Ulster Television/UTV

Logo descriptions by Andrew Batstone, PAV123 and rj4712 Logo captures by Mr. Logo Lord and V of Doom Editions by V of Doom and Shadeed A. Kelly Video captures courtesy AlanMcB

1st Logo (1959-1969)

Ulster Television

Nicknames: "Early Oscilloscope", "The Mountains Of Mourne", "Early Zig-Zag", "The Line Graph"

Logo: On a black background, seven white dots appear one by one at random places on the screen while they all slowly zoom in together. The first three dots are then connected by two lines - the first short, the second long - which appear simultaneously on the screen. The process is then repeated with the last three dots being joined. Then, two lines draw upwards from the third and fifth dots at the same time, connecting with the fourth dot at the top of the screen to create a “zig zag”. The words “Ulster” then “Television” slowly unfold at the bottom of the screen.

Trivia: According to UTV's website, this was designed by Roy Irwin of Ballycarry as part of a design competition for the network. The dots in the logo are also supposedly meant to represent the seven major towns/cities in Northern Ireland (Strabane, Londonderry, Enniskillen, Coleraine, Armagh, Ballymena, and Belfast).

FX/SFX: The appearance of the dots and the lines, the lines tracing themselves.

Music/Sounds: A rendition of the Irish folk song "The Mountains Of Mourne", played on a celesta.

Availability: Extinct on TV. Preserved by UK logo enthusiasts. Can be seen on British television archival sites like "TV Ark".

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1969-Summer 1988)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television (1969-1980)Ulster Television (1969-1980)Ulster Television (1969-1988)

Nicknames: "Classic Oscilloscope", "Zig-Zag Telly"

Logo: An already-formed, still 2D image of UTV’s 1969 logo, similar to the previous design, only the lines have been made thicker and the dots have disappeared. A stylized television screen shape surrounds the new design. The words “Ulster Television” are underneath the logo. Both the oscilloscope device and text are in yellow against a blue background.

Variants: The logo in its early years was seen in a much smaller print. Sometimes, the word "COLOUR", "PRODUCTION", or "OUTSIDE BROADCAST" is seen below, along with a copyright in Roman numerals occasinonally. The logo is also known to have an animated version, with involved the logo being made by a line and scrunching up to form the logo, and the text flipping in below, but no video evidence exists of it other than a recreation here. A B&W version was also used. A Christmas version exists, with the background in red and the logo in white. There's also some bells with a red ribbon, complete with a thick white outline, beside the logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct on TV. Preserved by UK logo enthusiasts.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1980-Winter 1988)

Ulster Television - CLG Wiki

Nicknames: "UTV Lollipop", "Telly On A Stick", "Majestic Oscilloscope", "Zig-Zag Telly II", "Cheapo Telly on a Stick"

Logo: On a black background, we see a silver statuette (reportedly composed of melted film stock) made up of a stick with a cube roughly in the middle. On the cube’s four faces is the oscilloscope device featured in the previous logo. The statuette rotates slowly for the duration of the ident, while light reflects off its silver surface. The words “Ulster Television” (in yellow) appear just below the cube part via a “wiping” effect.

Trivia: The entire design of the logo was set on a turntable and the background was merely a black cloth.

FX/SFX: Live-action, with the only animation being the wiping of the text.

Music/Sounds: An analog synth ditty.

Availability: Extinct. Last seen on TV Hell in the early '90s.

Editor's Note: Despite being only made for their 21st anniversary, it lasted 8 years.

4th Logo (1987-1989)

Ulster Television - CLG Wiki Nicknames: "Early CGI Oscilloscope", "Zig-Zag Telly III"

Logo: Against a grayish background, a silver 3D oscilloscope design is seen, along with the words "Ulster Television" in white. The entire logo casts a shadow in the back, then zooms out in the end.

Trivia: The logo was originally created during the launch of Six Tonight where the logo would fade into the show after the oscilloscope design zoomed back. The logo would merely freeze in later uses.

FX/SFX: The logo zooming out.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 3rd logo.

Availability: Extinct on TV. Preserved by UK logo enthusiasts.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (Summer-Fall 1988)

Ulster Television (1988) Nickname: "Zig-Zag Telly III"

Logo: On a rainbow colored background, we see the white text "SUMMER" up against a rainbow colored scribble. The design from the previous logos in yellow is seen below. The text "on Ulster Television" is below everything else.

FX/SFX: TBA.

Music/Sounds: Presumably a continuity announcer.

Availability: Extinct. Was only used for summer broadcasts from the era. Maybe check TV Ark.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (1989-June 1993)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television (1988-1993)Ulster ITV Nicknames: "CGI Oscilloscope", "Zig-Zag Telly IV"

Logo: On a cloudy gray background, we zoom up to a UTV oscilloscope device lying on its side, with a yellow “zigzag pattern” drawing itself within a blue “TV shape”. As we get close up, we quickly zoom away from it as it rises up, revealing the entire logo. A silver CGI banner with the words “Ulster Television” flies in from the bottom right of the screen in a wavelike motion, settling underneath the oscilloscope.

Variants: A still variant was used at the end of shows. Sometimes for the above variant, the above logo would be given a gradient look, and the text "AN ULSTER TELEVISION PRODUCTION FOR" and the ITV logo can be seen below. During continuity sometimes, a cheaply cutted out version of the logo is seen with the banner below, on a much clearer version of the background.

FX/SFX: Decent CGI (for 1988).

Music/Sounds: A synthesized horn, piano, and drum fanfare.

Availability: Probably extinct. Preserved by UK logo enthusiasts. The still variant can be seen in their shows from the time.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (1989)

Ulster Television - CLG Wiki

Note: This ident was not used on air, likely because the logo was badly reproduced.

