An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting, numbers stations, and by some domestic broadcasters, played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, but most commonly between programs in different languages.
It serves several purposes: It helps a listener using a radio with an analog tuner to find the correct frequency. It informs other stations that the frequency is in use. It serves as a station identifier even if the language used in the subsequent broadcast is not one the listener understands.
The practice began in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and was carried over into shortwave broadcasts. The use of interval signals has declined with the advent of digital tuning systems, but has not vanished. Interval signals were not required on commercial channels in the United States, where jingles were used as identification.
List of interval signals by station Recent + Interval signals Radio station Playable sound Abkhazian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company: Voice of Sharia:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/afg-z-voice_of_sharia_external_090600.mp3 Radio Algiers:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/alg-z-radio_algiers_c1996.mp3 Radio Andorra:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/and-z-radio_andorra_311225.mp3 Rádio Nacional de Angola:
Rádio Nacional de Angola ABS Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/atg-abs_161001.mp3 Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior: First eight notes of "Mi Buenos Aires querido" by Carlos Gardel, followed by people saying the station's name in eight languages. Radio Yerevan:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/arm-radio_yerevan_300707.mp3 Radio Baku:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/aze-z-radio_baku_th_1075.mp3 Radio Bahamas:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bah-bcb_radio_bahamas_090518.mp3 Radio Bahrain:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bhr-radio_bahrain_english_service_150102.mp3 Bangladesh Betar: A tune composed by Samar Das. CBC The One 98.1:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/brb-cbc_theone98p1_171011.mp3 Radio Belarus: "Motherland, my dear" (Belarusian: :be:Радзіма мая дарагая, Russian: ) by and Ales Bachyla. Radio Belize:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/blz-z-radio_belize_fdxa_c1980.mp3 Radio Benin:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/ben-ortb_radio_benin_121205.mp3 Bhutan Broadcasting Service:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/btn-bbs_dzongkha_250208.mp3 Radio Illimani:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bol-radio_illimani_220804.mp3 BH Radio 1:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bih-rtvfbih_bhradio1_201108.mp3 Radio Botswana:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bot-z-radio_botswana_241199.mp3 Rádio Nacional: Rádio MEC: Radio Brunei:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bru-z-radio_brunei_c1964.mp3 Radio Bulgaria: Radio Burkina: Radio Burundi:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/bdi-radio_burundi1_110809.mp3 National Radio of Cambodia:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/cbg-nrc_national_041211.mp3 CRTV:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/cme-crtv_national_station_071105.mp3 Rádio Nacional de Cabo Verde: Radio Centrafrique:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/caf-radio_centrafrique_c1995.mp3 Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/tcd-rnt_201111.mp3
China National Radio and China Radio International: Chime version of March of the Volunteers (). / CRI Indonesian Radio (and Radio Peking, predecessor of China Radio International): 东方红 ("The East Is Red"). / Voice of the Strait News Radio: Bell version of "Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" (). La Voz de la Resistencia:01. https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/clm-voz_de_la_resistencia_ow_0102.mp3 02. https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/clm-voz_de_la_resistencia_eb_ow_0102.mp3
03. https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/clm-voz_de_la_resistencia_wf_ow_0102.mp3 Radio Comoros:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/com-radio_comoro_091207.mp3 Adventist World Radio (AWR):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/ctr-z-awr_c1995.mp3 Croatian Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/hrv-z-croatian_radio_sw_c1999.mp3 Radio Habana Cuba: Refrain of "March of the 26th of July" () by Agustín Díaz Cartaya. Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation: DR P1: "Drømte mig en drøm i nat", played on metallophone.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Radio Djibouti:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/dji-rd1_031207.mp3 DBS Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/dma-dbs_151113.mp3 Radio Santo Domingo:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/dom-certv_rsd_181012.mp3 Radio Nacional de El Salvador:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/slv-radio_nacional_280613.mp3 Radio Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial: Voice of the Broad Masses:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/eri-vobme1_121203.mp3 Radio Tallinn:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/est-z-radio_tallinn_c1985.mp3 Radio Ethiopia: Fiji Broadcasting Commission (FBC):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/fji-z-fbc_c1965.mp3 Radio France Internationale: Electronic-disco, culminating in the last 8 measures of "La Marseillaise". Radio Gabon:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/gab-radio_gabon_010424.mp3 GRTS:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/gmb-grts_240311_040711.mp3 Georgian Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/geo-z-georgian_radio.mp3 Deutsche Welle: "Es sucht der Bruder seine Brüder" from Fidelio (Act2 No.16 Finale. Heil sei dem Tag!) by Ludwig van Beethoven. Uniiq FM:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/gha-gbc_uniiqfm_290212.mp3 Voice of Greece: "The Little Shepherd" (), played on floghera.