It was like that when I began watching television in the mid 1960’s. I had a set in my own room by 1968.
The local educational station ran test patterns in the middle of the day back then in between their broadcasts for schools.
Today they would say the Indian was offensive, claim the cross is promoting Christianity which offends Muslims and say the arrows pointing slightly right is promoting right wing politics.
I remember they played the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ or something religious. Those were better times.
Why does almost every cable channel put an annoying logo at the lower right corner of the screen which sometimes blocks what can be viewed? Hate that.
I was 13 in 1963, and I recall that all the stations signed off the air around midnight with a film of a jet (”my wings touched the face of God”) or the American flag and then showed the Indian test pattern starting around 5:30 am as they warmed up their cameras before beginning broadcasts at 6 am.
You forgot to mention that, before that pattern appeared, Perry Como sang “The Lord’s Prayer” while the American flag freely wafted against a blue sky and F-100’s Super Sabres screamed across the TV screeen.
At least in Alabama it did when the state was still referred to as “The Heart of Dixie” instead of that brainlss “Stars Fell on Alamabama” on today’s license plates.
That’s the America I would like to remember but, alas, it is gone forever.
Saw that image on many a Saturday morning while waiting for Popeye and Felix the Cat to entertain.
The test pattern was usually preceded by The Star Spangled Banner.