Added: 3 years ago
From: SignOffsGuy
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  • Sign off announcement voiced by Renee Chaney from WGMS, who was the staff announcer at the time.

  • Wow, television stations were signing off as early as 1980, wow.

  • I used to stay up just to watch this. I would read books under the covers of my bed, counting the time until I could sneak away, turn on the TV and watch this sign off.

    I wish I could locate this version of Meditation. The version used here is different in the way that during the beginning, the piano is accompanied by violin and it transitions back to Massenet's original composition, violin at the forefront. At :47 a clarinet/oboe marks that transition. It's truly beautiful. TY for this post.

  • @ShogoYahaagi I used stay up for this too, and also the "this is for all the lonely people" song.

  • Funny how you remember things as simple as a tv sign off...but its clear from these posts this sign off meant something to a lot of others too..exellent. my prior post is in good company...Danny O'Donnell

  • @88Rocker Isn't it the simple aspects of life that are missed the most, such as a drive-in theater, a galvanized steel trash can, an old play ground set or even a simple chalk board, a piece of chalk or a chalkboard eraser? luckily, there are still some stations that do sign off, there is a local tv station that still does that up around the oh-mich. area, every friday & saturday night at around 2:08 am. then sign on around 6:00 am.

  • very ralexing music .

  • angelpleasant--

    What year did WUSA move from 40th and Brandywine Streets to their current location?

  • Massenet...Meditation from Thais

  • I want to say I remember WNOK-TV, now WLTX, channel 19 in Columbia, SC used this for it's sign off. Memories are vague, but I'm pretty sure I can recall seeing this after the CBS Late Movie when I was a little kid.

  • US History 101... gotta embrace it... Revolutionary War (Declaration of Independence) Civil War (Union VS Confederates "Rebels") World War I Spanish Armada War World War II Korean War (cold war) Vietnam War Desert Storm Global War on Terrorism
  • I love US history and I loved watching this when I was a kid. Glad to see it again here on YouTube. I never knew it had a name.

    But since that time I've learned that I have ADHD. I'm saying this here because they say that ADD is like having the channel changing in your mind again and again. And watching this video now, with its zooming in and out on the picture, and flipping through some of the pictures very rapidly, I can see why I liked it so much.

  • @bryanac625: that's right... US History 101!!! even though it is a brief summary of what our past was like.. the best parts were the declaration of independence by benjamin franklin, the emancipation of slavery (freedom) during the civil war period by abraham lincoln and the great depression and world war II beginning before franklin roosevelt took over.. and to top it off, neal armstrong claimed the moon by posting the flag on there .. them guys were the noble heroes of the piece

  • I too, have never forgotton watching this growing up in the DC metro area. I have looked for this for years. Thank you so much for posting this. :)

  • I've searched for this video for years. Still brings tears to my eyes. THANK YOU for putting this up!

  • I used to go to my grandma's every summer, I recorded this with a little cassette recorder and played it ALL THE TIME. I never knew its name or seen it again until now. You gave me joy Ive rarely known by my being able to hear AND see it again.

  • The first music is an excerpt from "Meditation" from the opera "Thais" by Jules Massenet. You can find several videos of it on YouTube. It's in the standard repertoire of most concert violinists.

  • Love the "Meditation" film - beautiful!

  • We hope that you have not only enjoyed our programming, we also hope you have enjoyed life.

  • thanks for the memories i remeber seeing this when i was a kid before the meditation video they also had a video of a jet fighter flying higher and higher untill he touched the face of god will never forget it

  • I was brought up in a more gracious era.

    -A.D.B.

  • This piece is by Jules Massenent from his opera "Thais". It is titled "Meditation" and is also known as "Meditation de Thais". A lovely piece of music.

  • The correct spelling of the composer's last name is: Massenet . Also, there are many versions of this piece on YouTube.

    Enjoy!

  • Neat. I think the last time I remember seeing this and the sign-on was in summer '95. The "Morning Meditations", if I remember correctly (which isn't a given), had a different piece of music and different island setting. Somebody out there knows for sure.

    BTW, a crate-digger friend of mine says the music playing over the Meditation video is "Always a Lady" by 101 Strings.

  • Now THIS is a signoff!

