nepal

•  North Korea

• Voice of Korea: Melody of "Song of General Kim Il-sung" (김일성장군의 노래).

Voice of Korea

• Pyongyang FM  [ ko ]: Melody of "Song of General Kim Jong-il" (김정일장군의 노래).

Pyongyang FM

• KBS World Radio: "Dawn" (여명); Korean kids song "Moon, moon, bright moon" (달아 달아 밝은달아)

KBS World Radio - Dawn

KBS World Radio - Moon, moon, bright moon

• RTL Radio: last segment of "lb:De Feierwon" by Michel Lentz, played on chimes. ^[5]

RTL Radio

• Radio Madagascar (mg:Radio Madagasikara):

Radio Madagascar

• Radio Mauritania:

Radio Mauritania

• Voice of Mongolia: "Motherland" (Эх орон) by Luvsanjambyn Mördorj. ^[6]

Interval signal for Voice of Mongolia

• Radio New Zealand International: The call of a New Zealand bellbird

Radio New Zealand International

• ORTN:

Office of Radio and Television of Niger

• Radio Pakistan: A tune composed by Khwaja Khursheed Anwar.

Radio Pakistan

•  Philippines:

• Far East Broadcasting Company: 2nd segment of "We Have Heard the Joyful Sound (Jesus Saves)".

FEBC

• Radio Veritas Asia: "O via, vita, veritas".

Radio Veritas Asia

• : Qatar Radio

Qatar Radio

• Radio Romania International: The first nine notes of “Pui de lei", lyrics by Ioan S. Nenițescu and song by Ionel G. Brătianu  [ ro ]

Radio Romania International

•  Russia

• Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.

Radio Mayak

• Radio Sakha: Excerpt from a Yakut folk song.^{[ citation needed ]}

Radio Sakha

• : Radio Rwanda

Radio Rwanda

• : Radio Saudi International

Radio Saudi International

• Radio Slovenia: Electronically generated cuckoo chirping.

Radio Slovenia

• : Radio Uganda

Radio Uganda

• Radio Ukraine International: "The Wide Dniepr Roars and Moans" (Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий).

Radio Ukraine International

• BBC World Service:

• English programme: "Bow Bells", 10 change-ringing bells.
• Non-English programme, non-Europe: three notes tuned B–B–C.
• Non-English programme, to Europe: four notes tuned B–B–B–E.

Interval signals for BBC World Service

•  United States:

• NBC: 3 chime-like notes.

Interval signal for NBC

• Trans World Radio (TWR)

• Trans World Radio: Hymne Monégasque (Monaco anthem)

Trans World Radio

• TWR Europe: Amazing Grace

TWR Europe

• TWR Albania: last segment of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

TWR Albania

• TWR Guam: first part of "We've a story to tell to the nations"

KTWR

• TWR Africa: last part of "We've a story to tell to the nations"

TWR Africa

• TWR Bonaire: last part of Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus by George James Webb, in various renditions

TWR Bonaire

• Voice of America: Brass band version of "Yankee Doodle".

Interval signal for Voice of America

• WEWN, later EWTN Global Radio: "Salve Regina" (in simple tone) by Henri Dumont

WEWN

• Vatican Radio: "Christus Vincit" by fr:Aloys Kunc.

Interval signal for Vatican Radio

• Radio Nacional de Venezuela's Canal Internacional  [ es ]: Beginning of "Alma Llanera" by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado.

Radio Nacional de Venezuela

• Đài tiếng nói Việt Nam (VOV): latter half of "vi:Diệt phát xít"

Voice of Vietnam

Formerly used

• Radio Tirana: Këputa një gjethe dafine (transmission intro); the trumpet version of With Pickaxe and Rifle.

Radio Tirana - Këputa një gjethe dafine

Radio Tirana - Në njërën dorë kazmën në tjetrën pushkën

• Radio Australia: chorus segment of Waltzing Matilda ; Kookaburra call; News signature tune: Majestic Fanfare .

Radio Australia

• Radio Österreich International: An der schönen blauen Donau ("Blue Danube Waltz") by Johann Strauss. ^[7]

Radio Österreich International

• Ö1: Three notes signifying O–R–F by Werner Pirchner, played on viola. ^[8]

Interval signal for Ö1

• ORF:

1st Program: Schubert, Rosamunde, Ballet Music 2

Österreichischer Rundfunk

3rd Program: Haydn, Surprise Symphony

Österreichischer Rundfunk

• RTBF International:

Où peut-on être mieux qu’au sein de sa famille ?  [ fr ].

