a familiar closing phrase. Bulletin length Service Information bulletins generally lasted an average of two or three minutes but on Wednesday 25 August 1971, the longest Service Information bulletin known was aired, which ran for 11 minutes. Tuning information A Monday to Friday Tuning Information bulletin was added to BBC2 in the heyday of colour coming to BBC1 and ITV from 10 November 1969 to 31 December 1970 at 6.15pm. with an extra transmission for a two-week period from 17 November 1969 until 28 November 1969 broadcast at 4.30pm (Mondays to Fridays). Continuity announcers The Service Information spots were often looked at by the BBC as a training ground for their new continuity announcers. Here they could deliver concise and informative speech for a few minutes at a time and broadcast relatively safely to a smaller than usual viewing audience. Amongst the continuity announcers who could be heard during this period were: David Allan, Michael Birley, Peter Bolgar, John Braban, John Brand, Peter Brook, Andy Cartledge, Malcolm Eynon, Mike Gamble, John Glover, Martin King, John Leeson, Keith Martin, Roger Maude, Tim Nichols, Mel Oxley, Clive Roslin, John Ross-Barnard, Clem Shaw, Peter Shoesmith, Ian De Stains, Richard Straker, John Trevor, Colin Ward Lewis and Robin Whitting. Example transcript Here's a sample transcript of a 10 o'clock Service Information bulletin from Friday, 24 August 1973 which includes the announcement concerning the last day of trade test colour films being shown. (note that in fact Coupe des Alpes – which had been revived as a finale having not been shown since 1968 – was not shown because cricket coverage began earlier than scheduled, and Guiseppina became the last trade test colour film ever shown.) References External links http://www.testcardcircle.org.uk/ttcf.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080613090728/http://www.transdiffusion.org/emc/halcyondays/1970s/hidden.php BBC Television shows British non-fiction television series British television news shows 1967 British television series debuts 1982 British television series endings Broadcasting in the United Kingdom 1970s British television series