Central Television Enterprises

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

Background

Central Television Enterprises Limited was founded in 1987 by Central for sales, sponsorship and newsgathering operations, as well as being the company's key international distributor of programming. It would later represent output sales for HTV, Meridian and Carlton.

CTE was included within Carlton Television's purchase of Central in 1994, and renamed the company as CTE Carlton Limited in September 1994, with "CTE" now standing for "Carlton Television Enterprises".

In March 1998, Carlton renamed CTE Carlton as Carlton International Media Limited.

Logo (1989-1998)


Visuals: On a shadowed white background, a purple-blue gradient lined box is seen with the text "Cte" in it. The box ripples once, turning the text white.

Variants:

  • A still version exists.
  • An extended variant also exists. Here, the box appears via a "liquid" wipe effect as purple-blue lines slide in to complete the box. The "Cte" text then swings in and lands on the box, making it ripple and turning the text white, forming the logo above.

Technique: Computer-generated effects.

Audio: A synth note with some twinkles.

Audio Variants:

  • On the extended version, sharp noises are heard when the lines slide in. A cymbal crash when the CTE lands on the box and the same synth note from the normal logo. This was also used for the CTE Video logo.
  • On some 1994 episodes of Family Fortunes, the CTE logo plays over the end of the closing theme.
  • Sometimes, it's silent.

Availability: Seen on Central-owned (and later Carlton-owned) shows from the time until 1998, with the short version being the most used.

  • The logo's purpose was to be used to plaster over any Central logos on international airings of the company's content.
  • It has also been spotted on Challenge airings of Family Fortunes from the 1983-1984 and 1993-1995 seasons.
    • It's status on episodes varies, it is mostly seen after the Central Productions endcap (although sometimes, it will only appear for a split second before being cut off), although on some 1993-1995 season episodes it plasters the Central endcap outright with the ending theme intact.
    • Some airings may plaster this with either the 1999 Carlton International or the 2013 ITV Studios Global Entertainment logos.
  • Bullseye also used this logo at one point, but re-airings of the show on Challenge have it plastered with the 1999 Carlton International logo or nothing at all after the Central endcap.
  • It was also seen on old CITV airings of Wolves, Witches and Giants, plastering both the 1995 and 1997 Central endcaps.
    • However, some episode prints plaster it with 1999 Carlton International or the 2004 Granada International logos, while some episodes still retain the 1995 and 1997 Central endcaps.
      • It is very likely that the DVD releases of the show that were released in Denmark also retain the plaster, alongside BritBox airings.
  • This was also sighted on a 1990s printing of An Ideal Husband (1947).
  • It was also seen on a True Movies airing of the 1991 TV movie The Perfect Tribute.
  • It was also seen on late 1990s prints of Sherlock Holmes episodes from the era, plastering the Granada Television endcap.
  • The extended variant is only known to appear on U.S. VHS releases from BFS Video, such as Inspector Morse: The Way Through the Woods.
Central Television Enterprises
Carlton International
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