New logo and possibly name coming for S4C

One of TV's longest existing brands may go in the next 12 months as S4C prepares to rebrand.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1658817,00.html

According to an interview in MediaGuardian, the S4C logo is likely to be altered in the next year, and the name of the channel itself may even change.

S4C chief executive Iona Jones also confirmed the station would not produce English content once it ceases broadcasting C4 output, meaning it will become a Welsh-only channel.

S4C say they are interesting in working more closely with ITV Wales, but say it's likely the BBC will continue to produce Newyddion.

I can't see them changing the name. The only thing they could do is the same as five and drop the word "channel", but 4C wouldn't be much of an improvement, and would make it sound like a subsidiary of C4.

Well now all of that was quite likely, since C4 will effectively become the Channel Four licence for Wales after switch-off -- so calling itself S4C would be rather misleading.

I daresay it will also lose its 104 slot on the EPG [or whatever the other boxes have].

Mind you if the name is not changing, why change the logo? Pointless.

well i've always thought s4c should have merged in some way with channel 4 when it became clear that digital tv would bring an end to the english channel 4 content on s4c.

a deal might have seen channel 4 get position 4 on the epg in wales, whilst s4c would have become financially secure perhaps with cross-promotion between the 2 channels in the province - perhaps even the introduction of english language regional programmes as opt-outs from the channel 4 schedule.

Am I right in remembering that one of the original plans included calling it S4C whilst Welsh programmes were going out, but C4W whilst it was putting out English stuff?

I know that one never got off the ground, but at least it'll never need to be an option again.

so what is the relationship between S4C and c4 at the moment? Don't HTV still produce welsh programs?

C4 are obligated to provide S4C with it's content, free of charge I think. There is no formal business connections between the two.

What do you mean 'effectively after switchoff'? S4C always was the 4th channel in Wales, and Channel 4 always was the 4th channel everywhere but Wales. The introduction of Digital TV and the decision to allow both C4 and S4C to broadcast terrestrial to all of the UK (even if S4C haven't excercised that option), which then led to S4C becoming two completely different channels depending on whether or not you watch on analogue was the thing which confused it.


That will probably follow. The plot to end S4C's days as being the Welsh 4th channel and simply do what has always been wanted by many - carrying the 'real' 4th channel in Wales whilst making S4C a more slimmed down specialist channel has been hatching for 7 years now. It only continues to hold the '4th' slot on digital platforms now for purely political reasons, the part time all Welsh channel which is S4C Digital is surely not really seen as being the '4th' channel by very many viewers (if any at all). I'd imagine any name change would involve the association with '4' being removed to reflect the scaling back in prominance of the channel which is inevitable - 'S4C' translated as 'Channel 4 Wales' - and it isn't any more.

That said, by itself it's a strong and long established brand, and surely the biggest asset which S4C has left, perhaps ditching it isn't such a great idea.


You mean that abandoning a long established logo which has cemented a brand firmly in the viewers mind as thus is an attractive place for advertisers in favour of something which is 'simplified', 'cleaner' or 'more coherant' isn't a good idea? Surely not?!!

How about calling themselves "Sianel Cymru" or just "SC" for short?

They could let them have channel 6 and become "Chwech Cymru"

Their overall branding has been unaltered for an extremely long period of time, and IMO, there's nothing wrong with it; it's survived for quite a while.

Changing the font is fair enough, but if they were to completely drop the flame-like tongue situated next to the 'C' in the logo, that wouldn't make sense to me as it is unique, and representative of the dragon/fire symbolization that runs throughout the current idents. Unless, of course, the idents are being changed as well, but there's really no need for that, they work well and are very strongly established.

Hmm. I don't think we're disagreeing really -- though I might be wrong.

Programmes commissioned for broadcast by C4 are done so on S4C's behalf also, by definition, since they both represent the Channel Four licence in their respective areas. S4C transmits about 70% of these when and where it can/wants to, at its discretion, meanwhile busying itself entirely with commissioning the Welsh programming which fills the remainder of its schedule.

Take those programmes away from S4C, and its status needs redefining. It will no longer broadcast Channel Four licence-commissioned programming, nor will it continue the exact same PB-related remit. It will have a new, refocused agenda -- so will now be something other than the 'fourth channel' in Wales, even if it remains so by chronology.


Indeed.


I'm stuck here again -- I'm saying if 'S4C' is staying [quite unlikely it seems], why change a branding which is just about the only thing about the station which will not alter -- its Welshness?