It did turn out to be a bad wire connecting the TV audio to the reciever. I do not have a vcr or cable box attached to this TV, so it goes directly from the TV to the reciever. I first pulled the connection and replaced it tightly. That made the difference for a few days, but then I had the same problem yesterday. I just hit the wire and it was fixed. I assume it must be a loose wire in the connector. They are old cheap RCA cables. I will be replacing them shortly. I appreciate all the advice which helped me fix the problem just in time and get several compliments on the system.