Is British style continuity unique?

Indeed, as mentioned earlier, plus I've seen Finland's YLE using IVC recently too

ARD at 8:00pm is presumably still an exception, though I know that announcement is recorded and essentially part of Taggeschau's opening titles. Does ARD not use idents anytime else any more - been a while since I've been to Germany. What about ZDF?

When YTV began introducing programmes over their revolving 'Liquid Gold era' chevron, rather than a slide, in 1987, it was commonplace to mix into another company's ident. They continued the practice of showing frontcaps (if they were present) well after the rest of the network had stopped. The one exception was that a programme produced by YTV, with a Liquid Gold frontcap, was introduced over a slide instead.

Other companies, such as Central, who had phased out IVC by the mid-80s, must surely have done the same. It wasn't a 'clash' of branding really so I doubt there was an issue. Frontcaps disappeared around the same time that IVC was being dumped, so any issue was therefore temporary.

Off-topic, in a way, but Border frequently mixed into programme titles straight from a trailer, rather than fading to black. It looked a little odd.

I wouldn't call the announcements before Tagesschau continuity announcements for the reasons you mention (although they are a relic from the time when announcers were commonplace). It is more akin to the announcements in network newscasts in the states ("From NBC News World Headquarters in New York: This is NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams."). I also wouldn't call the preceeding animation an ident.

It is common in Europe to use break bumpers that are a bit more elaborate than in the UK (typically a 3-6 second spot with a jingle). They tend to replace idents as the primary identifier.

In Germany, several public channels still have idents (3-10 second "ID spots"), but their use varies. You can't expect an ident in every junction.

On Das Erste you'll find break bumpers in the day, and I think programme trails are separated by an image of the Das Erste logo and a two-note jingle (two strikes on a xylophone). At one point I've also seen something that looks like a standalone ident, but that seems rarely used. You can see some of it here.

ZDF also separates its trailers with a short jingle, but I haven't seen anything that looks like an ident (commercials are separated by the Mainzelmännchen).

The British style seems very old fashioned when you see how it's done elsewhere. I can understand it being that way on the BBC as a tradition but I'm surprised some of the big newer broadcasters like C5, Sky or Discovery haven't moved over to a more US or mainland European way of presenting their channels (especially as 5 was owned by a German company for years)

I don't think it would be welcomed in this country. People are very much set in there ways (me included when it comes to idents) and moving to a more American way of doing things just wouldn't be successful imo.

Just before Granada Reports/News we have a promo for a programme and then straight into the Reports/News - no ident or vo

Ned1, 2, & 3 still have idents before programmes - still very similar to BBC. The "commercial" channles are similar to the US except no end credits. Final scene of a programme then straight into the next programme.

STV have started to show a programme promo then straight into the pan regional weekend bulletin without a ident or VO.

ITV tried, briefly, to adopt a more American style of presentation without idents.
http://youtu.be/JURBMmJbnkE?t=2m27s

I don't think it was very popular. I think the way we do things is better, I like programme junctions because they are breathing space between programmes.

We're lucky that all the UK channels have this traditional style of presentation, because it only needs 1 or 2 of them to switch to "American" or "German style" where there's no credits or idents or adverts between programmes, and then they'd all have to follow suit to compete!

That's not an American style at all. It's still fairly traditional and a format that Channel 4 used regularly for years. I think the now/next menu works quite well personally.

Who was it not popular with?

I don't think anyone's suggesting that no gaps between programmes is a style we'd like to see here, there's a lot more differences to the way it's done elsewhere.

News is a good example of why the traditional British presentation style doesn't always work. For example what's the point of an announcement telling us that we're watching Channel 4 and now is the news when the programme is called 'Channel 4 News'?

The Travel Channel is one of the few services on my cable system here in Slovenia that uses traditional British-style presentation. I'm afraid I find it quite redundant: Why tell me that program X is about to start -- instead of just starting it?