The end of the long dash: CBC stops broadcasting official time signal
CBC
The beginning of the long dash indicates exactly 1 o'clock eastern standard time.
For more than 80 years the beeps and tones of the National Research Council (NRC) time signal have connected Canadians at exactly 1 p.m. ET.
But as of Monday, CBC Radio One audiences won't be listening for the beginning of the long dash — they'll have listened to the end of it.
Variations of the daily message and the "pips" that sound along with it have played over CBC's airwaves since Nov. 5, 1939 — forming a link that connects Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
CBC and Radio-Canada have announced they'll no longer carry the National Research Council (NRC) time signal.
Monday marked the last time it was broadcast, ending the longest running segment on CBC Radio.
CBC declined an interview and would only provide written responses to questions about the change.
In a statement, spokesperson Emma Iannetta described the signal as a "wonderful partnership," but confirmed it's being dropped.
Given the range of CBC platforms from traditional over-the-air radio, to satellite and the internet, the long dash undergoes a range of delays by the time it's heard, leading to accuracy concerns from the NRC, she wrote.
Iannetta added that nowadays most people use their phones to get the time, though many CBC listeners have a "fondness" for the signal.
"We share the nostalgia that many people have towards the daily time announcement but Canadians also depend on us for accurate information," she wrote. "With all of the different distribution methods we use today we can no longer ensure that the time announcement can be accurate."
For many, the relationship with the time signal goes far beyond fondness.
It's allowed sailors to set their instruments for navigation, kept railway companies running on time and helped Canadians stay punctual.
