TV Idents

EARLY INDENTS 

 The BBC wanted to put something at the end of each program to signify that the next programme was starting and that it was the BBC providing the audience this television service and nobody else. The BBC wanted to create a 'network identity' so when their audience tuned it they would immediately recognize that it was the BBC that they were watching.

In 1936, the first ident for the BBC named: 'The Tuning Symbol'. A white background with a black circle with a caption at the bottom reading 'BBC Television Service'. It was a mere reminder in-between shows that the audience was watching the BBC but nowhere near their own 'identity' as it said nothing about what the BBC had to offer and what kind of shows are on their service.

TELEVISION SYMBOLS

Starting from 1950, the  BBC decided to identify itself to the viewers and would need something more exciting than a selection of cards in between the programs so that the BBC could compete with other broadcasters to bring more viewers.

In 1950, graphics designer; Abraham Games was commissioned by the BBC to produce the first ever on air TV symbol. 
 

(The picture above) Remembered by many as the 'bats wings' first went live on 2nd December 1953, replacing the occasional use of the BBC Crest and various test cards, seen randomly between programmes.

(sketches for the television symbol.)

When creating the symbol, Abraham thought of how Television was a world of medium, and the central sphere he drew might be thought as as the world with light and television signals radiating outward from it. 

GLOBAL AMBITION

At the start of the 1960s, the BBC was keen to show to it's audience that it was a modern organisation (using the latest technology rather than sticking with their older products), well deserving to compete with rival Television broadcasting service 'ITV'.

With the re-branding of the BBC in the 1960, they set out to create a new-on-screen identity set out to prove that the corporation was just as well placed to serve the UK's different regions and different nations as ITV. 

In 1963, they replaced their old logo with a spinning globe. These were black and white globes and have the globe spilt by a diagonal line.

BBC tv became BBC1, and a new ident used from 1966-1968 had the globe spinning within a 'watch strap.' this ident did not last long as it only aired for a year. (1968-1969)

the BBC started using computer generated symbols for their idents. These were 3D models created and generated on computers. It took until 1985 to harness enough computing power (as technology at the time was not that advanced) at a reasonable cost to produce an entirely electronic globe device now sported a rich gold and blue combination with 'Times New Roman Font', with an computerised clock. This became known as the 'COW Globe.'

In the 1990s, BBC1 was to have a final version of the traditional globe image. An ethereal swirling and ever changing image was created for the network announcements, with a large figure 1 taking centre stage. 

INTO THE NEW MILENNIUM

In 1997, a new pan-BBC brand was introduced-the BBC blocks were straightened up and the various logos and brand styles used across the Corporation were replaced by a single brand based on the new logo and the Gill Sans typeface.

BBC1 was rebranded as BBC one, and a new set of idents were launched.

The BBC globe made it's final appearance and a new set of idents launched in 1997, bringing idents into the real world by printing the globe onto a hot air balloon and filming it flying at locations all over the UK. The idents were shot in widescreen in readiness from the tradition to 16:9 broadcasting which began in 1998.