Clock ident
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A clock ident is a form of television ident that employs a clock displaying the current time with the station logo, typically used before news bulletins and closedown.
[edit] Appearance
On screen, clock idents typically displayed an analogue clock, although some broadcasters did occasionally experiment with using digital clocks[1]. However, most broadcasters persisted with analogue clocks. The backgrounds were generally static, but some clocks (like that of Associated-Rediffusion had animating or moving sections. The first station clocks were mechanical, but started to convert to an electronically generated format in the 1980s[2].
A clock will usually visually match a television channel's normal ident or idents.
[edit] Usage
Traditionally, clock idents are used before news bulletins to ensure that the bulletin begins at the exact time dictated by the schedule.[3] Clocks could also appear at closedown, while the announcer would make a 'goodnight' announcement before closing down.
At the time digital television started to become commonplace in the late 1990s and 2000s, clocks started to drop out of mainstream use - delays caused by digital systems caused a delay, therefore meaning that clocks were a few seconds slow. Most television channels no longer sign off at night, and this eliminated another use for clocks. One notable exception is Welsh-language channel S4C, which used a clock until 2007 at closedown and before news bulletins.
