New branding for BBC One and BBC Two

In the late 1980s, the BBC commissioned corporate branding experts Lambie-Nairn and Co to carry out research on the audience perception of BBC Two.

The then channel controller Alan Yentob said he realised there was a problem with the channel’s branding almost as soon as he took up the role.

“It was obvious the logo made absolutely no impact,” Yentob said.

“It was singularly unmemorable and it told you nothing about the personality of the channel.”

The audience research findings were that BBC Two was “dull and worthy”.

The branding consultancy was then tasked with coming up with a new identity for BBC Two, and BBC One.

The result was two very successful channel rebrands. Particularly so where BBC Two is concerned.

The 1991 – 2001 ‘2’ is generally regarded as the most successful and iconic branding era in UK TV history.

The internal BBC Eng Info magazine ran an article on the 1991 branding update, describing the technology used to get the idents on air and the new hardware required for the new channel clocks.

The new BBC Network identities were the culmination of ten months of intensive work involving a combination of engineering and artistic design effort.

Equipment to generate the new symbols and clocks was installed in every BBC regional centre and was commissioned in time for a simultaneous launch nationwide.

The old BBC One globe was well-liked operationally because it could be cut to – at any time – and held in vision for as long as required. The new design was required to offer the same flexibility: it also had to retain the rotating world concept, which had become synonymous with the BBC.

The result was a much more modern design, based on a continuously moving globe, but with a longer cycle time of one minute. This meant that only portions of the complete cycle were seen at any one time.

The BBC Two symbols were individual sequences lasting up to one minute each. Initially, eleven different symbols had been designed but the intention was to add to these so that up to twenty-four could be available online at any one time.

Each symbol had its own character and was selected according to the type of programme it preceded.

The symbols were designed by brand identity consultants, Lambie-Nairn and Co, in close liaison with the BBC Presentation department and the channel controllers.

At the beginning of the project, various methods were considered for storing and replaying the various symbols. The existing solid-state equipment had proved very reliable but could only generate relatively simple run-length encoded images.

The new requirement was to store many minutes of broadcast quality video with stereo sound. The choice seemed to be between magnetic tape (questionable durability and poor access time) or magnetic disc (high cost, poor storage capacity).

Neither choice was ideal but fortunately this dilemma was resolved by the timely launch of a new laser videodisc system by Sony.

Laser Videodisc Recorders: these machines recorded up to twenty-four minutes of analogue component video and stereo audio on each side of a 30cm laser disc.

The recording format used was known as CVRdisc (Component Video Recording). This used a time-division-multiplex system to combine Y, CR, CB and digitised audio into one signal which then frequency-modulated a carrier signal recorded on the disc.

The discs used the WORM principle (Write Once, Read Many). This meant that great care had to be taken when making the recordings but there was no chance of accidental erasure or corruption when in use.

Access time to any point on a disc was less than 0.5 seconds and sequences could be cued instantly from a standing still-frame.

The original symbol masters were supplied on D1 digital component tapes. These were transferred to disc using D1 edit facilities at Research department but it was intended that future videodisc updates would be done by post-production operation at TVC.

Separate discs and sets of equipment for BBC One and BBC Two were provided for London and the National Regions (to allow simultaneous opt-outs) while English regions used combined BBC One and BBC Two discs.

The disc machines in London were also used to replay the Open University and Children’s TV symbols.

The new clock – known as GNAT (Generator of Network Analogue Time) – was designed by a team led by Richard Russell of D/ED.

The design had been made as flexible as possible so that graphic designers had a free choice of hand shapes, colours, position and movement.

All these parameters, including details of the hand movements, were stored in EPROMS. Anti-aliased hands were generated from this data and superimposed (with an optional shadow) over one of two background images stored in Rec 601 format frame stores.

The hardware demonstrated its full potential at IBC by emulating the appearance and mechanical actions of a grandfather clock.

The time reference used was the MSF transmission from Rugby. In the absence of MSF, the clock would continue to run locked to station reference and, if this failed (or the mains supply), an internal oscillator would take over.

An MSF receiver was provided in all locations where new clocks had been installed, although in London this was later superseded by a new tie distribution system.

When transmitted, each symbol and clock was required to carry regional identification text, and an indication of whether subtitles on Ceefax 888 and/or stereo Nicam sound was being transmitted.

At first, it was planned to include this on the disc recordings and clock backgrounds, but this would have meant many different versions to cater for all regional combinations.

Instead, these captions were generated and superimposed locally at the time of transmission, using a device made by IP Kinloch called Logogen 2. This allowed all the symbol discs and clocks to be identical, which greatly simplified the task of issuing updated versions.

Logogen 2: the original Logogen was a simple caption generator, which stored captions in EPROMs. The principle of pre-stored captions with instant access was attractive but the 2-bit quantisation used was inadequate for generating good quality, anti-aliased text.

In discussion with the manufacturers, it transpired that the unit was being redesigned and they agreed to introduce some refinements of particular use to this project. The result was Logogen 2, which stored up to 256 captions and could be configured to generate high quality, anti-aliased, monochrome text as required for this project.

The captions were originated using a Quantel Paintbox workshop. The image data was converted to the file format used to programme the Logogen. This conversion process used a software-implemented sample-rate converter, because the Logogen had more pixels-per-line than the Paintbox.

A custom-built system to control the disc player, clock, logogen was commissioned from Connolly Systems Ltd.

This comprised a micro controller system with all the disc location data stored in battery-backed RAM.

The control panel provided: instant access to any of 24 pre-programmed places on the disc; selection of the required logogen caption and clock background; and controls to run the symbol.

Source: BBC Eng Info

Demo tape of GE6SM/574 found on eBay

In October 2024, the person behind the 80s and Retro TV Clips YouTube channel published footage from a u-matic tape they bought on eBay.

The tape contains a recording of the 1986 – 1991 BBC Two clock, but with a different style of hands. And the motion of the second hand was sweeping rather than stepped.

The hands are also shown with a shadow effect.

This is believed to have been a demonstration of some of the new functionality on offer from Richard T. Russell’s new GE6SM/574 clock hardware.

The tape would most likely have been recorded in 1990 when the prototype GE6SM/574 was built and prior to the new Lambie-Nairn clock design being completed – hence the use of the 1986 – 1991 BBC Two clock background.

You can view the full recording here, on the 80s and Retro TV Clips YouTube channel, if it’s still available.

The hardware lives on

A number of versions of the GE6SM/574 clock hardware were created as part of the original project in 1990.

These were used by Network in London, and the national regions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

It’s believed a version(s) was also created for the back-up Network site at Pebble Mill in Birmingham.

We’re keen to track down any other versions of this hardware that may still be out there.

If you’re currently in possession of a GE6SM/574, we’d be grateful if you would get in touch. We appreciate that you may wish to remain anonymous and we will fully respect your wish to do so.

On 31st December 2025, the man behind the clock hardware for BBC One and BBC Two – Richard T. Russell – ran a live stream on YouTube of output from the prototype GE6SM/574.

GE6SM/574/1 to be precise.

Richard used the antique clock face that was demonstrated at the 1990 International Broadcasting Convention in Brighton. This design was never used on air.

The GE6SM/574 supported arbitrary hand shapes, alternative second hand motions (step, deadbeat, recoil, sweep) and shadows. But most of this flexibility was never put to use on air.

Here’s a short edit from the New Year’s Eve 2025 live stream.

A recording of the full 11+ hours of the original live stream may still be available here, on Richard’s YouTube channel.

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