Thalitha TV

Thalitha TV or Algeria 3 is a international aimed television station from Algeria in Arabic.

Thalitha TV is provided to give a true idea of Algeria to the Arab world and a connection to Algeria for Algerians living abroad.

Thalitha TV began broadcasting on July 5^th 2001, and broadcasts on a number of satellites over Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

History of Television in Algeria

Television broadcasts in Algeria began in 1956 when the French government began a local station that was dependant on programming from RTF in Algiers the current capital of Algeria.

Following independence of the Algeria in 1962, the RTF station was replaced by L'Entreprise Nationale de Télévision or in English The National Television Company on October 28^th 1962.

The Video

Not much to be say about this video, it is very simple really, it is just a short of video of the Flag of Algeria blowing in the wind and the National Anthem playing from start to finish.

This video I believe is also broadcast on Algeria 1 or ENTV.

I hope you all enjoy..

Al Riyadiah Satellite

Al Riyadiah Satellite is a free to air satellite Sports channel from Saudi Arabia.

It broadcasts a variety of sports and sporting themed shows.

Al Riyadiah also broadcasts terrestrially in Saudi Arabia, I assume it has different sporting rights to the one on satellite but I am unsure.

Al Riyadiah continues to close down and start up each day, at various times of night and morning.

It broadcasts free to air on the Badr 4 at 26°E and Nilesat 102 at 7°W satellites, and both targeting The Middle East and North Africa.

The Video

Not much to be said about this video, other than to the left is King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, to the left is the Flag of Saudi Arabia, and playing from start to finish is the National Anthem.

Then after the video a great ident featuring loads of different sporting events, and green blocks that make up the logo which also includes the Coat of Arms of Saudi Arabia.

Sorry I do not have anything else to write, I do not know much about this channel.

Anyway please enjoy...

MRTV Myanmar

MRTV is the state broadcaster of Myanmar or formally known as Burma.

MRTV stands for Myanmar Radio and TeleVision, and broadcasts in PAL in Myanmars former capital Yangon on VHF channel 6 and relays across the country, but can also be seen in the Asia Pacific region on satellite in DVB-S C-Band on the Thiacom 5 satellite at 78.5°E.

I know little of MRTVs programmings schedule to really comment, but they obviously broadcast news and entertainment programming.

The Video

First of we see a very interesting holding card, with a MRTV coat of arms and a little test card in the corner with something written in Burmese and then MRTV in English.

Then a 3D graphic with the seal of the Ministry of Information of the Union of Myanmar then the MRTV Coat of Arms again and something written in Burmese.

Rest is fairly explanatory first a little video with music and shots of Myanmar and the outline of the country.

Then afterwards the Flag of Myanmar appears and the National Anthem is played through till the start of the new broadcast day.

Hope you all enjoy...

S4C Analog Close Down and Start Up July 2008

S4C is a public broadcast in Wales primarily broadcasting in Welsh.

S4C over the air broadcasts in Welsh and English shows during different times of the day,

English language shows are broadcast because the English Channel 4 is not available over the air in analogue in Wales, so S4C broadcasts Channel 4's programmes when they see fit.

S4C first began broadcasting on the 1^st of November 1982 and has the forth channel licence in the whole of Wales, and broadcasts in Welsh and English in PAL analogue over the air, fully in Welsh on DVB-T Digital over the air and the same signal is broadcast all over Europe on satellite.

S4C Analog continues to close down in the very small hours of the morning normally past 4am for about two hours before restart at 6am.

So this is the close down from the 25^th of July 2008 and start up the same morning.

Enjoy

BBC Two Close Down and Start Up July 2008

This is the BBC Two Close Down from the end of the broadcast day of Wednesday 23rd of July 2008 in the early hours of Thursday 24th of July 2008 and then the start up the same morning.

BBC Two continues to close down a lot when The Learning Zone or Schools Programming is not aired over night with the BBC News Channel when BBC One is still broadcasting programmes and when BBC News is on BBC One, BBC Two then closes for the night.

Not much has changed on BBC Two in ten years in caparison to this, except that Page from Ceefax is used with music during the downtime instead of black level and test tone or test card or just simply switching off transmitters.

Not much to be said about this video really, its pretty self explanatory.

So I hope you all enjoy it....

TVK Cambodia

TVK National TV of Cambodia is I believe either the state or public broadcaster in Cambodia.

TVK time shares a channel on the Hot Bird 6 satellite at 13°E with Universal TV of Somalia and MRTV-3 of Myanmar, this satellite broadcasts to all of Western Europe and North Africa easily.

TVK stands for TeleVision Kampuchea, and began broadcasting in 1966.

Cambodia was formally known as Kampuchea hence the name.

The Video

This video was broadcast right after a flash cut out of Universal TV programming time allotment had ended.