RTBF International

Benoit, Beiaardlied

RTBF International

• Rádio Nacional: Luar do Sertão ("Hinterlands Moonlight").

Rádio Nacional

• Radio Canada International: First four notes of O Canada , played on piano (played in G major) , an electronic square wave ^[9] (played in Bb major) , or autoharp (played in D major).

Radio Canada International

• Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: closing segment of Avkoritissa (Αυκορίτισσα), a traditional Cypriot song of Avgorou ^[10]

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation

• Radio Prague:

• Smetana, Má vlast, 1. Vyšehrad

Czechoslovak Radio

• last segment of Kupředu levá ("Forward, Left") by cs:Jan Seidl

Radio Prague

• Adagio – Allegro molto from Symphony No. 9 by Dvořák.

Radio Prague

• Radio Denmark: Nielsen, Moderen, Scene7 No.22 Som en rejselysten flåde

Radio Denmark

• HCJB: using a motif from Great Is Thy Faithfulness ^{[ citation needed ]}

The Voice of the Andes

• HCJB Japanese program: "Sakura Sakura" (さくらさくら, cherry blossoms)

The Voice of the Andes (Japanese)

• Yle Radio 1: Pim-pam-pulla, a tune from the 1700s proposed by A. O. Väisänen for 5-string kantele. ^{[11] [12]}

Radio Finland (Yle)

• Radio France Internationale: a popular song, Nous n'irons plus au bois  [ fr ]. ^[7]

Radio France Internationale

• Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk: The 4th symphony by Brahms.

NWDR

• Reichssender Berlin  [ de ]: Ending bars of Volk ans Gewehr , played on celesta.

Reichssender Berlin

•  East Germany

• Berliner Rundfunk: Motif from the opera Regina , Act3 Finale by Albert Lortzing, played by horns.

Berliner Rundfunk

• Radio Berlin International: Beginning of Auferstanden aus Ruinen ("Risen from Ruins"), played on chimes.

Radio Berlin International

• Radio DDR: Refrain of de:Wann wir schreiten Seit’ an Seit’

Radio DDR

• Radio NTS: Tchaikovsky, Symphony #5, Mvt.4

Interval signal for Radio Free Russia

• DFS 904  [ de ]: "Ode to Joy"

Interval signal for DFS 904

• Germany

• Deutschlandfunk: Ending bars of "Ich hab' mich ergeben" by August Daniel von Binzer. ^[13]

DLF

• RIAS Berlin: Franz Wallner-Basté  [ de ]

RIAS Berlin

• Deutschlandsender: Mozart, The Magic Flute (Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen) / Schubart, Üb’ immer Treu und Redlichkeit

Deutschlandsender

• Funk-Stunde Berlin  [ de ]:

Reichssender Berlin

• ORAG Königsberg

• Friedrich Dewischeit, de:Masurenlied (Wild flutet der See)

Ostmarken Rundfunk

• Wo des Haffes Wellen trecken an den Strand^{[ citation needed ]}

Ostmarken Rundfunk

• NORAG Hamburg: Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer , Act 3, Steuermann, lass die Wacht (Sailors' Chorus)

Nordische Rundfunk

• NDR Hamburg:

• Brahms, Symphony #2, Mvt.1

Nordische Rundfunk

• (Dominant major ninth chord)

Nordische Rundfunk

• WERAG Köln: ^{[ citation needed ]}

Westdeutsche Rundfunk

• WDR Köln: Beethoven, Bundeslied (In allen guten Stunden)

Westdeutscher Rundfunk

• Deutsche Stunde in Bayern München: Wagner, Parsifal , Parsifal bell

Bayerischer Rundfunk

• BR München: Wiesberg, de:Solang der alte Peter

Bayerischer Rundfunk

• Schlesische Funkstunde Breslau: Hohenfriedberger Marsch

SFAG Breslau

• Sender Freies Berlin: Es-F-B

SFB

• Radio Saarbrücken: Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit

Saarländischer Rundfunk

• SR Saarbrücken: de:Steigerlied (2nd line: Und er hat sein helles Licht bei der Nacht)

Saarländischer Rundfunk

• SWF Baden-Baden: Mozart, The Magic Flute (Act 2: No.21, Finale: Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden)

Südwestfunk

• SDR Stuttgart: Silcher, Jetzt gang i ans Brünnele

Süddeutscher Rundfunk

• HR Frankfurt: Hermann Heiss

Hessischer Rundfunk

• Radio Bremen: Bach, Mass in B minor, Et in terra pax

Radio Bremen

• Radio Budapest:

• Excerpts from the suite 1848 by T.K. Polgar played on three trumpets and two cornets.^{[ citation needed ]}

Radio Budapest

• Budapest 2

Hungarian Telephone & Radio

• Kol Yisrael: latter half of Hatikvah played on trumpets and timpani.

