I would suggest people who are up between the hours of 2 & 6 to play this to relive how it was back in the day & for those not born yet, or too young to remember, to get a taste of what it felt like.
Boy, a blast from the past from my childhood. I would wake up early in the morning to watch Fred Flinstone and Friends cartoon show. This would open before the show would go on the air. Thank you. This sign in ring tune was in my head. Love the chimes
It should be noted WNEW's "Public Affairs Presentations" -- the custom anthem film and the Semonettes -- seemingly all had copyright dates of 1983; they were easy to retain for the first few months after the ownership change to Fox because of their evergreen status. What I've been curious about is if WNYW immediately ditched the radio-style news reports before sign-off/after sign-on. Of course the obligatory plug for WNEW 1130 was no longer necessary.
With Ed Ladd at the mic and the Flag Evolution music amid a video montage and sandwiched between a disco version of As the Army comes Marching Along. But note at the beginning and the end it mentioned WNEW-TV. This was during the first months 25 years ago of it being WNYW, first as "Fox Channel 5" later "Fox 5"
Great bringing back the "Caissons"/"Flag Evolution SSB" with shots of New Jersey to go with it! IT was a classic New York SSB film and will never be forgotten!
If memory serves me right, Carl Veluz, Tom Gregory would come back and do sign-ons and sign-offs for a brief period until 1990, when the station went 24/7.
I remember Channel 11 showing 2 terrible movies constantly back then...."Whatever Happened To Rosemary's Baby" and something called "The Bastard". I used to go crazy whenever they announced that "The Bastard" was going to be on, because in my child's mind, that was a curse word, and I couldn't believe they were cursing on TV, LOL!!
This is a test of the audiences patience, please stand by for actual programing. Child of the very late seventies and I too remember waking up in the morning, turning on the tv, and being disappointed because nothing was on yet. Imagine the fright of having to actually wait for something to come on, not turning on something by demand.
On occasion, very early in the morning, I've seen signoffs, no more than 45 minutes on HBO channels. They just show the test pattern. Stations can always find someone to buy the time: infomercials or religious programming or fill it with early news or entertainment news.
Three-tiered comments: 1) No matter how out-of-place it looked on NYC TV, I thought I'd never see channel 5's Euro-style test patter ever again. 2) Wouldn't the FCC have noticed that they were still using elements of the previous ownership/call letters, even if only during sign-on and sign-off? 3 ) WHO'S YOUR DADDY??? (Keep it coming, Tap!)
@MikeChuk21-- For the most part, yes; however, most TV stations do still sign off between midnight and 1AM on Sunday morning in order to do station maintenance or show infomercials. The only stations I know of that still sign off during that time frame are those affiliated with the CW, My Network TV, ION, and Fox, as well as most independent stations.
Before Fox bought channel 5 and its sister stations across the country, it was MetroMedia owned independent station WNEW-TV. Before that, it was WABD-TV, owned and operated by the now-defunct DuMont Network.
Before 1987 there was only 3 big national TV networks in the US(Not counting PBS/Public Television and before that NET)of ABC NBC and CBS that basically had a monopoly for about 30 years after Dumont folded. The Big 3 controlled something like 95% of America's TV programming and even TV News coverage say during the 1970's. Metromedia was the largest independent network in the '70's and '80's before Rupert Mudrock and Fox took over. And lastly almost all TV stations until about the early 1980's would shut down for the night around 1-2am.
Given how much of the startup /closedown sequence with “WNEW” branding was retained, that WNEW-WNYW switchover may have been just like this, only swapping out the WNEW ID slides. One thing I’ve been curious about is when channel 5 ceased the “news headlines” typically read by Tom Gregory or Ed Ladd. Latest I’ve seen them has been mid-1985, but maybe that was dispensed of with the switch?
I saw the PM5544 test card on CBMT and CBFT, where, on the top was "MONTREAL", on the middle right, was the current time, and on the bottom, was "SRC/CBC".
