Did you know ?

The six dot-seconds which can still be heard on the hour on BBC radio were first introduced on the 5 th February 1924. The dot-seconds or 'pips' as they became popularly known, were superimposed over broadcasting to mark the hour from the Greenwich Mean-Time clock. Later the pips were broadcast alone before the hourly news broadcasts, the sixth and longest pip marking the hour. In 1933 the magazine 'Wireless World' advertised that during broadcasts: Listeners should 'keep quiet' 'The room should be dimly lit . . . even dark . . . dim illumination undoubtedly helps the listener to create his own imaginative background to the heard broadcast.' Listeners should 'choose a comfortable chair and wear comfortable clothes.' John Reith a founder and first Director-General of the BBC, insisted that all radio announcers wear dinner jackets whilst on the air. During the 1930's and 1940's BBC announcer Stuart Hibberd closed all his announcements with the a familiar and reassuring farewell of 'goodnight, everybody . . . . goodnight', He later explained that the pause was to give listeners the opportunity to say 'goodnight' back. During the war years BBC news announcers enjoyed a certain amount of fame when they were required to give their name at the beginning of their broadcasts in order to reassure listeners that it was them broadcasting and not the enemy. They returned to anonymity after the war. W G Pye & Co. introduced the rising sun motif as a fret design on cabinets and speakers in 1927. It continued to be used until after World War II when it appeared for the first time without the clouds. This made the design look too much like the rising sun motif of the Japanese national flag and so following public outcry, the design was withdrawn.