WPVI 6 sign-off

[Nacho66]

Looks like traffic on the Shurekill Expressway was a nightmare even then!

[FusilliJerry82]

The "pre-Amtrak train" is actually a Pennsylvania Railroad Silverliner II, built in 1963 which SEPTA still run today (!!!) although they are currently slowly being retired; they're the same as then only with red white and blue stripes and "PENNSYLVANIA" covered up on the side (except one; car 269 still has this). If I'm reading the car number correctly in the video (the resolution isn't great as is expected), its 212, which is indeed, STILL in service.

[Kramden429]

Does anybody know what conductor and orchestra performed this version of "America the Beautiful?"

I remember when I visited my relatives in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1977 (I was then 15), Pittsburgh PBS station WQED-TV, Channel 13 played this arrangement when they signed off at night. I have been looking for a recording of this version for ages.

Also, does anybody have the video of the WQED signoff that used this recording?

Would appreciate any info. Thanks.

[FusilliJerry82]

How late did they play this sign-off? Into the 90s?

[TechnerVideo]

@FusilliJerry82, I have uploaded another WPVI sign-off from 1991 that is different. They stopped using this one when Capital Cities sold the station.

[italobambino43]

It is a crying shame they demolished the old building, it was really unique! It was featured in several Architectural publications. Shame it is gone now!

[hdc9468]

Does anyone remember the 50's tv signoff with cartoon animals and they played Brahm's Lullaby? I'd love to see that one again.

[bbo40]

do TV station even sign off anymore? I assume they are now 24/7.......

[greg0658]

thats a good one

[americancitizen76]

Look at that backup on the Schuylkill Expressway.

[1975tooto]

GreaT! We need to go back to Patriotism in all aspects of our work and entertainment!

[hiyosilver100]

1975 - Yes, we do need Patriotism but is this just a front? We can know a tree best by the fruit and not just the lovely leaves.

[rjchstoner]

I remember listening to "Wi-Fi 92" out of Philly around 74 - 76......

Anyonr else remember that station?

[AshburnStadium]

Yes, WIFI was one of the major rock stations in Philly back in the 1970s, but went disco later in the decade.

The three major rockers were jammed into the narrow portion of the band from 92.5 to 94.1.

Today, WIFI's frequency is occupied by WXTU, home of "sheep-kicking" music, to use the polite version.

[logerfeld]

Yes I remember Wi-Fi 92. Tthat was my favorite radio station after WFIL. They used to play great rock music. I still have recordings on cassette from some of their D J S. I really miss that station

[djwash5]

Hey, TechnerVideo,

what is the name of the font of the "WPVI-TV" logo?

[harleykman]

Since channel 6 switche dto digital, I can't see them anymore.

Thanks Congress for this wonderful "upgrade" to our televisions. I can't even see half my old stations.

[chazcov08]

I guess you lamented the loss of the telegraph in favor for the telephone as well.

And you are upset about the quantum LEAP in technology while typing on your comptuer while using the INTERNET. I'm sure you're still using a 300 baud modem on your Commodore 64.

[NESFAN001]

dont worry you are not the only one with reception problems in the philadelphia area. they are currently working on the situation.

[chazcov08]

Oh, and also notice that absolutely NO buildings were taller than City Hall. Believe it or not, City Hall was at one time the the tallest building in the world, and still remains the tallest stone masonry building in the world. Just a little trivia for ya.

[harleykman]

The pyrmaids are made of stone masonry, and they are taller. In fact lots of buildings are talling than Philly's City Hall.

[chazcov08]

I'd hardly consider a pile of rocks a "building".

According to Wiki:

"At 167 m (548 ft), including the statue, it is the world's tallest masonry building: the weight of the building is borne by granite and brick walls up to 22 feet (6.7 m) thick, rather than steel; the principal exterior materials are limestone, granite, and marble."

[chazcov08]

Ha!! Look at all those old cars running down City Line Avenue!

[wmbrown6]

Now, I presume that when this sign-off was settled into this form in 1971, the station had General Electric PE-24 (4-vidicon) color film cameras, whose service had dated back to 1964-65 when it was still WFIL-TV. (I'd gotten the film chain info from vintage GE ads put in Broadcast Engineering magazine in that period.)

[wmbrown6]

Actually, the WPVI logo slide as shown at the start and the middle of this sign-off was a Capital Cities graphics style as of 1971; I saw a few TV Guide ads in some mid-1971 New York Metropolitan edition issues for WTNH|TV8 (as it was laid out) in New Haven, CT, with the exact same font and logo style as in Channel 6's early years as WPVI (I presume "New Haven, Conn." was in the same type font as "Philadelphia, Pa.").

[kirkmanb]

I remember the first part of this sign off from about 1965. I just started working at the Inquirer. All night work so I watched a lot of late night T V on my days off. They must have voiced over for the new call letters. The intro pictures were the same. Back then Walter Annenberg owned the Inquire and Daily News and the Roto press that printed T V Guide and 17 Magazine. I think they were somehow affiliated With WFIL TV and radio.Brought back nice memories. Thank you so much for this post.