Hey, I grew up in Upstate, NY, but we used to get the NYC channels on antenna. Well, I was a kid during the early 1980s, and I'm wondering if anyone else would remember this... Does anyone else remember a 15-minute TV news program called: "The New Jersey Report - With Ed Ladd"? I think I remember it being on at 5:45 AM weekday mornings. All I remember of it was I'd wake up to listen to the radio on a snow day to see if school was gonna be cancelled. Then I'd turn on the TV to watch cartoons, but they didn't come on until 6:00 AM, so at 5:45, I'd watch "The New Jersey Report - With Ed Ladd". But they never showed a person's face. All it was was this hideous green picture of the State of New Jersey with Ed Ladd's voice behind it, describing whatever news was happening in New Jersey that morning. Does anyone else remember this? It's been driving me crazy ever since I was a kid, and I can't find it anywhere!
Who played that rock version of "Caissons Go Rolling Along" before and after the Anthem? I thought it was the Wing and a Prayer Fife and Drum Corps. (For the record - my favorite SSB video is the "moog" version of 1975. I didn't care for this one as - IMO - it sounded too depressing.)
Prior to the Fox takeover and call letter change, the top text segment of this NTSC variant of the Philips PM5544 electronic color bars said "WNEW-TV" and the bottom, "MMI 5 NYC." Three guesses what "MMI" means, the first two don't count. ;) And of course, the sign-on voice here was Ed Ladd.
And now I'm wondering...is the test pattern legit? Or did someone else cover up the call letters/etc.? The font seems too polished, and a later version of the pattern has the WNYW info with the blocky font.
And I just found another 1986 signoff on Web Archive with the blocky font. (differences: Chuck is doing the announcement, and Flag Evolution gets back its visuals) Also, I could have sworn it looked like the "FOX 5 NYC" and "WNYW" lagged behind the rest of the picture slightly when it "bounces" due to tracking. If I am right about this, why would someone try to touch up the original footage?
@johnissoevil - This was an NTSC version of the Philips PM5544 test pattern, which was very rare. CKY in Winnipeg, Manitoba, also used this pattern in this form, as you'll see if you check around.
I understand your point with the anthem, but judging from the testcard beginning at 0:01, this has to be no earlier than early 1987-Fox first signed on as one unififed network the previous October 9.
@wmbrown6 I know it stood for Metromedia I was just fooling with ya. If it DID mean what I said, I don't think WNEW would be putting that in their color bars there. ;)
Bizarre looking test pattern. I remember in the MetroMedia days less than a year earlier, they had the color bars across the screen with WNEW-TV's logo superimposed. This had to be 86, because it's after the switch to FOX/WNYW and before the new SSB film that was also on WTAF Philly.
Within a few months of this sign-on (more specifically, June of 1986), WNYW reverted to the original filmed "Flag Evolution" SSB that was used in its entirety up to 1978; this, per: watch?v=n04NWWvpezE
I liked how they were still "WNEW" on the introduction ID there. Ed Ladd with "WNYW5". Very good find from WNYW's early days.
I would suggest people who are up between the hours of 2 & 6 to play this to relive how it was back in the day & for those not born yet, or too young to remember, to get a taste of what it felt like.
Boy, a blast from the past from my childhood. I would wake up early in the morning to watch Fred Flinstone and Friends cartoon show. This would open before the show would go on the air. Thank you. This sign in ring tune was in my head. Love the chimes
It should be noted WNEW's "Public Affairs Presentations" -- the custom anthem film and the Semonettes -- seemingly all had copyright dates of 1983; they were easy to retain for the first few months after the ownership change to Fox because of their evergreen status.
What I've been curious about is if WNYW immediately ditched the radio-style news reports before sign-off/after sign-on. Of course the obligatory plug for WNEW 1130 was no longer necessary.
With Ed Ladd at the mic and the Flag Evolution music amid a video montage and sandwiched between a disco version of As the Army comes Marching Along. But note at the beginning and the end it mentioned WNEW-TV. This was during the first months 25 years ago of it being WNYW, first as "Fox Channel 5" later "Fox 5"
Great bringing back the "Caissons"/"Flag Evolution SSB" with shots of New Jersey to go with it! IT was a classic New York SSB film and will never be forgotten!
Agreed. I lived in Saddle River from 1983 to 1985 and then in Fair Lawn from later in 1985 to the summer of 1986.
If memory serves me right, Carl Veluz, Tom Gregory would come back and do sign-ons and sign-offs for a brief period until 1990, when the station went 24/7.