Kol Yisrael

• Rai Italia Radio: Mechanically generated canary chirping.

Rai Italia Radio

• Radio Riga: ^{[ better source needed ]}

Latvijas Radio

• Radio Vilnius:

• Lietuvininkai we are born

Radio Vilnius - Lietuvninkai mes esam gimę

• latter half of Anthem of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

Radio Vilnius - LTSR Himnas

• Voice of Malaysia: Dondang Sayang

www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mla-z-rtm_vom_150701.mp3

•  Netherlands

• NPO: First eight notes of Wilhelmus , played on: ^[14]

• Flute family: Hilversum 1 (Radio 2)
• Oboe family: Hilversum 2 (Radio 1), Hilversum 5
• Synthesizer then Carillon: Hilversum 3
• Harpsichord: Hilversum 4

Nederlandse Publieke Omroep

• Radio Netherlands: Carillon version of the Eighty Years' War song Merck toch hoe sterck .

Radio Netherlands (old)

•  Norway

• NRK P1: Motif from Sigurd Jorsalfar by Edvard Grieg. ^{[15] [ citation needed ]}
• Radio Norway International (Utenlandssendingen  [ no ], former international service of NRK): no:Pausesignalet og kjenningssignalet

• Pausesignalet: a herding call stylized by Eivind Groven

NRK - Pausesignalet

• Kjenningssignalet: beginning bars of Symphony No.1 "Innover viddene" by Eivind Groven

NRK - Kjenningssignalet

•  Poland

• Radio Katowice: Sound of a hammer striking an anvil. ^[16]
• Radio Olsztyn  [ pl ]: Excerpt from pl:O Warmio moja miła by Feliks Nowowiejski, played on barrel organ.

Radio Olsztyn

• Polish Radio External Service: Excerpt from Prząśniczka by Stanisław Moniuszko ^[17]

Polish Radio External Service

• Radio Polonia:

• Etude No. 12 ("Revolutionary Etude") by Chopin

Radio Polonia

• Military Polonaise by Chopin

Radio Polonia

• Radio Bucharest 1 and Radio Bucharest External Service (pre 1989): Fragment from Cantata anilor luminǎ by Anatol Vieru ^{[ citation needed ]}

Radio Bucharest

• Voice of Russia: "Great Gate of Kiev" portion of Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.

Voice of Russia

• Radio Serbia: Bože pravde , in various renditions.

Radio Serbia

• Radio Slovakia International: sk:Kto za pravdu horí

Radio Slovakia International

• Radio RSA (former international service of Apartheid-era South African Broadcasting Corporation): Bokmakierie chirping and first bars of Ver in die Wereld, Kittie, played on guitar. ^{[7] [18]}

Radio RSA

• Radio Exterior de España: "Generala" (1761,1769) by es:Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros

Radio Exterior de España

• Radio Sweden:

• Ut i vida världen ("Out in the Wide World"), composed by Ralph Lundsten ^[19]

Radio Sweden

• the opening notes of Carl Michael Bellman's Storm och böljor tystna r'en. ^[7]

Radio Sweden

•   Switzerland

• Radio Beromünster  [ de ]: D' Zit isch do, played on music box.

Landessender Beromünster, Bern

• Swiss Radio International: de:Lueget, vo Bärgen und Tal .

Swiss Radio International

• Red Cross Broadcasting Service: Purcell, The Indian Queen , Trumpet Tune

Red Cross Broadcasting Service

• Voice of Turkey: Turkish makam, played on piano.

