The BBC and the history of their Idents:
I have decided to use the history of the BBC and their development of the station identifications as a case study for the industry. Indeed the production of station idents is an industry on its own. Something that at first seems so banal and regular that hardly anyone even notices its existence is in fact a multi-million pound practice that is replete with its own figureheads and award winning examples.
In the early days there was no need for station idents as the BBC was the only public television service in the country. The first Ident to be aired on the BBC was affectionately known as “the bats wings” in 1953 (shown right). The imagery was terrifyingly Orwellian and was most likely influenced by the post-war industrial attitudes that flooded the nation at this period of time. Abram Games was commissioned to create the Ident after his notable success for designing the logo for the Festival of Britain. It was essentially an incredibly temperamental brass model that was filmed in a studio. There were regional variations for Scotland.
In 1962 the bats wings were scrapped and replaced with a more representative logo. A map of Britain, split in to its various broadcasting zones was intoduced with BBC logo stamped across it. This was the first evolution of the BBC logo we are all familiar with today and it is pelasing to note that it hasn't changed particuarly much over the last few decades.
The emblem that the BBC became most synonymous with, The Globe, appeared in 1963. It was the first Ident to also feature a continuity announcer who vociferously proclaimed that "This IS BBC television". One of the most infinitesimal, yet pleasing details of this ident is if you look closely at the BBC logo in the corner you can see that the boxes now slope with the lettering, a design that still exists to this day.
Presented by HAPPYHOMINOIDS.
If you don't know what a hominoid is yet, simply type "De Loy's Ape Into google images.
Thats a Hominoid. It could literally tear your face off.
Pictured: The Bats wings. Or as it was colloquially known "None of you are safe... ever."
1962 edition.
My researchers inform me that the world was indeed much grainier in the olden days.