NI
But despite the lack of idents + voiceover-style in the U.S., there is that signature recognition - take NBC for an example:
Network programmes often feature the three chimes or a musical variant, like Nightly News, Today, sports coverage. As does a lot of the local affiliates' newscasts, and considering they are on for 8/9 hours per day in major markets, that's a lot of identification. Meanwhile a lot of network and local trails feature the chimes at the end and of course they all resolve into the NBC peacock, so it's like having an ident.
Meanwhile when there's a major news event the sublime chimes and the Meet the Press theme have signified a Newsflash for years, it's quite a call to attention, as shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x59cELagZ0U
The only network pres (on all the major nets) is between 8pm and 11pm and primetime actually starts with a 5" ident, normally announcing 'You're watching NBC in living color', before the first primetime programme starts. Then throughout the primetime block, you're in no doubt you're watching NBC, what with DOGs throughout all shows, constant trails, plus 20 or 30 spots pointing the local affiliate's news programme at 11pm.
There are end credit VOs which either point a later show, or an upcoming new series/stunt. Meanwhile in local presentation periods, e.g. daytime, there are frequent locally-branded (and sponsored) programme menus, plus pretty much every junction a 5" pre-programme ID trail which would be something like 'Next Judy..today 12:30pm on KRYT' or whatever, so that's pretty much what ITV1 does, just in live announcer form.
So the U.S. actually has a well rounded presentation which you could argue is more network by network identifiable than the UK.
Is British style continuity unique?
As for the idents themselves; along side the voice of the channel they should help create and maintain the brand. Recent research I've been told of suggests that a familiar musical signature on channel's idents really does help to bring viewers' attention back to the TV, if they have been off doing other things during a break/junction.
But despite the lack of idents + voiceover-style in the U.S., there is that signature recognition - take NBC for an example:
Network programmes often feature the three chimes or a musical variant, like Nightly News, Today, sports coverage. As does a lot of the local affiliates' newscasts, and considering they are on for 8/9 hours per day in major markets, that's a lot of identification. Meanwhile a lot of network and local trails feature the chimes at the end and of course they all resolve into the NBC peacock, so it's like having an ident.
Meanwhile when there's a major news event the sublime chimes and the Meet the Press theme have signified a Newsflash for years, it's quite a call to attention, as shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x59cELagZ0U
The only network pres (on all the major nets) is between 8pm and 11pm and primetime actually starts with a 5" ident, normally announcing 'You're watching NBC in living color', before the first primetime programme starts. Then throughout the primetime block, you're in no doubt you're watching NBC, what with DOGs throughout all shows, constant trails, plus 20 or 30 spots pointing the local affiliate's news programme at 11pm.
There are end credit VOs which either point a later show, or an upcoming new series/stunt. Meanwhile in local presentation periods, e.g. daytime, there are frequent locally-branded (and sponsored) programme menus, plus pretty much every junction a 5" pre-programme ID trail which would be something like 'Next Judy..today 12:30pm on KRYT' or whatever, so that's pretty much what ITV1 does, just in live announcer form.
So the U.S. actually has a well rounded presentation which you could argue is more network by network identifiable than the UK.