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A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries) is the beginning of operations for a radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonwealth countries), which is the sequence of operations involved when a radio or television station shuts down its transmitters and goes off the air for a predetermined period; generally, this occurs during the overnight hours although a broadcaster's digital specialty channels or sub-channels may start up and closedown at significantly different times as its main channels.

Sign-on/start-up sequence

Sign-on or start-up sequences vary from country to country, from station to station, and from time to time; however, most follow a similar general pattern. It can be something as simple as identifying the channel the viewer is watching (then cutting immediately to that channel's programming line-up) to providing more information about its operating licence and playing the national anthem or/and a prayer reel. It is common for sign-ons to be followed by a network's early morning newscast, or their morning or breakfast show.

For broadcasters that do still close for a period each day, the daily sign-on typically occurring between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. However, in some countries with more limited broadcast coverage, such as North Korea, sign-on may be as late as 5:00 p.m. A particular type of AM radio station known as a daytimer usually only operates during daytime hours, and will therefore run a sign-on sequence each day.

In the age of digital television, some broadcasters' specialty or sub-channels may also start up during significantly different times from their main channels in order to give way to fellow sister sisters they share broadcast bandwidth with. These digital specialty or sub-channels may not always necessarily have to show a formal startup/sign-on sequence seen in their main channels other than identifying the channel the viewer is watching and instead cut straight to their programming lineup.

While both sign-ons and sign-offs have become less common with the increasing prevalence of twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week broadcasting, they are still conducted by a number of stations around the world. Even if a broadcaster no longer signs off and on again on a certain channel and operates that channel 24 hours a day, it may still show something akin to a sign-on sequence between certain programmes (usually between 04.00 to 07.00) as a formality to signify the start of a new operating day (In the US, the broadcast logging day begins at 06.00 local time.).

Sign-off/closedown

Sign-offs, like sign-ons, vary from country to country, from station to station, and from time to time; however, most follow a similar general pattern. Many stations follow the reverse process to their sign-on sequence at the start of the day. Like sign-ons, sign-off sequences may be something as simple as identifying the channel and saying that it is going off the air, or something as full-blown as making public service announcements, playing a prayer reel, providing more technical information about the channel and playing the national anthem or/and a prayer reel. Sign-off messages can be initiated by a broadcast automation system just as for other television programming, and automatic transmission systems can cut off the carrier signal and trigger the actual shutdown of the transmitter by remote control. In some cases, the signal is cut altogether after which, the viewer only sees or hears static after an analog television station signs off. Digital stations will likely display a message after the sign off; however, they may simply cut to a black screen with no sound (as other digital subchannel networks on the same channel space may broadcast 24/7, requiring the station to remain powered up; consideration after 2017 in the United States is now also given to channel sharing partners who may do the same). In addition, a broadcaster's digital specialty channels or sub-channels may go off the air without a formal full-length sign-off/closedown sequence (apart from simply identifying themselves and saying they are going off the air for a few hours) once their programming lineup for the day has concluded.

Sign-offs or closedowns of a broadcaster's main channels have become less common with the increasing prevalence of twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week broadcasting. They are, however, still conducted by a number of stations around the world, often by stations catering to small-markets or those in less–developed countries, or when stations need to shut down for transmitter maintenance. There are also a few cases in which a channel's terrestrial feed may go off the air but its cable/satellite feed may continue programming for pay-TV subscribers.