[wmbrown6]

As WFIL-TV, the station was indeed owned by Triangle Publications. They also owned WNHC-TV in New Haven, which later became WTNH (see my other note).

[kirkmanb]

Yes, Triangle publications. I wasn't sure if W. Annenberg owned TV6 or they were just affiliated with the papers. I believe he sold of the papers and the TV station when he was appointed Ambasador to the Court of St. James by Pres. Nixon. I also believe the old Phila. Bulletin was somehow affilliated with CBS TV 10 back then also. I remember hearing Ch. 10 your Phila Bulletin station after John Facenda and the news. I loved those good old days when everything was local. Thanks Mr. WMBrown6

[wmbrown6]

Pre-1971, Annenberg did indeed own what under his watch were WFIL-TV and WNHC-TV. I have a 1969 TV Guide NY Metro issue where an ad mentioned New Haven's Channel 8 as "A Triangle Station."

[JHand04]

A very beautiful piece of Philadelphia TV history. Before you posted this, I "bumped" into a website that had audio clips of sign-offs and this just happened to be among the clips on the site. The moment I listened to the WPVI clip, it stirred up some eagerness to find a video of the sign-off.

I never got around to thanking you for this. Thanks

[nanlisa]

Besides Channel 6, all of the local Philly stations are now 24/7. They don't go off the air at a certain time like they used to. That's because we now live in a 24/7 society.

[nanlisa]

Oh wow! How Philadelphia has changed since then! Imagine, the city skyline long before Liberty Place. And that train in the background; it was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. But then SEPTA took over the commuter rail lines in 1983.

The Channel 6 studios have been in the same location since 1963. Of course since then, Capital Cities was sold to Disney, and now the station is 24/7.

[speedbuggin73]

I remember watching this video(or at least a variant of it) at around 5am in the mid 90s lol. How silly it is that I actually remember this! My friend Keith is even worse than me though, because when he was a kid, he would wake up at 5am to watch it, and sing along at the top of his lungs as a wake-up call to the neighbors! HAHAHA!

[NEPatriot]

I have found out that Paul Norton died last week at age 79 at a home in Delaware.

[TechnerVideo]

He died August 7, 2008. Click on video description for his obituary.

[ActionNews6abcFan]

AMAZING!!! GO WPVI!!!!! The BEST IN PHILLY!!! Thanks for posting this!!!

[warszawianka]

A pre-Liberty Place Philadelphia skyline. Wow. With that, the pre-SEPTA Silverliner, and the late 60's/early 70's cars on the Schuylkill, it felt like a time warp. Then I saw the traffic jam and didn't feel so bad. :)

[robtras3]

the space shuttle studio! i love it!

[AshburnStadium]

The Silverliner trains carry the "PENNSYLVANIA" nameboard on them as they pass in this video.

Only one of those cars, now operated by SEPTA, still carries that nameboard. It's car #269.

[AshburnStadium]

Has anyone noticed that the Schuylkill Expressway is jammed with traffic, yet only one car rides down East River Drive??

East River Drive is known today as Kelly Drive.

[AshburnStadium]

I messed up!

That car is on the West River Drive, now known as Martin Luther King Drive.

[Dunoj]

Since when has it been known as Martin Luther King Drive? Last time I was on it, the sign still said West River Drive.

[AshburnStadium]

West River Drive was renamed in 2005.

[Dunoj]

Oh, I never heard about it. This sounds pathetic considering the fact that I live Pennsylvania 15 minutes from Philly.

[AdamStabelli555]

Good seeing the roundhouse WPVI studio.

[AshburnStadium]

That roundhouse studio will be replaced in a year or two, since WPVI is building a new glassed-in studio right behind their current studio.

[AdamStabelli555]

Kind of like KYW. The new studio is behind the current studio on Market Street in Center City.

[AshburnStadium]

Adam:

KYW (CBS-3) used to be on 5th St. just south of Market St. on Independence Mall East.

They're now at 1555 Hamilton St. (16th & Hamilton) in Center City, which is a block north of the ramps for the Broad St. exit of the Vine St. Expressway (I-676), between Callowhill & Spring Garden Sts.

Basically, Channel 3 is not very far northwest of City Hall. The move was just over a mile and a half by car, or 18 blocks by foot.

Bill in Bucks County

[AdamStabelli555]

I've been living out of Philly for too long. LOL!

[DekaSwan86326]

wierd I Didn't Remeber that

[Buckpenn]

It is amazing that they incorporated their patriotic music film with their sign off announcement. It was a very special one showing the scenes of Philadelphia.

[eabart19]

Great piece of Philly broadcast history, but the best sign off in Philly was WCAU Channel 10, with Gene Crane voice over and "Give Us This Day". Does anyone remember how bone-chilling and eerie the music for "Give Us This Day" was? Especially at 2 in the morning!