I remember Channel 11 showing 2 terrible movies constantly back then...."Whatever Happened To Rosemary's Baby" and something called "The Bastard". I used to go crazy whenever they announced that "The Bastard" was going to be on, because in my child's mind, that was a curse word, and I couldn't believe they were cursing on TV, LOL!!
This is a test of the audiences patience, please stand by for actual programing. Child of the very late seventies and I too remember waking up in the morning, turning on the tv, and being disappointed because nothing was on yet. Imagine the fright of having to actually wait for something to come on, not turning on something by demand.
On occasion, very early in the morning, I've seen signoffs, no more than 45 minutes on HBO channels. They just show the test pattern.
Stations can always find someone to buy the time: infomercials or religious programming or fill it with early news or entertainment news.
I miss those days. It's so much better than the crap that is on today.
Three-tiered comments:
1) No matter how out-of-place it looked on NYC TV, I thought I'd never see channel 5's Euro-style test patter ever again.
2) Wouldn't the FCC have noticed that they were still using elements of the previous ownership/call letters, even if only during sign-on and sign-off?
3 ) WHO'S YOUR DADDY??? (Keep it coming, Tap!)
Not only was this a nice find, I love all the older - styled scenery in the America montage.
The transition was smooth, it was like only the call letters changed, but it would change in the next decade & beyond.
Miss the old 80s cars
Same here. Glad I was born in the last weeks of 1982. I'm a native of East Keansburg.
Back when it was a analog station.
I grew up in Ridgefield. This was my childhood.
The end of an era to the start of something no one would have expected.
@MikeChuk21--
For the most part, yes; however, most TV stations do still sign off between midnight and 1AM on Sunday morning in order to do station maintenance or show infomercials. The only stations I know of that still sign off during that time frame are those affiliated with the CW, My Network TV, ION, and Fox, as well as most independent stations.
I would love to see the sign on from the day Fox officially took channel 5 over from MetroMedia and changed the call letters.
John Fenner What was it before?
Before Fox bought channel 5 and its sister stations across the country, it was MetroMedia owned independent station WNEW-TV. Before that, it was WABD-TV, owned and operated by the now-defunct DuMont Network.
John Fenner Metromedia owned KTTV here, as well as KMET-FM (hugely popular rock music station then, now known as KTWV).
Before 1987 there was only 3 big national TV networks in the US(Not counting PBS/Public Television and before that NET)of ABC NBC and CBS that basically had a monopoly for about 30 years after Dumont folded. The Big 3 controlled something like 95% of America's TV programming and even TV News coverage say during the 1970's. Metromedia was the largest independent network in the '70's and '80's before Rupert Mudrock and Fox took over.
And lastly almost all TV stations until about the early 1980's would shut down for the night around 1-2am.
Given how much of the startup /closedown sequence with “WNEW” branding was retained, that WNEW-WNYW switchover may have been just like this, only swapping out the WNEW ID slides.
One thing I’ve been curious about is when channel 5 ceased the “news headlines” typically read by Tom Gregory or Ed Ladd. Latest I’ve seen them has been mid-1985, but maybe that was dispensed of with the switch?
You know we had a Fox affiliate that did the Flag Evolution SSB in Omaha
I saw the PM5544 test card on CBMT and CBFT, where, on the top was "MONTREAL", on the middle right, was the current time, and on the bottom, was "SRC/CBC".
They should do that pictures of our Presidents.
Stations broadcast 24 hours now.
Hey, I grew up in Upstate, NY, but we used to get the NYC channels on antenna. Well, I was a kid during the early 1980s, and I'm wondering if anyone else would remember this... Does anyone else remember a 15-minute TV news program called: "The New Jersey Report - With Ed Ladd"? I think I remember it being on at 5:45 AM weekday mornings. All I remember of it was I'd wake up to listen to the radio on a snow day to see if school was gonna be cancelled. Then I'd turn on the TV to watch cartoons, but they didn't come on until 6:00 AM, so at 5:45, I'd watch "The New Jersey Report - With Ed Ladd". But they never showed a person's face. All it was was this hideous green picture of the State of New Jersey with Ed Ladd's voice behind it, describing whatever news was happening in New Jersey that morning. Does anyone else remember this? It's been driving me crazy ever since I was a kid, and I can't find it anywhere!
