Radio sign-offs

[snopes]

"At one time stations had to broadcast a lot of information at sign-on and sign-off. It included the legal name of the licensee, studio location, transmitter location, frequency and transmitter power output 'as authorized by the Federal Communications Commission.' Requirements had been relaxed at some time prior to 1953 when I began working in radio. Playing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' followed the sign-off.

"My understanding was that playing the national anthem started as a patriotic gesture during World War II. The practice gradually disappeared in the 1950s. A few stations started playing other music after sign-off. The station where I worked played Jan Peerce singing "The Bluebird of Happiness." It started as a joke. Listeners complained if it was not played, so it became routine.

"One possibly apocryphal story was about a sign-off shift announcer who lived several hours driving time away from the station. His choice of sign-off music told his wife his plans. If he would spend the night in an apartment near the station, he would play 'I'll See You in My Dreams.' If he were going to drive home, he would play 'Tonight We Love.'"

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