ARCHIVE: Bryan Green
An entire Ceefax AM broadcast from early 1988 – including the pulse and bar and test card that preceded it.
Video content
[00:00:00] TEST SIGNAL: the pulse and bar – accompanied by tone – was the first thing to appear in the morning on BBC One, whilst the transmitters were firing up again, following the overnight shutdown.
It’s believed pulse and bar was radiated from c. 5.30am.
[00:00:29] TEST CARD: Test Card F and music usually took over at 30 seconds after 5.52am.
A full list of the music tracks played during this broadcast is available below.
[00:07:58] TELETEXT IN-VISION: Ceefax AM was put out on page 198, just like most other in-vision Ceefax transmissions on the BBC.
BBC Micro kit is used to generate the teletext pages here. This equipment was first used for the in-vision broadcasts in 1986.
The teletext pages shown here are the usual mix of news, paper reviews, finance, sport, weather and TV listings.
The BBC One Ceefax tape being played here is One of a Crowd, which was in use from 12th November 1987 until 8th May 1991.
The tracks played:
[00:00:32] One of a Crowd performed by Hans Hatter and His Orchestra.
[00:03:10] Blue Velvet performed by Hans Hatter and His Orchestra.
[00:06:05] Widow’s Lament performed by Hans Hatter and His Orchestra.
[00:08:45] Philadelphia Sky performed by The Paul Reym Orchestra.
[00:12:13] Lovely Night performed by Alf Beckstein and His Orchestra.
[00:14:48] Smoky Sunset performed by The Neil Richardson Big Band.
[00:17:18] Gentle Mood performed by The Neil Richardson Big Band.
[00:20:01] Starlight Hours performed by Howard Hawks and His Music.
[00:22:34] Fine Ruby (Extra Rubin) performed by Ben Cooper and His Orchestra.
[00:26:50] Rhododendron (Philodendron) performed by Ben Cooper and His Orchestra.
[00:29:51] Moonlight (Morgenlicht) performed by Georg Hermann and His Orchestra.
[00:33:11] Romance for Julia (Romanze für Julia) performed by Georg Hermann and His Orchestra.
[00:35:58] Star Parade performed by Georg Hermann and His Orchestra.
[00:39:11] Shining Sands (Melanie) performed by Georg Hermann and His Orchestra.
[00:41:56] Days Full of Love (Die Tage der Liebe) performed by Georg Hermann and His Orchestra.
This track was faded out at [00:44:58] as the announcer linked into the first programme of the day – Edgar Kennedy.
The other tracks that followed on this tape – which we didn’t get to hear – were:
Walk by the Lake (Spaziergang am See) performed by Georg Hermann and His Orchestra.
Magic Island performed by The Andy Novello Orchestra.
A Case for Madame (Fall für Madame) performed by The Andy Novello Orchestra.
Sweet and Swinging performed by Georg Hermann and his Orchestra.
[00:44:58] IDENT: announcer Malcolm Eynon opens up Thursday on BBC One. Unfortunately, the tape cuts off just as Malcolm is about to introduce the first programme – Edgar Kennedy.
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Ceefax AM. COPYRIGHT: BBC.
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