 
|
|
Wales/Cymru |
| |
|
S4C advertising, licence fee and state-funded
Welsh-language channel |
 |
1982, and new Welsh broadcaster S4C is about to relay a
programme bought in by sister station Channel Four. Note
the WaleS4Cymru ident style - misleading to many, as
the channel is formally Sianel Pedwar Cymru (literally
'Channel 4 Wales' and pronounced 'sh-annel ped-waar cum-ree'). |
| |
|
|
Back in time a few weeks to the opening of S4C on 1 November
1982 - the day before Channel Four in the rest of the UK.
This menu greeted those tuning in early, promising programmes
in Welsh until 9.30pm when the first English-language
programme would air. |
 |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
6pm and the opening shot of the HQ in Cardiff. Then
inside for a word from Owen Edwards - in Welsh and English. |
 |
Edwards shows us the TVTimes pull-out, Sbec, and hands us over
to the Children's department for an episode of SuperTed. |
 |
| |
|
 |
Back from SuperTed in Welsh, we switch into English to talk
about the new Channel Four, showing a promo and interviewing
down-the-line from London the head of the sister channel,
Jeremy Issacs. Both Edwards and Issacs settle on
referring to it as Channel 4 UK. |
| |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The first appearance of the first S4C ident. That must
mean it's time for the news. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
...from the BBC, of course. Newyddion, as the title
sequence suggests, is not just news of Wales - it
serves the function of being the international and UK national
news in Welsh as well - complete with a Welsh-speaking
correspondent in each of the important cities of the world.
Nothing is too good for Wales! |
| |
|
 |
But, before the news, you need a clock to confirm the time.
S4C is still using an analogue on-screen pre-programme clock
to this day, whilst the UK's other commercial broadcasters
have dropped this useful idea. |
| |
|
Well, that's the past; now a look at the present. S4C's
presentation remained in-vision for a decade, but in the 1990s
the channel got out of the habit, and began using voiceovers
over various representations of dragons. By the late
1990s, the company adopted a Lambie-Nairn identity, based on
ordinary objects breathing fire - kettles, bins, fire
extinguishers, pencils and fans to name but a few. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Also gone is the serif print S4C, replaced with a sans serif
S4C with a forked tongue. For the post-millennium, S4C
gained a new suite of idents that are used interchangeably
with the old. While the original set is based on reds
and gold, the new set is allowed more freedom, but has lower
production values and makes more used of pure computer
generation. Unfortunately, the two looks jar somewhat
and S4C may have done better to have picked one or the other. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
A production endcap, in the S4C house style, complete with
fire-breathing/fork-tongued logo. All S4C's programmes
are produced by the BBC and independent producers. HTV's
Welsh-language programmes for S4C seem to have all-but died
out. |
 |
Back to 1 November 1982, and this is the end cap for SuperTed
in the original Welsh. No standardisation of endcaps had
yet been made, but S4C was clearly mentioned some 7 years
before the idea would occur to ITV executives. |
|
A static "next" caption, with live announcer reading over,
heralds S4C's gardening club. |
 |
 |
And finally, the same thing again, from a taped promo for a
sports programme. Channel 4 UK promos are supplied 'raw'
to S4C, who add their own endboards, or make live
announcements over silent clips or a static card. |
|
Harlech House
of Graphics - Associated Transdiffusion |
|
