26SMPTE bars
The "color bars" we see used on TVs are called SMPTE bars. These bars, which were created in 1951 and became widespread in 1978, are used to calibrate color and audio levels for taped recordings.
27. In the early days of radio, advertisers were hesitant to invest in radio ads because they feared an ad where you couldn't just "turn the page" if you didn't like it (as you could in print) would come off as pushy and invasive.
28. In 1941, an Italian newspaper named Popolo D’Italia reported that the Loch Ness Monster had been killed by a direct hit in a German air raid. However, when a family boating on the Loch in August 1941 sighted the monster, the Daily Mail made a point of noting that Nessie had survived the Nazi attempt on her life.
29. MDZhB is a Russian ghost radio station that has been broadcasting since 1982. No one claims it but it has continuously produced a buzz punctuated with someone making a short random statement once or twice a week since its inception.
30. “La Bougie du Sapeur” is a French newspaper that only publishes on February 29th. It has only 10 issues so far as of January 2021. They also have a Sunday edition which only comes out on 29th Feb Sundays (roughly every 28 years) next one scheduled for 2032. They sell about 200,000 units.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
319/11
Americans sought comfort TV after 9/11 and watched so much Food Network that the station had to restructure itself to appeal to a general audience. This led to the creation and subsequent rise of reality cooking shows like Chopped and Iron Chef USA.
32. A radio station named KARW in Texas once organized a bonfire to burn The Beatles records after they claimed they were “more popular than Jesus”. The very next day, the station’s broadcast tower was struck by lightning, damaging equipment and sending the news director to the hospital.
33. A newspaper once posted a poll online asking readers if watching Blackfish, a documentary critical of SeaWorld for keeping orcas captive, changed their opinions of SeaWorld. The results were “No.” It was later revealed that 55% of the votes came from a single IP-address hosted by SeaWorld.
34. In 1939, radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. recorded their entire 19-hour broadcast day for historic purposes. It contains the only known recordings of a number of programs from the Golden Age of Radio. It is now in the National Recording Registry and is available free, streaming online.
35. "TV Pickup" is a phenomenon wherein people in Britain all simultaneously turn on their electric kettles during commercial TV breaks causing massive power surges countrywide.