Nickname: "ITV Generic"

See ITV for description.

8th Logo (June 1993-1996)

Nickname: "UTV is YoUr TV", "The Box"

Ulster Television - CLG Wiki Logo: On a blurry shot of a waterfall, several different pieces in purple and yellow zoom out. They soon rotate towards the screen to form the new UTV logo, looking completely different from the oscilloscope-based designs. A mostly-purple plate with a yellow slab on the side is seen, with a "U" in inverted colors appearing on it in Times New Roman. "TV" is also seen on the yellow section in Condensed Futura. The background then brightens up a bit.

Variants: To mark its new logo look, a shot of the 1988 Ulster logo, waving like a flag, was shown. It then blew away to reveal this logo. Sometimes after the logo finishes playing, it "ripples" away. Sometimes, after the logo finishes playing, the"U" shrinks, and the words "IS YO R TV" ( the blank space being filled in by the "U" logo ) wipe in. Very rarely, the logo contains live action elements at the end, often showing people passing by or manipulating it.

FX/SFX: The waterfall shot, and the pieces merging together.

Music/Sounds: A calm orchestrated theme.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

9th Logo (1996-2000)

Ulster Television - CLG Wiki Logo: In front of a shot of a Irish landmark, the camera quickly zooms in towards it. It then blurs and distorts as parts of the UTV logo emerge, forming in at the end. Distortions emerge from it until it ends.

FX/SFX: The zoom in, the logo forming. How the logo formed at the end differed from ident to ident/

Music/Sounds: A soft theme, varying from each ident, with an announcer usually.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

10th Logo (2000-2001)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki Logo: On a black background, a large strip filled with clips of Northern Ireland is seen slowly moving along, as different effects play in it and several translucent squares fly pass the screen. After a bit, the strip slowly turns a flurry of colors as the UTV logo emerges via a different effect. Several aftershadows may appear.

FX/SFX: The strip, the logo forming.

Music/Sounds: A remix of the 9th logo's theme.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

11th Logo (2001-2002)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki

Logo: Footage from around Northern Island is shown. A transparent box then slides in to the right, and then the footage goes by quicker as it forms a square with the letter U in it, which itself turns into the new UTV logo, which consists of a purple rectangle with the letter U on the left, and a smaller yellow rectangle inside that with TV in red. The footage then turns into a yellowish, purple or red background with a rotating transparent box inside.

FX/SFX: Live Action, with animation for the UTV logo.

Music/Sounds: Another remix of the same jingle.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

12th Logo (2002)

Logo: A person touches the screen, which ripples into a transparent version of the UTV logo from before. The background turns black.

FX/SFX: All the animation and live action used.

Music/Sounds: A calmer remix of the same jingle.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

13th Logo (2002-2003)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki

Nicknames: "UTV III", "UTV People"

Logo: Like the then-current generic ITV1 ident, we see a montage of various ITV1 personalities, which ends with a shot of the UTV logo from before. The logo zooms toward us a bit.

Variants:The regional variants used for local UTV programming featured various UTV personalities, and the national variant featured various ITV personalities.

FX/SFX: The panels and zooming, as well as Live Action.

Music/Sounds: A rather uninspired jazz-like tune, or an equally uninspired guitar tune. This is sometimes accompanied by a continuity announcement.

Availability:Saved on programming from the era.

Editor's Note: None.

14th Logo (2003-2006)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki

Logo: The camera scrolls through somewhere in Northern Island. A black boarder on top displays white text that tells us where the location is which moves slowly to the left, while the bottom has a banner where the UTV logo appears from the left.

FX/SFX: Mainly live action.

Music/Sounds: Originally used the ITV1 ident soundtracks used at this time, but some time later the idents gained their own soundtracks based on the UTV jingle.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

15th Logo (2006-2007)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki

Logo: On a black background, yellow bars form live action footage, with the UTV logo forming on the right. As with before, the text on top describes the place where the footage was filmed.

FX/SFX: The bars forming, the live action footage.

Music/Sounds: Mostly the same soundtracks as before.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

16th Logo (2007-2009)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki

Logo: Same as before, but the slogan "It's all about U" (with the U bit being part of the UTV logo) appears below, and the location doesn't normally appear.

Variant: In 2007, UTV aired a celebratory program titled UTV Rewind, for the days leading up the event, the Northern Island footage was replaced with older UTV idents.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

17th Logo (2008-2010)

Ulster Television - CLG WikiUlster Television - CLG Wiki

Logo: Same as before, but the black background is replaced with a white background.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

18th logo (2010-2011)

Logo: Same as before, but the background colour is changed again, this time to blue. The slogan doesn't appear this time round.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: TBA

19th Logo (2011-2012)

Logo: We see a video of someone doing something around northern Ireland. At the left, we see the "U" from the previous logo and a word describing what the person is doing in the video next to it. The word fades out, causing the "TV" banner to appear. The name of the place where the video takes place at appears at the bottom right.

FX/SFX: The video, and the words disappearing and appearing.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

20th Logo (2012-2016)

Logo: The UTV slogan "Part of U" appears in the middle of a video of something around northern island, it then closes into the UTV logo, and the name of the place of where the ident of filmed appears on the bottom.

FX/SFX: Mainly live action.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

21th Logo (2016- )

Logo: Same as the 2013 ITV logos, but the logo is now the new UTV logo and fades in as 1 piece. The same "U" is there, but its not in a box, instead having a circle with part of the "ITV" logo in it.

FX/SFX: The video, the words disappearing and appearing.

Music/Sounds: Same as the current ITV idents.

Availability: Current

Editor's Note: None.