<P> While most of these sign - on steps are done as a service to the public, or for advertising reasons, some of them may be required by the government of the country . </P> <P> Sign - offs, like sign - ons, vary from country to country, from station to station, and from time to time; however, most follow a similar general pattern . Many stations follow the reverse process to their sign - on sequence at the start of the day . Sign - off messages can be initiated by a broadcast automation system just as for other television programming, and automatic transmission systems can cut off the carrier signal and trigger the actual shutdown of the transmitter by remote control . Generally, after the carrier signal is cut, the viewer only sees or hears static after an analog television station signs off . Digital stations will likely display a message after the sign off; however, they may simply cut to a black screen with no sound . Occasionally, the signal is cut off entirely, causing digital broadcast receivers (cable / satellite boxes, digital TVs / converter boxes) to display error messages . </P> <P> Both sign - offs and sign - ons have become less common with the increasing prevalence of twenty - four hours a day, seven days a week broadcasting . They are, however, still conducted by a number of stations around the world, often by stations catering to small - markets or those in less developed countries, or when stations need to shut down for transmitter maintenance . Another consideration for whether providers shutdown is power consumption; aerial signals, such as those for UHF analog TV transmissions, can require tens of thousands of watts of power, making electricity a major expense, while power consumption would usually be considerably lower for cable and satellite providers . In relation to costs, viewer numbers are also a consideration . Another consideration is the licence issued by the government which indicates when their transmitters can be operated . </P> <P> For broadcasters which do still close for a period each day, the station close most often takes place overnight or during the early hours of the morning . The daily sign - off typically occurs between around 11: 00 p.m. and 2: 00 a.m. and the station will remain closed until about 5: 00 a.m. to 7: 00 a.m., although in countries with limited broadcast coverage, sign - off may occur at earlier times, and sign - on later . Sign - off may also vary depending on the day of the week; for example some broadcasters may run for 24 hours on Saturday nights, but sign - off and close during the week when there are lower viewer numbers . Seasonality is also a consideration where some stations / networks stay open for 24 hours, while rarely few go off the air completely during peak times of religious observances . </P>

When did the national anthem stop playing on tv