{"id":58884,"date":"2024-02-09T11:06:53","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T15:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=58884"},"modified":"2024-02-09T11:06:53","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T15:06:53","slug":"bbc-do-we-still-need-the-pips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/bbc-do-we-still-need-the-pips\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC: “Do We Still Need the Pips?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following piece which recently aired on BBC Radio 4 (click link below to listen):<\/strong><\/p>\n

To mark the centenary of the Greenwich Time Signal on the BBC, Paddy O’Connell asks the unaskable – Do We Still Need the Pips?<\/p>\n

First broadcast at 9.30pm on Feb the 5th 1924, the six pips of the Greenwich Time Signal have become synonymous with Radio 4.
\nBut today digital broadcasting has rendered this time signal delayed and inaccurate. Plus their immovable presence can cause accidents on-air, and no-one wants to crash the Pips.
\nSo after 100 years, should Radio 4 just get rid of them? What is the point of a time signal in 2024 anyway?<\/p>\n

Paddy O’Connell looks back across a century of organised beeps, and meets the people who listen to, broadcast and sometimes crash in to the Pips to find out what we really think about these six little characters.
\nWith interviews including Mishal Husain, Robin Ince & Brian Cox, Jane Steel, Richard Hoptroff, Jon Holmes and David Rooney.<\/p>\n

Produced by Luke Doran.
\nOriginal music by Ed Carter.<\/p>\n

Click here to listen to this episode on BBC Radio 4.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following piece which recently aired on BBC Radio 4 (click link below to listen): To mark the centenary of the Greenwich Time Signal on the BBC, Paddy O’Connell asks the unaskable – Do We Still Need the Pips? First broadcast at 9.30pm on Feb […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,3],"tags":[8346,1347,852,3516],"class_list":["post-58884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-news","tag-bbc-pips","tag-bbc-radio-4","tag-radio-4","tag-richard-langley"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-fjK","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42205,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/radio-waves-plant-powered-satellite-comms-bbc-pips-filter-basics-and-replacing-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":58884,"position":0},"title":"Radio Waves: Plant-powered Satellite Comms, BBC Pips, Filter Basics, and Replacing Shortwave","author":"Thomas","date":"March 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019sRadio Waves, a collection\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Digital Modes"","block_context":{"text":"Digital Modes","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/digital-modes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/CCRadio-EP-Pro-Dial-Accuracy-Close-Up-1024x524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/CCRadio-EP-Pro-Dial-Accuracy-Close-Up-1024x524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/CCRadio-EP-Pro-Dial-Accuracy-Close-Up-1024x524.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58623,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/radio-4-continuity-announcers\/","url_meta":{"origin":58884,"position":1},"title":"Radio 4 Continuity Announcers","author":"Thomas","date":"January 4, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes: While setting up to record BBC Radio 4 LW for the turn of the year using the U. Twente SDR receiver, I noticed the program in the final hour before midnight: \"But First This ...\" It is about the jobs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Met-Office-Shipping-Forecast-e1503570469366.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59522,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/rnz-changes-its-pips\/","url_meta":{"origin":58884,"position":2},"title":"RNZ changes its pips!","author":"Thomas","date":"April 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following news from Radio New Zealand: RNZ's pips are changing - Can you hear the difference? (RNZ) https:\/\/podcast.radionz.co.nz\/mnr\/mnr-20240412-0756-rnz_national_its_the_pips-128.mp3 RNZ National is changing the pips - the beeps that mark the start of each hour which play immediately before the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/RNZ_logo-Radio-New-Zealand.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/RNZ_logo-Radio-New-Zealand.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/RNZ_logo-Radio-New-Zealand.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/RNZ_logo-Radio-New-Zealand.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34090,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/the-bbc-world-service-has-a-new-theme\/","url_meta":{"origin":58884,"position":3},"title":"The BBC World Service has a new theme","author":"Thomas","date":"September 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: The Guardian) https:\/\/youtu.be\/dO2IeiP2T2A For 70 years, far-flung listeners knew they had found the BBC on their radio dial when they heard the jaunty notes of the Irish jig Lillibulero. Its brassy, old-fashioned sound spoke of men in dinner jackets and vintage radio microphones, and there was a minor public\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Image source: BBC)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12552,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/can-you-help-george-identify-the-mystery-pip\/","url_meta":{"origin":58884,"position":4},"title":"Can you help George identify the mystery pip?","author":"Thomas","date":"March 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"SWLing Post reader, George (NJ3H), writes: I quite often see a spike in the evening on 4996 khz. From the listing, this is suppose to be RWM, in Moscow, a time signal station. When I listen on remote receivers in Poland and Denmark, I do not hear time pips, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"WWV format","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/WWVformat-1024x777.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/WWVformat-1024x777.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/WWVformat-1024x777.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22514,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/will-green-bank-soon-become-a-little-less-radio-quiet\/","url_meta":{"origin":58884,"position":5},"title":"Will Green Bank soon become a little less radio quiet?","author":"Thomas","date":"November 30, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBC News via Richard Langley) Disturbing the peace: Can America\u2019s quietest town be saved? There's a town in West Virginia where there are tight restrictions on mobile signal, wifi and other parts of what most of us know as simply: modern life. It means Green Bank is a place\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"GreenBankTelescope","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/GreenBankTelescope.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/GreenBankTelescope.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/GreenBankTelescope.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/GreenBankTelescope.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58884"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58886,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58884\/revisions\/58886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}