First we see a test card with 00:59 and seconds left till the next hour, interesting really since this is aired at around 6am UTC making 00: 59 somewhere in the Americas that the broadcast is originating from if it is a live test card, other than that I guess it maybe taped.

Video is almost a promotional tool for TVK so you could say this is the start up of their international service.

Some nice visual of Cambodia and the technical aspect of TVK then a slogan in English about TVK, not much else to say about this video, but its a start up so I'm including it.

Hope you all enjoy....

Télé Liban

Télé Liban is a state owned public broadcast television station in Lebanon.

Télé Liban is a Francophone and Arabic broadcaster, providing news and shows in both French and Arabic.

Télé Liban began broadcasting on May 28^th 1959 and was the first Television station in the Middle East when it was launched.

Télé Liban is French for Tele Lebanon, simple isn't it.

Lebanon has close ties with France after it was placed under French administration after World War I, and many speak French.
Because of this Lebanon uses the SECAM * standard for their colour broadcasts over the air and Télé Liban broadcasts an Arabic service VHF Channel 5 at 50kW's of power in Lebanon's capital Beirut and has a network of transmitters across the country

Télé Liban broadcasts a French language service on VHF channel 9, but I can not confirm this.

On satellite Télé Liban broadcasts a dual language service, broadcasting in a mixture of Arabic and French.

Télé Liban on satellite closes at around 00:00 each morning and plays this video.

The Video

First of we see a really awesome ident, with a very American feel to the musical score used with it, you would think there was a sporting event coming up or even a news broadcast on a major US Television network.

The rest of the video is kinda obvious, with the Flag of Lebanon and National Anthem playing.

Cheers and enjoy....

* Wikipedia's information mentions Lebanon broadcasts in the PAL standard, but various sources are conflicting, so I will settle with SECAM due to being extremely likely.

XETV San Diego 6

XETV Channel 6 is the CW network affiliate serving San Diego and Tijuana

Well how can I put this XETV was a very long standing FOX affiliate, but on August 1^st 2008 they had no choice but to affiliate with the CW network.

This was simple down to FOX who decide to switch afflictions to KSWB-TV, which is an American licensed station unlike XETV which broadcasts from Mexican side of the border and is regulated by Mexico.

You can see a previous version of XETV's sign on when they were a FOX affiliate on this blog here.

Not much difference really, although I think the English speaking announcer is different person.

The Video

Since it is a Mexican licensed station this has resulted in the station being required to play the Mexican National Anthem and broadcast their Flag at the beginning of each new broadcast day before the local 6am newscast.

Since its basically an American station in all but its broadcasting location it plays the US National Anthem directly after the Mexican one, and has the familiar North American style sign on message of the broadcasting power and details of the station itself but not licensed to the FCC but the Secretary of Communications and Transportation of Mexico which is spoken both in English and Spanish, this is the only time that I believe Spanish is spoken on this station.

This sign on was first played after re branding to San Diego 6 on August 1^st 2008, which was the same day as becoming the San Diego/Tijuana market CW affiliate, note their CW network logo is Blue unlike the CW network branding bright Green.

Cheers and enjoy.

RCN Colombia

RCN is a private commercial television network in Colombia.

RCN stands for Radio Cadena Nacional or in English National Radio Network.

RCN started life as a production company in 1967, but in 1998 they acquired one of two network licences granted by the government of Colombia, this allowed them to run a television station and network of their own.

RCN broadcasts on VHF Channel 4 in the capital Bogotá and has transmitters and affiliates around the country.

The Video

RCN does not seem to close for the night but does air this video before 6am.

First of we see a message "Para todos los que hacemos la bandera" the word bandera in the colours of the Colombian Flag which translates to something like "For all that make the flag"

Video is self explanatory but there is a very nice National Anthem of Colombia sung by Children/Teens.

At the end is a graphic with the word TODOS which translates as everyone, with I guess the announcer saying the programming they make is for everyone.

Then an ident for RCN with the catchphrase NUESTRA TELE or in English "Our Tele".

Please leave a comment or email to correct me on any translation errors if you can please.

Hope you all enjoy...

BBC Archive The Close Down Information Video

Continuing on with the BBC Archive videos, there is an interview on the website about the Close Down that used to be aired nightly on BBC One at the end of the broadcast day.

The video can be viewed by clicking the BBC globe to the right or here.

To me this is a much more interesting video and great to see, and explains every detail by Andrew Martin of a BBC One Close Down of the past.

It also contains an almost complete BBC One Close Down from 1981 - 1985, I can not date it sadly.

Also the other videos in the "The Bits in Between..." section of the BBC Archive website are also worth a look, but the Close Down video is the most to do with this blog.

Some-one at the BBC who produced these videos obviously has a great sense of humour I think.

Right, on Saturday I will be bringing you the RCN Television in Colombia's Start Up Video.

Have a good month of August..

Cheers and I hope you enjoy.