This document discusses television channel idents and their purposes. It provides examples of idents from BBC One, BBC Three, Channel 4, and ITV. Channel idents are used to separate shows, promote the channel's brand and values, suggest upcoming programming genres, and market events or series. They usually feature the channel's logo and themes consistent with its brand. Creative idents can represent news topics or sports in abstract ways to promote particular shows without using direct footage.

1. Identifying The Channel
This is a channel 4 ident that they use on the channel regularly. The ident is set in an American
gas station this reminds the audience of the shows channel 4 use from the USA. As the camera
pans past the gas station we see a large number 4 come together on the roof, the 4 is made out
of light up signs and links to the setting of the advert. Channel 4 use this technique in a lot of
their idents which works in a lot of different ways as the wide range of settings show that the
channel is very diverse. The 4 always coming together is consistent but they always do it in a
very creative way. The setting can also show the wide range of audiences channel 4 appeal to
and also can sometimes suggest what type of TV show is coming on next, for example if this
ident may come up before an American drama came on.
This ident has become such a regular
and familiar ident on channel 4 that
they have recently started to use the
shot of the gas station without the 4
on the roof as a new ident on their HD
channel which shows how powerful a
well known an ident can be.

2. Scheduling
For some channels idents are just used to separate two different TV shows. BBC one does not
use commercial adverts so they might use an ident to separate the two shows and may use a
voice over to tell you what show is coming up next.
This BCC three ident has the same theme as
the scheduling screen they have put up after
it which tells you what is going to come on
next on the channel. The idents theme is
shown throughout the channel and they use
the same colours as the BBC three logo
which is placed just above the scheduling
board in this shot

3. Brand Loyalty
The BBC create brand loyalty through using the same logos and themes in all their channels
idents. The BBC logo is used in all of the idents used on the BBC creating a recognizable brand.
The BBC also commonly use circles in their idents which has been a theme since the BBC started
when they used a globe and they have keep using this theme since.
Channel 4’s corporation values and mission statement says that channel 4 “demonstrates
innovation, experiments and creativity”. We can see these values have been displayed in their
idents as they use very unique and creative ideas using lots of special effects and interesting
scenes. There mission statement also stated that channel 4 “appeals to the tastes and interests
of a culturally diverse society” which they do also display through their idents through their
wide range choice of settings

4. Particular programming
This BBC one ident uses lots of people on bikes in coloured rain
coats riding around a big circle. This ident would normally come
on before the news on BBC one. Although this ident looks like it
has nothing to do with the news the idea of what the people on
the bikes are doing has a lot to do with global news. All the
different coloured rain coats come together which represents all
the different countries and cultures that are involved in the news.
At the start of this ident it is raining showing the bad times in the
news and then at the end of the advert the sun comes out
showing the situations that have been resolved.
This ITV ident called “No Guts, No Glory” uses a boy skipping in a boxing gym. This ident would
be used before sports shows which the it suggests as the boy is doing exercise in the ident.

5. Marketing Opportunity
The primary reason of making an ident is to promote the channel, its meant to be an advert for
the channel which is meant to make you stay on that channel and recognize their logo. The
channels logo is always used in TV idents as the ident is made by them and displayed only on
their channels.

6. Series or an Event
Sometimes channels will create idents for big events or TV series on their channel. This will
often mean this is a very important event like an election or this channel may have exclusivity to
a TV show and they can promote it through their idents.
In August 2012 the BBC covered the London Olympics, for the event a number of idents were
made and displayed in the build up and during the games. The idents followed different athletes
competing in different events all over the streets of London and some other interesting settings.
The idents were all animation and none of them included real athletes or real settings meaning
they could be very creative in what they created.