Interval signal of Voice of Turkey as heard in 2013

• Radio Moscow (former international service of the Soviet Union):

• Подмосковные вечера ("Moscow Nights") performed by "Georgy Garanian and Melodia"^{[ citation needed ]}

Radio Moscow

• Песня о Родине ("Wide Is My Motherland")

Radio Moscow

• BBC World Service: Trumpet version of Oranges and Lemons ; first four notes of Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven, played on timpani; Lillibullero (signature tune). ^[20]

BBC - Oranges and Lemons

BBC - Lillibullero

• World Christian Broadcasting (Alaska KNLS, Madagascar Madagascar World Voice (MWV)):

• Chariots of Fire by Vangelis

KNLS (old) - Chariots of Fire

• an unnamed tune by Jeff Brock ^{[21] [ better source needed ]}

KNLS/MWV - (an unnamed tune)

• WYFR: First bars of To God Be the Glory by William Howard Doane

KNLS/MWV - (an unnamed tune)

• Radio Yugoslavia (1980–1989):

• Druže Tito, ljubićice bjela anonymous Partisan song, in various orchestral renditions. ^[22]

Radio Yugoslavia

• The Internationale

Radio Yugoslavia

• Radio Yugoslavia, later International Radio of Serbia and Montenegro: 2nd verse of Svečana Pesma (sr:Свечана песма) by sh:Nikola Hercigonja

Radio Yugoslavia

Classical radio station WQXR-FM in New York City, during its ownership by The New York Times Company, played different variations of a classical infused gong with the ID read at the same time as "The Classical Station of the New York Times, WQXR, New York (And WQXR.com 2000–2009) ^{[ citation needed ]}

Numbers station interval signals

Numbers stations are often named after their interval signals, such as The Lincolnshire Poacher or Magnetic Fields after "Magnetic Fields Part 1" by Jean-Michel Jarre.

References

1. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : stephensen (2009-10-19). "Pausesignal" . Retrieved 2020-04-02– via YouTube.
2. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : Ο τσομπανάκος σήμα ΕΡΤ). YouTube .
3. Tuning into broadcast history. The Hindu BusinessLine, 15 October 2015.
4. "'O'Donnell Abú'". RTÉ.ie .
5. "Pausenzeichen und ihre musikalischen Quellen". 8 October 2007.
6. "Радио холбооны анхны өдрүүд..." 4 May 2022.
7. Frost, Jens Mathiesen (1983). World Radio TV Handbook. New York: Billboard Publications.
8. Treiber, Alfred (2007). Ö1 gehört gehört : die kommentierte Erfolgsgeschichte eines Radiosenders (in German). Vienna: Böhlau. p. 218. ISBN   978-3-205-77495-2. OCLC   127107294.
9. https://www.intervalsignals.net/Files/can-z-rci_c1985.m3u
10. "A NOTE ON THE CYPRIOT SONG "TA RIALIA" ("THE MONEY")". 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
11. "Radion väliaikamerkki". yle.fi (in Finnish). 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 2019-06-21.; Audio file (mp3). Archived from the original on 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
12. "Pim-Pam-Pulla – YLEn välimerkki, joka jäi mieliin! – Tekniikan museo" (in Finnish). 2021-11-15.
13. "Deutschlandfunk - Kalter Krieg im Radio" (in German). p. 3. Archived from the original on 2015-01-23.
14. "Interval Signals Online - Netherlands". www.intervalsignals.net. NOS Hilversum 1-5. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
15. http://www.ontheshortwaves.com/Articles/The_Interval_Signal.pdf ^{[ bare URL PDF ]}
16. "Interval Signals Online - Poland". Katowice (vintage - 1975). Retrieved 2025-10-02., Audio file (mp3). Retrieved 2025-10-02.
17. "Interval Signals Online - Poland". Radio Polonia (vintage - 2006). Retrieved 2025-10-02.; Audio file (mp3). Retrieved 2025-10-02.
18. "DX Listening Digest 7-043".
19. "Signaturer & musikvinjetter | Andromeda" (in Swedish). 1984-05-06. Retrieved 2025-10-02.; Audio file (ogg). Retrieved 2025-10-02.
20. "BBC World Service - Pausenzeichen-Datenbank". www.intervalsignals.org (in German). Retrieved 2025-10-05.
21. Image file (jpg). Retrieved 2025-10-04.
22. "Radio Jugoslawien - Pausenzeichen-Datenbank". www.intervalsignals.org (in German). Retrieved 2025-10-05.

Further reading

• Sennitt, Andrew G. (1997). World Radio and Television Handbook 1997. Billboard Books. p. 560. ISBN   0-8230-7797-7.
• Sennitt, Andrew G.; David Bobbitt (December 2005). World Radio and Television Handbook 2006. Billboard Books. p. 608. ISBN   0-8230-7798-5.

External links

• Interval Signals Online
• Nobuyuki Kawamura's Interval Signal Library
• IntervalSignal DataBase (German)
• Uwe Volk's Sound Library (available both in English and in German)
• Kurzwelle-Historisch
• Interval Signal Library on www.irkutsk.com