Countries that aired religious reels during sign-on and sign-off

Country	Religious Acknowledgement
Afghanistan	Quran reading
Algeria	Quran reading[1]
Antigua and Barbuda	Christian prayer
Armenia	Christian prayer or chanting
Australia	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Bahrain	Quran reading
Bangladesh	Quran reading
Burkina Faso	Quran reading or Christian prayer
Canada	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Egypt	Quran reading
Eritrea	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Ethiopia	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
France	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Germany	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Greece	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm[2]
Hong Kong	Buddhist quote
India	Christian prayer (on Sundays), Quran reading (on Fridays), Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist chant
Indonesia	Quran reading
Iran	Quran reading
Iraq	Quran reading
Ireland	Christian prayer[3]
Israel	Torah reading
Italy	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Jordan	Quran reading
Kenya	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
North Korea	Quote from Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il
South Korea	Christian prayer or Buddhist quote
Kuwait	Quran reading
Laos	Buddhist chanting
Libya	Quran reading
Malaysia	Quran reading
Morocco	Quran reading
Myanmar	Buddhist chanting
Nepal	Hindu or Buddhist chant
Netherlands	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
New Zealand	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Niger	Quran reading[4]
Oman	Quran reading
Pakistan	Quran reading
Philippines	Biblical quote or Christian or Catholic prayer
Poland	Christian prayer, chanting or responsorial psalm
Russia	Christian prayer
Saudi Arabia	Quran reading
Senegal	Quran reading
South Africa	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Sri Lanka	Buddhist or Hindu chanting
Sudan	Quran reading
Syria	Quran reading
Thailand	Buddhist quote
Tonga	Christian prayer
Trinidad and Tobago	Christian prayer[5]
Turkey	Quran reading
Ukraine	Christian prayer
United Arab Emirates	Quran reading
United Kingdom	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
United States	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Vatican City	Christian sermonette, prayer or responsorial psalm
Vietnam	Buddhist quote or Christian prayer
Western Sahara	Quran reading

Special sign-on/off cases

Historical

In a number of countries closedowns formerly took place during the daytime as well as overnight. In the United Kingdom this was initially due to government-imposed restrictions on daytime broadcasting hours, and later, due to budgetary constraints. The eventual relaxation of these rules meant that afternoon closedowns ceased permanently on the ITV network in October 1972, but the BBC maintained the practice until Friday 24 October 1986, before commencing a full daytime service on the following Monday. Afternoon closedowns continued in South Korea until December 2005. Hong Kong's broadcasting networks (particularly the English-speaking channels) also practiced this until mid-2008. In these cases, the station's transmitters later did not actually shut-down for the afternoon break; either a test-card was played or a static schedule was posted telling viewers of the programming line-up once broadcasting resumes.

Religious

India

During religious holidays or occasions, Doordarshan and Akashvani will broadcast a prayer of any religion will play through the day, a week or a month (e.g. During Ramadan, a reading from the Quran, a Muslim quote, or a call for Azan and Fajr prayer will be broadcast. During Lent, a Christian prayer, a hymn or a responsorial psalm will be broadcast).

Malaysia

Malaysian public broadcaster RTM previously operated TV1 24 hour days only during Ramadan. But TV1 started year-round 24-hour operations in August 2012, shortly after the London Olympics, which was also broadcast 24 hours a day.

Philippines

During the Holy Week in the Philippines, terrestrial TV and radio stations continue their regular broadcast schedules from Palm Sunday until Holy Wednesday. From the midnight of Holy Thursday until resumption of operations on Easter Sunday, most general entertainment-formatted free TV channels (including ABS-CBN, TV5, and GMA) as well as most radio networks are off the air, or otherwise cut their broadcasting hours and feature special programming, including Catholic Media Network member stations, broadcasting Easter Triduum services and other similar programming.

Campus radio stations' operations during this time are left to the discretion of their respective schools, colleges, or universities by either closing down on the afternoon of Holy Wednesday or remaining off-air the entirety of the week.

On cable and satellite, with the exception of specialty channels dedicated to broadcasting horse races, cockfights and the like that halt operations during this period, most international channels distributed to the country continue to broadcast their 24/7 regular programming service week-long, while a few even continue with specially-arranged schedules from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday.

See also

• Goodnight Kiwi


• ITV Nightscreen


• Ceefax


• Test Card F


• Dark (broadcasting)


• Digital television transition in the United States


• Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act


• TVARK


• Indian-head test pattern


• Sign off routines in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• 
  TV-Signoffs.com - J. Alan Wall's website devoted to sign-offs and sign-ons of United States television stations


• TV-Ark