Illustration by Graeme MacKay – Wednesday November 5, 2014
‘The beginning of the long dash’ indicates 75 years of official time on CBC
It has been called the longest-running feature on CBC Radio.
The National Research Council’s official time signal was first broadcast on CBC Radio 75 years ago on Wednesday.
On Nov. 5, 1939, as the Second World War was breaking out in Europe, Canadians first heard “the beginning of the long dash” which officially indicated the arrival of 1 p.m. eastern standard time.
Since 1939, the time signal has been broadcast regularly on CBC Radio, allowing Canadians to set their clocks to the exact time set by the NRC.
The signal served an important role in the pre-digital age, allowing Canadians access to exact time in a world of analog clocks which were not always reliable.
In today’s age of instant communications, GPS systems and 24-hour business transactions, the official time set by the NRC is perhaps even more important. People can now access accurate NRC time whenever they want on their computers and cellphones. (Source: CBC)