I've notice that the Australian networks are copying those in the US and Canada by having their idents on screen during programmes. We have to put up with that here on Satellite/Cable channels but not the terrestrials.
I've notice that the Australian networks are copying those in the US and Canada by having their idents on screen during programmes. We have to put up with that here on Satellite/Cable channels but not the terrestrials.
Do u mean idents in the end credits of a program or like an ECP? Seven started at the beginning of this year in a prime time program, having a program promo followed by a 'NOW' ident all in the end credits. They've stopped this now and usually just have a program promo in the end credits, followed by a proper 'NOW'/'THEN' ident.
Nine do the same as Seven, but Nine's big regional affiliate WIN, plus TEN and ABC all have proper idents into shows after the end credits. SBS is completely different and has it's idents when programs finish, instead of before they start.
A current example of what I am talking about it is the Cricket Test Series - Australia vs New Zealand. The Channel 9 ident is on screen during play in the top right hand corner.
Aaah ok I get ya now. Seven and it's affiliates have a watermark on everything except News and Current Affairs. Nine and it's affiliates watermark everything. Ten and affiliates only watermark sport. ABC only watermarks sport, but is introducing it on all programming from next year. SBS only uses a watermark on sport.
Usually the watermarks are fairly faint, and aren't much of a nuisance, although Nine's affiliate, WIN Television, has been annoying the hell out of its viewers (me included) with the watermark it's had since September 2002. Before that it was just a tiny gold WIN up in the corner of the screen, but since then it's been a large map of Aus with WIN on it, which moves around the screen for various programs. At the moment it's a dirty brown colour, and has been that way for the last couple of years, but has previously been gold, red, blue, purple, orange, aqua, green, a clear colour, and grey. WIN also covers Nine's watermark on sport coverage with it's own bright blue and gold version which was previously twice the size, but has now been reduced this week, to the same size as Nine's.
Aaah ok I get ya now. Seven and it's affiliates have a watermark on everything except News and Current Affairs. Nine and it's affiliates watermark everything. Ten and affiliates only watermark sport. ABC only watermarks sport, but is introducing it on all programming from next year. SBS only uses a watermark on sport.
Usually the watermarks are fairly faint, and aren't much of a nuisance, although Nine's affiliate, WIN Television, has been annoying the hell out of its viewers (me included) with the watermark it's had since September 2002. Before that it was just a tiny gold WIN up in the corner of the screen, but since then it's been a large map of Aus with WIN on it, which moves around the screen for various programs. At the moment it's a dirty brown colour, and has been that way for the last couple of years, but has previously been gold, red, blue, purple, orange, aqua, green, a clear colour, and grey. WIN also covers Nine's watermark on sport coverage with it's own bright blue and gold version which was previously twice the size, but has now been reduced this week, to the same size as Nine's.
Are we the only country that uses continuity announcers then?
Some of the SABC (FTA) channels in South Africa still have in-vision continuity during prime-time - but generally speaking from what I've seen of other English-speaking countries, there are very little continuity announcements into programmes. An ident normally just runs with no voiceover.
Effectively a ' DOG' and a 'watermark' are the same thing - but watermark is a much more apt word when talking of the Aussie ones, because (with the exception of WIN) they are almost illegible - only visible if you make a point of looking. Channel Seven's watermark, for example, cannot be seen against a light background, but against a darker background you can pick it out.
And WIN's smaller sport DOG which they started using this week. It was previously twice the soze, to make sure Nine's watermark was well and truly covered:
Seven's watermark (the olympic version from earlier this year) which, along with Nine's, is the best. Very faint and not very noticeable.