–30–

:"For the episode of "The Wire" see –30– (The Wire episode). For the 1959 film, see -30- (film)."

–30– is used to indicate the end of a wire service story. [cite web
title = WESTERN UNION "92 CODE" & WOOD'S "TELEGRAPHIC NUMERALS"
publisher = Signal Corps Association
date = 1996
url = http://scard.buffnet.net/pages/tele/wurules1866/92code.html
accessdate = 2008-02-25 ]

Etymology

Possibly a corruption of German "fertig" - "finished, ready" - or in journalistic context "end of story".

It has been used since the Civil War when telegraphers tapped "XXX", the Roman numeral signifying 30, to end transmissions.Fact|date=June 2008

In popular culture

* "-30-", a motion picture about work in a Los Angeles newspaper, starring Jack Webb and William Conrad
* "–30–", the season finale of the television series "The Wire" for a season concerned with the work of a newspaper.
* In several Superman stories from various titles, failure by a Daily Planet employee to use this signature proved to be a plot point revealing a character's impersonation, mind control, etc.
* The title of "-30-: The Collapse of the Great American Newspaper" is taken from this practice.

References