A VIR signal detector circuit for a color television receiver identifies the repetitive reception of a VIR color information signal on a predetermined horizontal line of video signal. The detection is accomplished with minimum interference from Gaussian and pulse-type noise to assure that VIR color control circuits in the receiver are activated only upon receipt of an actual VIR signal. The VIR signal detector operates by generating a viewing pulse of short duration during each horizontal line in which a VIR signal may be present. An accumulator, set to respond to a predetermined number of simultaneous detections of the viewing pulse and a video signal exceeding a predetermined value, generates a control signal indicating that a VIR signal is being received.