  • WOW, I recall this so well. I have not seen this since being in my teen, so I started looking for it tonight. I'm so glad it was here on YouTube. Thanks so much for posting it. That meditation song was so relaxing way back when (still is) and that has always been my favorite video montage with the anthem. What memories that brings back to me. I also recall wondering what to do after the stations had signed off. YEP, stations actually went off the air at night way back then folks, lol!

  • Yup. Reminds me of being a kid, staying up all night on the weekend building a model. This always stopped me at some point - glueing piece A6 to piece D3, etc.

    Another time a buddy of mine was sleepin' over and we were playing games and pillow fighting and acting like typical mongrel boys - when this came on and, again, stopped us. We were kinda' awe-struck and just silent - exclaiming only "...man." We didn't dare say anything further, being boys and all. I've never forgotten it though.

  • I stumbled across this one purely by accident. I too remember staying up late on the weekends as a kid watching tv. I fought sleep just to see "Meditation" I can't tell you how well I slept afterwards.

  • lol...parallel universe much?... did the same in my house.

  • OMG Thank you so much for this vid!!! I've looked and looked for this for years...and here it finally is. This is the most beautiful video. Very moving.Very Beautiful....Thank you again....

  • The Flag Evolution "SSB" was produced by a New York graphics firm, Saxton Graphic Associates, Ltd., in 1971. In fact, as seen on WNEW-TV in New York up to 1978 and on WITI in Milwaukee, after the final shot of the flag on the moon, it dissolved to the copyright notice: "© 1971 Saxton Graphic Associates, Ltd."

  • The female announcer was Renee Chaney from WGMS Radio, she was the announcer between Bill Neal and Mike Lewis.

  • I found The High Flight Video that was the 3rd part of this great memory. Just enter kabc 1982 in the search and it begins at the 1:44 mark

  • thanks.....thats a great clip....takes me back to my youth......great job

  • I too remember the High Flight video and have been trying to find that as well...sadly no luck but seeing this meditation and SSB really takes me back.

  • that was great. I loved this version of the SSB. I was a weird kid. I use to stay up late late on saturdays jsut to catch this SSB. I also remember the Air Force poem "High Flight" was also part of this reel, before the Meditation came on. Thanks for this

  • I was feeling nostalgic about the national anthem and sign-offs and wondered if this fantastic clip from my childhood still existed. I had forgotten about the meditation clip, which was a bonus. Thanks for taking me back to a time when Channel 9 ruled in D.C.

  • Does anyone know the name of the female announcer in this clip?

  • I asked the same question, and the regulars on here don't seem to know. It won't hurt to keep trying, though . . .

  • This is awesome...I used to love this sign off as a kid!!! I was saddened when WUSA stopped using it in the mid-90s and I've been looking for it on old videotapes forever. Thanks for posting this!!!

  • And best of all, the National Anthem is none other than the "Flag Evolution" version. I wonder who performed that!

  • That's from the Mormon Church, way back in 1971---also used by KTTV in L.A. in the '70s

  • I have wanted to see some old school DC TV Sign-offs. By the by, I noticed the announcement began somewhat similar to channel 5 (WNEW/WNYW's) announcement. Ironically, NEW/NYW's sister station is WTTG. Wish I could see a sign-off of that station and the other DC stations.

  • at 2:16 the "Fiberglas Nine"

    From their "You make us The One/One Good Thing Leads To Another" era

  • When is the numeric 9 logo debuted?

  • 1979-80

  • did it lasted during WUSA Days?

  • Yep.

    Until '96.

  • No, it last used on 1995

  • Oh yeah.

    Until '95.

  • Gorgeous. I've been looking for this film for 28 years. It's the only rendition of "Meditation" I've heard that features the whole orchestra and not just violins and is actually much more lush- especially when the waves crash @ 1:28. I used to turn to Channel 9 in my youth at 12:55 AM (or whatever time it was) to watch the station go off the air. (I even remember an older design of the SEAL OF GOOD PRACTICE and a male announcer from the 1970's with a somewhat creepy voice.) Thank you for this.

  • I still have my 1991 autograph with the meteorologists of channel 9 in my photo album.

  • Just curious, who was the announcer who handled WDVM's sign-off that 1980 night/early morning?

  • I don't Know

  • Good Ole Broadcast House. I used to go there for tapings of Morning Break.

  • 40th and Brandywine Streets, it is now moved to 4100 Wisocnsin Avefor WUSA TV studios now

  • That "Meditation" clip was a little scary to me. I guess because of the yellowish coloration of it. Great Clip

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