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: K105:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/grd-gbn_k105_271114.mp3 W Radio (La Voz de Guatemala):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/gtm-wradio_140214.mp3 Radio Guinea:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/gui-radio_guinea_260518.mp3 Radiodifusão Nacional da Guiné-Bissau: Voice of Guyana:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/guy-ncn_vo_guyana_250417.mp3 4VEH:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/hti-radio_4veh_010605.mp3 Radio Nacional de Honduras:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/hnd-radio_nacional_140214.mp3 Radio Hong Kong: Rikisutvarpid:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/isl-z-rikisutvarpid_rvd_c1965.mp3 All India Radio: A tune composed by Walter Kaufmann or Thakur Balwant Singh, used since 1936.Tuning into broadcast history. The Hindu BusinessLine, 15 October 2015. AIR Goa: Indonesia RRI Programa 3: Ending bars of "Solace on Coconut Island" (), composed by Ismail Marzuki. RRI Regional: "Love Ambon" by George de Fretes
RRI Voice of Indonesia: "Feeling of Love" (Rasa Sayang). IRIB World Service (VIRI: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/irn-viriws_cheshmazar_is_181123.mp3 RTÉ Radio 1: 2nd segment of "O'Donnell Forever" (). Radio Cote d'Ivoire:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/cti-rci_110404.mp3 RJR 94FM:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/jmc-rjr_94_fm_301100.mp3 NHK Radio Japan: "KazoeUta (Hitotsu to ya)" (, counting-out game). Radio Nikkei: Kan Ishii Radio Jordan:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/jor-z-rj_english_c1999.mp3 Kazakh Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/kaz-z-kazakh_radio.mp3 KBC:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/ken-z-kbc_national_300504.mp3 Radio Kiribati:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/kir-z-radio_kiribati_121105.mp3
Voice of Korea: Melody of "Song of General Kim Il-sung" (). : Melody of "Song of General Kim Jong-il" (). KBS World Radio: "Dawn" (); Korean kids song "Moon, moon, bright moon" () Radio Kosova:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/ksv-z-rtk_kosova1_170600.mp3 Radio Kuwait:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/kwt-z-radio_kuwait_cm.mp3 Kyrgyz Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/kgz-z-kirghiz_radio_c1982.mp3 Lao National Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/lao-z-lnr_external_280308.mp3 Radio Lebanon:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/lbn-z-radio_lebanon.mp3 Radio Lesotho:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/lso-rl_main_290912.mp3 ELBC:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/lbr-lbs_elbc_111013.mp3 Radio Liechtenstein:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/lie-z-radio_liechtenstein_050924.mp3 RTL Radio: last segment of ":lb:De Feierwon" by Michel Lentz, played on chimes. Radio Macau: Macedonian Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mkd-mr1_150425.mp3 Radio Madagascar (:mg:Radio Madagasikara): MBC Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mwi-z-mbc_domestic_c1976.mp3 Voice of Maldives:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mld-psm_vom_dhivehi_raajjeyge_adu_281016.mp3 ORTM:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mli-ortm_national_network_201101.mp3 V7AB:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mhl-radio_marshalls_031015.mp3 Radio Mauritania: Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mau-z-mbc_c1978.mp3 XEW: V6AH:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/fsm-v6ah_voice_of_pohnpei_141105.mp3 Moldavian Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mda-radio_moldova_171214.mp3 Voice of Mongolia: "Motherland" () by Luvsanjambyn Mördorj. Radio Crne Gore:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mne-radio_montenegro_300507.mp3 SNRT:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/mrc-snrt_national_250511.mp3 Rádio Moçambique: Myanmar Radio:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/brm-mr_national_burmese_200125.mp3 NBC (National Radio):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/nmb-nbc_national_091209.mp3 Radio Naoero:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/nru-radio_naoero_140826.mp3 Radio Nepal: A tune composed by Ustad Govinda Lal Nepali. Radio New Zealand International: The call of a New Zealand bellbird Radio Nicaragua:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/ncg-radio_nicaragua_010903.mp3 ORTN: Radio Nigeria:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/nig-radio_nigeria_abuja_180805.mp3 Radio Sultanate of Oman:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/oma-z-rso_arabic_c1996.mp3 South Ossetian Radio: Radio Pakistan: A tune composed by Khwaja Khursheed Anwar. T8WH:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/plw-hope_radio_t8wh_070524.mp3 Voice of Palestine:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/wbg-vo_palestine_english_050907.mp3 SERT (Nacional FM):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/pnr-sert_nacionalfm_060411.mp3 NBC (Karai National Radio):https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/png-nbc_karai_260905.mp3 Radio Nacional del Paraguay:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/prg-z-rn_c1976.mp3 Radio Nacional del Peru:https://www.intervalsignals.net/sounds/pru-z-irtp_nacional_220902.mp3 : Far East Broadcasting Company: 2nd segment of "We Have Heard the Joyful Sound (Jesus Saves)". Radio Veritas Asia: "O via, vita, veritas". RTP Antena 1, Antena 1 Açores, Antena 1 Madeira, RTP África, and RTP Mundo: : Qatar Radio Radio Romania International: The first nine notes of “Pui de lei", lyrics by Ioan S. Nenițescu and song by Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.