AS1 - Task One - Understanding Television Idents

What is a channel ident? A channel ident is usually a piece of media in the form of an image or a video that is shown before the start of a new programme. What is the purpose of an ident? The purpose of idents is to kill spare time due to programmes either finishing early or because there wasn't enough news in that day. It can also be used to schedule for later that day. Identifying the channel... One of the purposes of a television ident is to identify the channel. The ident would stand as a symbol for the specific channel that it is designed for. The most famous idents would be: The BBC - BBC started off their idents journey with one that was nicknamed as 'batwings' back in 1953.  After their first ident, the BBC decided to then create their first logo in 1960 which still stands as their logo in 2016.  Below you will find other famous idents: E4 - Disney Channel - Idents have been developed at great amounts over the years as new technologies have been evolved; they have played a significant role in the development of idents. Organising the Schedule Idents are important when keeping a channels schedule organised. Idents are the perfect opportunity to provide information about the upcoming shows and programmes on that channel; having this information may encourage the viewer to continue watching because they are aware of what is on, and if its something they watch religiously then they will remain on the channel. Segmentation of the Scheduling Channels like the BBC don't have adverts which is why we pay for our TV licence. However other channels such as channel 4 and ITV do provide advertisements because they're commercial channels. Idents therefore add time between programmes to provide information, regulate scheduling, provide knowledge of variety programming and it gives studio workers like news and sports broadcaster a break. Creating Corporate Identity TV channels have now become international so they aren't restricted to one country as you can see. Therefore having an ident contributes to having an international brand. If there is consistency across a range of channels it helps to establish an identity that can be sold internationally. Growing online platforms such as All 4 is vital to maintain the image of the brand. Creating a Brand and Encouraging Brand Loyalty  Creating your own brand for certain channels is important because it encourages people to stay loyal to that particular. An ident allows the brand to be advertised and allows the audience to become familiar with the style of the channel. By advertising the ident religiously, it imprints the brands image in the audiences mind and making them more likely to return to that channel again. Creating The Right Tone and Appealing To The Target Audience Idents set the right tones for the channel and appeals to its target audience, for example; cbeebies idents are very childish and colourful because children watch that channel. The ident not only stands as a brand identifier but it also gives information about that channel, it reflects the type of programmes that are shown on it. Its also important because it caters to different age groups, religions and preferences. Branding of Particular Content Particular content provides a regular theme across various platforms. This purpose of an ident can identify a particular program that belongs to the channel that its on therefore branding the content to that channel. For example: The Voice A Marketing Opportunity  An ident is often used as a clever promotion tool, almost like an advertisement. Could be a preview of the shows that are going to show on that channel. For example the Sky Christmas ident. Packaging and Re-packaging A Series of Programmes Or Event Idents have been known to promote a new series of programmes or promoting events that show on that channel. For example the children in need ident on BBC.