WGBH-2 Sign-On - William Pierce - 1986

[thesimpsonfan270]

was this done in the mid 80s does anybody know?

[radiodj1520]

In This Clip, From 2:38 To 2:45, It Was WGBH-TV's Blue Spotlight Video ID From 1986.

[radiodj1520]

In This Clip, From 0:10 To 2:38, It Was WGBH-TV's Sign-On Video ID From 1986.

[boofdfast]

Wow, this is so CLASSIC. Love the harpsichord music in the background... it sounds like Bach or Mozart. WGBH 2 PBS Boston. lol

[bigvoice313]

What does William Pearce mean when he says "by arrangement with the Westinghouse Broadcasting Corporation"?

[shipship]

@bigvoice313

WGBH shares a position on WBZ's tower, which at the the time was owned by Westinghouse.

[flimflam742]

Is William Pierce still alive? I always loved his soothing voice when he did the commentary for the Evening at Pops telecasts on Channel 2 and 44 and the BSO concert broadcasts on WGBH-FM. I remember he usually did the bumpers between programs.

Does anyone know if any of those old educational programs that aired on WGBH as part of the "21-inch Classroom" on weekdays are available on DVD? I'm talking about some of those filmed shows, like "Ripples".

[RAS4915]

@flimflam742 No he passed away some time ago..maybe late 90's?

[NEUDude]

I think they used that voice for the local sponsor announcement for Sesame Street for years, but changed the animation. I just got these SS episodes from 1989 and 1990 (taped from 'GBH), and it has that exact same announcement, but for the earlier ones, it's this animation with a montage of WGBH shows and the membercard, but for the later episodes, it was this beige screen with a WGBH membercard turning around. This was used through 1993, but was later changed to a woman's voice.

[h100spfld]

I remember waking up early to watch Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers and seeing this sign-on...

[h100spfld]

Must have been Sesame Street... I would have been four when this sign-on ran.

[TitanicTarn1968]

I JUST heard a version of this musical piece on WJIB in Cambridge MA. Same piece, but different instrumentation.

It's a gorgous piece.

[TitanicTarn1968]

Man, It's like it's 1973 again, and I'm a little boy glued to channel 2.

You brought back some happy memories, thank you!!

[TitanicTarn1968]

This brings me back to my childhood- I was up early watching Sesame Street, Zoom and Electric Company...

I do miss the early 70s- it was a great time to be a kid..

I love this music- Im scouring google to see if its on a cd somewhere- anyone know if the harpsichord piece was it made for channel 2?

[mythicky]

I love that music piece, I wish I knew where to find a copy of it.

[CameraCapers]

This is so cool!

[ashland1977]

Thanks for posting this. I remember it well. Awesome.

[CelesteK]

Jesus toe tapping christ. That's hard on my ears.

[tvlistingman]

Don't forget the "2" is now 3D Computer Generated zooms into the sign-on from 1989 to the Early 90s the first thing of the sign-on for WGBH

[tpirman1982]

MSTS1,

Got any other WGBH TV Channel 2 sign-ons from around 1989 to early 90s?

I remember one from the early 90s or so where during the first part of the sign-on, is the sun rising at dawn, followed by some kinda of montage, which I can't describe.

[gymnastix]

Hi MSTTS1--I'm a little unclear--did you actually work at WGBH/WGBX yourself?

Also, do you, in fact, have a version of the sign-off that includes "the sweeper" (which I certainly recall), and if not, does it survive in the stations' archives, at least?

[gymnastix]

Lastly, if you were a 'GBH employee, in what years did you work at the station & in what capacity?

I ask all this not out of mere curiosity, but because there's a specific inquiry. However, I won't pursue sending you a private message till I am certain you did work at 'GBH.

Thank you.

[MSTS1]

Not from GBH. Also, I do not have videotape of the mid-70's sweeper sign-off, wish I did, and not because I didn't try to get one. Got my VCR years later.

You may have commented here about John Henning in error. I haven't posted any with him that I recall, certainly not in this video..

[gymnastix]

Thank you--I'll let you know if I obtain that sweeper video, as I plan to be in touch with some 'GBH people.

[gymnastix]

Also, I did post the John Henning comments here in error-- I could have sworn I posted it on the page of a person who uploaded some old WNAC (Channel 7) video. I think, as the one whose video pages these are, you may delete my comments & I would appreciate your so doing. Otherwise, maybe you can find out from You Tube how to do so--no sense in wasting space on your pages with irrelevant comments.

[delmontoon]

That first voice is so thick and rich, you could pour it over your flapjacks. Love it.

[lemonsters2008]

WHat Seesame Street episode?

[MSTS1]

No SS on the tape

[lemonsters2008]

SS Episode 2128.

[masslib]

MSTS1, as a proud Bostonian, I want to thank you very much for including this video.

[maurice734]

I have been looking for this for years. Kudos to you MSTS. I used to watch the sign on and sgn off as a kid and was fascinated by it. This made my day!

[MSTS1]

Great to hear that!

[Punkghost21]

thats a catchy tune

[mstatz]

If anyone knows who composed and conducted this song, please let me know!!! Thanks-a-bunch!

[nemo1620]

The title of the tune is "Rondeau A-go-go" and was composed by Daniel Pinkham. It was recorded on a vinyl record, but few copies were made and fewer survive.

[wmbrown6]

Actually, it's been determined that the writer was Andrew Arvin, and came from the Sam Fox music library.

[mythicky]

I have always loved that harpsicord melody. I remember watching this when I was younger and loving it. It is possible to get a copy of this music without the narration?

JP

[wmbrown6]

But not the same Tom Dunn who used to anchor the news at three New York stations (WCBS, WABC and WOR) between 1964 and 1987.

[patrickballoonman]

I believe that's Tom Dunn doing the McDonald's sponsorship plug for "Sesame Street."

[wmbrown6]

While Mr. Pierce did the sign-on, the actual "pixel/harpsichord" sequence was voiced by David Ives who was head of WGBH for years. I once heard a sign-off of the station from 1964 where the announcer was John Henning - who later went to two different stations using the WHDH calls, the first (Ch. 5) where he was from 1968 to 1977 (including its first five years as WCVB), then from 1977 to 1981 at the then WNAC-TV which is now WHDH.