Channel 4 is a public-service British television station, broadcast to all areas of the United Kingdom (and also the Republic of Ireland), which began transmissions in 1982. Though entirely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned: Originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), the station is now owned and operated by the Channel Four Television Corporation, a public body established in 1990 for this purpose and which came into operation in 1993, following the abolition of the IBA.
The station's current identity launched on 31st December 2004 and focuses on the 9 blocks of the Channel 4 logo forming the famous '4' device in increasingly bizarre and unexpected ways.
Alien
Unidentified flying blocks hover over a lost couple.
Bowls
A relaxing game of bowls turns paranormal when moving hedges decide to form a shadow of the 4 logo on the field of play.
Container
Video - unavailable due to copyright issues
Set in a dockyard, the 4 is formed by a combination of crane frameworks and crates.
Diner
The 4 appears as a series of electronic signs outside an American diner.
Downtown
Floating skyscrapers and bridges make up the 4.
Flats
The first ident to be shown, this gritty scene depicts a 4 created by the flats' rendering.
Hay
Floating hay? Just another clever Channel 4 ident.
The Killers
Used to promote a season of programmes featuring British indie band, The Killers. They didn't quite manage to pull it off, as you can see in the bottom right screengrab.
Island
Rumoured to have been produced to introduce Lost weeks before C4 lost the rights to Sky. A stunning setting sees the 4 logo revealed behind a rocky island.
Market
Gravity-defying trolleys and baskets this time.
Pylon
Driving along in the passenger seat of a convertible, we witness a rather unusual pylon formation.
Roadworks
A real blink and you'll miss it one this, a collection of roadwork signs create the 4 logo.
Rollercoaster
Introduced in November 2007 (and the final addition until November 2009's Scrapyard) the viewer takes a ride on the Jaguar Roller Coaster at Knott's Berry Farm, California and flies past a 4 formed by various theme park attractions.
Scrapyard (3D Week Ident)
For one week in November 2009, Channel 4 broadcast a selection of programmes in 3D. A special 3D ident was created to mark this event.
The Simpsons
Possibly the Simpsons first foray into Television Idents, this ident was introduced to co-incide with both the launch of the new season and the feature length film.
Stage
A rarely seen ident sees the 4 gradually created by concert speakers.
Tokyo
One of four idents produced in HD (the others being Rollercoaster, Scrapyard and The Simpsons) the 4 is formed by floating neon blocks. There are two versions of this ident, the full-length original and a shorter, more commonly seen cut which skips to the reveal of the neon signs.
Trafalgar
A complex contraption sits on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth, preparing to squish some unwitting pigeons. Usually aired prior to comedy programmes.