Trivia buffs take note: The National Anthem video that WCAU utilized was the same clip that you see in the movie "Poltergeist"!

[tjdavi04]

Other stations in the Philly market that would go off the air at this time were WHYY-12 (every night), WPHL-17 (Sunday Nights from 2:30-5, WTXF-29 (Sunday Nights from 2:15-5), and WPSG-57 (Sunday Nights from 2-5:30). I wish I had some clips, WTXF used to do the community update/flag ev SSB/birds eye signoff, and WPSG used to have a very trebly version of the SSB with spoken word over it.

On another note, does anyone remember the phone sex commercials from Channels 17, 29, and 57

[AshburnStadium]

I remember the (215) 976-DUCK commercials - since the D and the F are on the same key on your phone!

How about the old WKBS-48? Do you remember that, tjdavi04?

[tjdavi04]

I actually remember when I was about 12-13 (in 1997-98), I saw this signoff. It used to go off the air from 4am-6am on Sunday mornings. I'm amazed not that it was still going off the air, but that they kept this sign-off, even with everything being outdated in this clip (the images of the cars/trains, the announcers voice, the SOGP, etc.)

[wmbrown6]

I am curious as to the recording of "ATB" as used by WPVI on their sign-ons and -offs for many years from 1971.

[TechnerVideo]

The TV station name change: In 1971 the ownership of WFIL-AM and WFIL-TV were separated. WFIL-AM was sold to Lin Broadcasting and the TV station was sold to Capital Cities. WFIL-TV then adopted WPVI utilizing the Roman numeral VI for 6.

[wmbrown6]

Likewise, also in 1971 New Haven, CT station WNHC-TV (Ch. 8) was sold to Cap Cities - and its calls were changed to WTNH-TV. (Ironically, unless I'm mistaken, Lin Broadcasting owns WTNH today.)

[NEPatriot]

You would be be right wm. And next year, Channel 8 turns 60. By the way, when the station began, as WNHC-TV, it was on channel 6, but had to switch to 8 in 1954.

[AshburnStadium]

Don't forget WFIL-FM as well, which is known today as Q-102 (WIOQ-FM, 102.1).

The only WFIL left is at 560 AM, and carries religious broadcasting.

Walter Annenberg's Triangle Communications also owned the Inquirer and Daily News as well as TV Guide, based in Radnor, Delaware County. That's why they were forced to divest.

Great "archaeological" find!

[wmbrown6]

I heard that one factor in Triangle being forced to divest of its broadcasting properties was when Pennsylvania's then-Governor, Milton Shapp, charged that Triangle's Pennsylvania stations were conduits for smear tactics against him.

[AdamStabelli222]

Nice to see a WPVI sign off. I wish they stuck with the call letters WFIL though. Why did they change it to WPVI anyways?

[fanotv]

I hear the sign-off dates back to the WFIL days, so the voice-over was probably just re-recorded or dubbed to include WPVI back in 1971. I read someplace that the film was produced in 1969.

[wmbrown6]

On another site, is an audio of WFIL's 1964 sign-off, after they moved their studios. They had a different (deeper-voiced) announcer, and a different rendition of "America The Beatiful" from what's here. The 1964 sign-off also mentioned WFIL-AM and -FM which was then co-owned. The spiel about Philly was a tad different as well.

[videonut33]

Jeff Kay sounded young on here.

[JSF0864]

I've watched this treasure a couple more times and I think most of this might have been filmed in late winter, early spring of 1964-about the time WFIL moved to City Line Ave. The newest car I see is that red 1964 Ford Station Wagon. I seem to remember another exterior shot of the studio with a WFIL sign in the foreground where the ABC logo is shown on this, might have been changed with the WPVI switch.

[wmbrown6]

Wasn't the last part, within the last 30 seconds, more recently filmed than the first part? I thought the skyline looked a bit different than it did in the earlier faraway shot.

[fanotv]

Yeah, I would have to agree that perhaps the ABC logo slide was probably added with the switch to WPVI. At least that variation of the ABC logo was used in the Movie of the Week animation from 1969-72, so it may have been taken from that. From the various information given on this sign-off, it may pre-date that animation by months........or years!

[wmbrown6]

Ditto for the Television Code seal shown after the ABC logo but before the "WPVI/TV 6" slide.

[JSF0864]

This brings back memories! I used to watch the sign-on every morning but I believe the film part was the same and the script slightly different. I believe the announcer is Paul Norton. Nice shots of the 'roundhouse' studio building.

[wmbrown6]

The $64,000 question: Who was the announcer who handled this legendary and fabled sign-off?

[RolloSmokes]

You've dug deep, my man...the Holy Grail of sign-offs! Keep 'em coming!

[Neoei3318]

Yeah, this is the BEST sign on... Ever.

[wmbrown6]

All the more amazing, given that the TV Code was junked in 1982, and before that had two "modern" revisions to their Seal of Good Practice. I do tip my hat about its clean appearance, though.

[NEPatriot]

This is one of the classics in terms of sign-offs--and video looks great!!