National Research Council Time Signal: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The National Research Council Time Signal is Canada's longest running but shortest radio programme. Heard every day since November 5, 1939, at 1:00 PM ET across the CBC Radio One network and at 12:00 PM ET across the SRC Chaîne Première radio network, it lasts as little as fifteen seconds.

The signal consists of a series of 300-ms "pips" of an 800 Hz tone between twenty and ten seconds before the hour inclusive, followed by silence, and then a one second-long 800 Hz tone to mark the top of the hour. The CBC time signal is typically delayed by about 300 ms with respect to the CHU time signal, because the actual time signal, which originates from Ottawa, is disseminated by satellite.

The spoken header (the voice varies from station to station) typically reads, "Now, from Ottawa, the National Research Council time signal. The beginning of the long dash, following ten seconds of silence, indicates exactly [insert local time here]."