The NJ Report with Ed Ladd actuallycame on at 2pm, followed by Popeye at 2:15pm.
In the 1986 Sign On, At that time Ed Ladd would die at the same year. So who replaced Ed Ladd on Sign-On/Off Announcements as an announcer?
I love the anthem-it's the audio from the popular "Flag Evolution" version.
Who played that rock version of "Caissons Go Rolling Along" before and after the Anthem? I thought it was the Wing and a Prayer Fife and Drum Corps.
(For the record - my favorite SSB video is the "moog" version of 1975. I didn't care for this one as - IMO - it sounded too depressing.)
Prior to the Fox takeover and call letter change, the top text segment of this NTSC variant of the Philips PM5544 electronic color bars said "WNEW-TV" and the bottom, "MMI 5 NYC." Three guesses what "MMI" means, the first two don't count. ;)
And of course, the sign-on voice here was Ed Ladd.
wmbrown6 M- Metro M- Media I- Incorporated
wmbrown6 MMI--2001
@@charliethemaddawg Eleven, eleven, eleven....
MMI -- Murdoch's Muddled Invstment. Good that means I get another free guess. ;)
43 SECONDS of an English Man screaming over a test card..
It was in 86. WNYW and the other FOX O&Os that were purchased from MetroMedia used the FOX branding before the network launched.
That's a good one Ray, (well, all your stuff is...)
@NEPatriot - Or as they were called in the last 12 or so months they owned Channel 5, Metromedia Radio & Television, Inc.
And now I'm wondering...is the test pattern legit? Or did someone else cover up the call letters/etc.?
The font seems too polished, and a later version of the pattern has the WNYW info with the blocky font.
And I just found another 1986 signoff on Web Archive with the blocky font. (differences: Chuck is doing the announcement, and Flag Evolution gets back its visuals) Also, I could have sworn it looked like the "FOX 5 NYC" and "WNYW" lagged behind the rest of the picture slightly when it "bounces" due to tracking. If I am right about this, why would someone try to touch up the original footage?
@johnissoevil - This was an NTSC version of the Philips PM5544 test pattern, which was very rare. CKY in Winnipeg, Manitoba, also used this pattern in this form, as you'll see if you check around.
I understand your point with the anthem, but judging from the testcard beginning at 0:01, this has to be no earlier than early 1987-Fox first signed on as one unififed network the previous October 9.
This is from 1983
@wmbrown6 I know it stood for Metromedia I was just fooling with ya. If it DID mean what I said, I don't think WNEW would be putting that in their color bars there. ;)
@NEPatriot - It's supposed to be 1 kHz. Of course, with analogue taping, especially VHS or Beta sans hi-fi audio, the frequency tends to wobble.
wmbrown6 in the early 60s its was 440hz :)
Bizarre looking test pattern. I remember in the MetroMedia days less than a year earlier, they had the color bars across the screen with WNEW-TV's logo superimposed. This had to be 86, because it's after the switch to FOX/WNYW and before the new SSB film that was also on WTAF Philly.
Is it me, or foes that tone in the beginning sound kind of weird? wmbrown, any gauge on the frequency of it?
0:45 I like this song
HAPPY 4th of July and happy 25th anniversary fox 5
Within a few months of this sign-on (more specifically, June of 1986), WNYW reverted to the original filmed "Flag Evolution" SSB that was used in its entirety up to 1978; this, per:
watch?v=n04NWWvpezE
Yeah, I guess the new owners realized that the old name of the station was still in that film.
ruclips.net/video/n04NWWvpezE/видео.html
Actually, the "I" in "MMI" signified Inc. As in, MetroMedia, Inc.
wmbrown6 is there a sign off of wwor from 1971 or 2 out there .
When did the station's call letters change?
1986
What’s the name of the tune playing before and after the SSB?
Answer: "The Army Goes Rolling Along"
@@richardsantalone9380 Thanks!
Begin At 0:45
@wmbrown6 Too bad not all NYC stations used this, because unlike the standard test pattern, this would not have scared the crap out of me. :-)
@DanZero77 - Nice try, but in fact those initials referred to the prior owners of Channel 5.
@DanZero77 - Although your initial "guess" is a wisecrack among some out there.
And would anyone have the PM5544 from the WNEW era?
wnyw Fox 5 owned by o&o