RW
Radio Leeds had a problem at one point where a particular high frequency sound in the travel jingle matched the tone to turn the RDS off, meaning it would switch on and then off straight away. This was solved by re-saving it at 32kHz which meant the jingle sounded rather flat, but it filtered out the offending note. I suspect something similar was going on in the case you mention.
Similar problem at Radio Solent. Presenter Nick Girdler could cause the 19 kHz stereo pilot tone at the transmitter quench by making a certain squeaky noise in the early days of stereo broadcasting (1990 ! for them)
Here is a clip I recorded on Christmas Eve 1993 of Nick Girdler using 'cherry-flavoured fizz wizz' to make the stereo go out. As I live a long way out of the Solent region, the stereo signal is very noisy, but it does mean it's obvious when the stereo has gone out.
Later on, he realised he didn't need the fizz wizz and could simply make the stereo go out by making a sucking noise, so it's followed by a second clip from early 1995 of a listener attempting, and failing, to do the same thing!
Such a shame Nick got booted off Radio Solent two years ago - he was a unique presenter, I've never heard anyone quite else like him with his bizarre and mischievous sense of humour.
Robert Williams
Founding member
A couple of years ago one BBC local station whose patch I regularly drive through had a promo for their rugby coverage that would trigger the RDS travel flag. Happened for weeks, it wasn't just a one-off
Radio Leeds had a problem at one point where a particular high frequency sound in the travel jingle matched the tone to turn the RDS off, meaning it would switch on and then off straight away. This was solved by re-saving it at 32kHz which meant the jingle sounded rather flat, but it filtered out the offending note. I suspect something similar was going on in the case you mention.
Similar problem at Radio Solent. Presenter Nick Girdler could cause the 19 kHz stereo pilot tone at the transmitter quench by making a certain squeaky noise in the early days of stereo broadcasting (1990 ! for them)
Here is a clip I recorded on Christmas Eve 1993 of Nick Girdler using 'cherry-flavoured fizz wizz' to make the stereo go out. As I live a long way out of the Solent region, the stereo signal is very noisy, but it does mean it's obvious when the stereo has gone out.
Later on, he realised he didn't need the fizz wizz and could simply make the stereo go out by making a sucking noise, so it's followed by a second clip from early 1995 of a listener attempting, and failing, to do the same thing!
Such a shame Nick got booted off Radio Solent two years ago - he was a unique presenter, I've never heard anyone quite else like him with his bizarre and mischievous sense of humour.
IN
Yes, it shows it can work in the right setting.
(and three photos into that gallery it's back to RDS!)
Also still used in print for the annual reports (last page):
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/annualreport/2019-20.pdf
Here's a take on the BBC Coat of Arms at one BBC building. Nice muriel, I wonder what the other ones are
https://flic.kr/p/hzz1W
https://flic.kr/p/hzz1W
Yes, it shows it can work in the right setting.
(and three photos into that gallery it's back to RDS!)
Also still used in print for the annual reports (last page):
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/annualreport/2019-20.pdf
JO
Did he keep pausing the lecture to tell you what was coming up after the next song?
Nick was a lecturer at the uni I went to, while also presenting the late night show on Solent. He used to get quite cross when pissed students would ring him up on air.
Did he keep pausing the lecture to tell you what was coming up after the next song?