# Strange Noise During Cable Television Shows
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 4, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049 "2003-12-04T23:49:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hegel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hegel)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049/1 "2003-12-04T23:49:21Z")
Sometimes when I’m watching cable I hear a noise that sounds like very rapid dialing of a telephone. What’s the reason for this sound?
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### Author:  [@the\_terminator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_terminator)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049/2 "2003-12-05T00:13:03Z")
I’ve been wondering about that, too. The noise usually occurs right before a show starts or returns from commericals. I hear it a lot on Court TV and when I used to get the International Channel. Maybe it’s some way they cue up the program in the control room?
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049/3 "2003-12-05T02:28:22Z")
I too have heard this for years. I first (and most often) noticed it on ESPN.
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### Author:  [@hegel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hegel)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049/4 "2003-12-05T05:20:31Z")
I think there are a few ex-cable company employees on this board, perhaps the question can be answered by them.
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### Author:  [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-noise-during-cable-television-shows/217049/5 "2003-12-05T05:43:47Z")
My experience is out-of-date [a CC school station stocked with gear from a local major broadcast station, which became a cable studio and training station a few years later] but back in the 1980s sound tones were starting to be used to automatically cue up and start commercials and segments (akin to the trusty tape ‘cart’ system]