What time did tv sign off in 1958?

Answer 1

Television ended at 12 a.m. every night. About 11:59 pm, an announcer read a pre-recorded but standardized announcement regarding the channel and its frequencies. Each station had their own standardized message. Then, they played the National Anthem (instrumental) with a flag (flying) on the screen; each station showed their own pick of flag image. Then, it immediately switched to a test pattern image with a high pitched continuing, unrelenting "test pattern sound".

The test pattern image with the loud test pattern noise, or the just the static noise would then continue all night long! Quite annoying. Then, IF you already turned on the TV, suddenly at 5:59 a.m., the TV picture and sound would pop back on, starting into a shorter test pattern, so people could "adjust" the B&W and picture vertical-horizontal hold. TV picture tubes and antenna could cause a TV picture to be fuzzy, grainy, to "roll" rapidly up or down, or be cockeyed sideways. Knobs allowed owners to adjust their TV sets---or pound on them--or adjust the top-of-the-set antenna that has a wire going to the top-back of the set. Only if you HAD to would you adjust the roof antenna sometime during the daytime.

Following the morning test pattern, they replayed the National Anthem to begin the day. In small towns, the broadcast might have started with the Farm Bureau before the National News. Then, The Today Show started.

Some people say that beneath the words to the Anthem, the government inserted subliminal messages, such as shown here. You may need to watch it several times to see the other letters and words:

Answer 2

Midnight. I remember seeing the test pattern on the screen. I was 8 years old in 58 and my parents would watch Jack Parr right after the news. He was the last on.