Clock ident

A clock ident is a form of television ident that employs a clock displaying the current time with the station logo, typically used before news bulletins and closedown.

Appearance

On screen, clock idents typically displayed an analogue clock, although some broadcasters did occasionally experiment with using digital clocks.^[1] In particular, many ITV regions in the UK adopted a digital clock design overlaid on to a coloured card using CSO during the 1970s and 1980s. The backgrounds were generally static, but some clocks had movement - for example Associated-Rediffusion had a spinning Adastral, and the final clocks used by RTÉ One and RTÉ Two from 1995-1998 were overlayed onto a video background.

The first station clocks were mechanical, but started to convert to an electronically generated format in the 1980s.^[2]

A clock will usually visually match a television channel's normal ident or idents, but not in some channels like TVP from Poland.

Usage

Europe

Traditionally, clock idents are used before news bulletins to ensure that the bulletin begins at the exact time dictated by the schedule.^[3] Clocks could also appear at closedown or startup.

At the time digital television started to become commonplace in the late 1990s and 2000s, clocks started to drop out of mainstream use - delays caused by digital systems meant that clocks were a few seconds slow. Most television channels no longer sign off at night, and this eliminated another use for clocks. BBC One stopped using a clock at Easter 2002 when it changed its idents from the balloon to the dancers. One notable exception is Welsh-language channel S4C, which used a clock until 2007 at closedown and before news bulletins.

In UK, the clocks usually have the background sound of speaking of the next program, and current time. This is only used in UK.

In Portugal, analogue clock idents were used in both the public RTP channels until a major rebranding on January 28, 2002, when they were replaced by digital, less obtrusive clocks. Clock idents in Portugal have been mostly used before newscasts, although they were sometimes used in RTP channels to align programming with the schedule, as a form of continuity.

In Scandinavia except in Iceland, before news program or sign-on/off usually have clock idents, and in Sweden always have music in background since 1980. For Denmark and Norway doesn't have music on clocks, however it has beeps every 10 seconds. In Iceland does not broadcast clocks.

In Eastern Europe, clocks usually don't match the idents, and the sound is usually quiet. Soviet Union had clocks, but today only Ukraine and Lithuania have clocks. Poland used the old clock from 1979, but with small changes, for Czech Republic and Slovakia have no clocks, even today.

In Hungary had only two TV stations in the same network to 1992, which is MTV, MTV had no clocks to 1998. Duna TV introduced clocks to Hungary in 1994.

Asia

Clocks usually not used in Asia and Americas, except in some countries.

East Asia

In Japan, NHK had the famous clock from 1969–1985, which is in the blue background, with white clock, the most famous part of the clock is 3, 6, 9, 12 has two bars, while other has one bar. There is also NHK logo near the clock. This clock have only 2 colors. This clock is also used in some countries such as Sweden (1970–1980), Myanmar (1995-today) and Thailand (2008–2010). NHK has many other clocks after that, but no one copied them. NHK still broadcasts clocks prior to 7am news, but does not use during sign-on or sign-off as it broadcasts 24 hours a day since 1989.

In China, every program comes on time, The programs usually play with 10 minutes at the last to make next program come on time, after the program schedule, CCTV fills to the time with the clocks.

In Hong Kong, clock idents were used in between programmes, especially news bulletins, although they were not used during signoffs or startups, contrary to the example shown above.

South East Asia

In South East Asia, clock idents are broadcasted in almost all countries, but only few channels. The countries that broadcast the clock idents are: Thailand, Cambodia (formerly), Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam.

In Indonesia, which is one of three earliest countries in South East Asia to have the clock idents, the rest are Malaysia.

In Malaysia, which is one of three earliest countries in South East Asia to have the clock idents

In Vietnam, clocks were introduced in 1970, on Vietnam Television. VTV used to broadcast only in the sign-off until 2003. Since 2003 clocks are broadcast before main news program and broadcast in the breaks when there's no commercials on.

In Thailand, Channel 3 used to air a digital clock video counting up to 8:00am and 6:00pm for the national anthem. This practice has ceased since 2009.

In Cambodia, there are no local channels that broadcast clocks, there is an international channel, CTN, which is in the US, broadcasts the clock ident, however it's not in the sign-on or sign-off sequences as it broadcasts 24 hours a day, but they broadcast clocks prior to 5pm and 11pm, which are times for National Anthem.

References

1. ^ The TV Room. [1] Retrieved 21:50 GMT 22 January 2007.
2. ^ TVARK. [2] Retrieved 18:53 GMT 20 January 2007.
3. ^ BBC Cult. [3]. Retrieved 18:46 GMT 20 January 2007.

External links

• BBC testcards (including clock idents)