BBC World Service

The BBC World Service is one of the most widely recognised international broadcasters of radio programming, transmitting in 43 languages to around 150 million people throughout the world. The English service broadcasts 24 hours a day. Unlike the BBC's main radio and television services, which are primarily funded by a licence fee, the World Service is funded by the British Government through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, although it is expected to remain politically neutral.

Interval signals

The interval signal of the BBC World Service in English is the Bow Bells, a recording made in 1926 (though only in use from the early 1940s), though this isn't used on all frequencies - some are silent until the start of broadcasts. Though for a few years in the 1970s, Oranges and Lemons was used as the interval.

Related Topics:
Interval signal - Bow Bells - 1926 - Oranges and Lemons

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January 1941 saw the beginning of the Morse code letter "V" as an interval signal. The interval signal had several variations including timpani, the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (which coincide with the letter "V"), and electronic tones which are still in use today for some Western European services.

Related Topics:
January - 1941 - Morse code - Interval signal - Timpani - Beethoven's Fifth Symphony

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Whilst modern trailers featuring a variety of international broacasting centres are beginning to replace the World Service's classic signature tune Lillibullero, it is still broadcast just before the top of many hours, followed by the Greenwich Time Signal (five short and one long pips) and the hourly news. Until fairly recently, the hourly sequence was preceded by the announcement "This is London" - it is now followed by a more promotional "Wherever you are, however you listen, this is the BBC" or "With world news every half hour, this is the BBC". In other languages, the interval signal is three notes, pitched B-B-C. The exception is the non-English services to Europe, which have an interval signal of four notes, B-B-B-E, in the rhythm of the Morse Code letter "V". GMT is announced on the hour on the English service, e. g. "13 hours Greenwich Mean Time" is said at 1300 GMT. 0000 GMT is announced as "midnight Greenwich Mean Time". Sometimes, however, "Greenwich Mean Time" is abbreviated to GMT when the hour is announced.

Related Topics:
Lillibullero - Greenwich Time Signal - Morse Code - GMT

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