Australian Broadcasting Corporation

This article is about the Australian public broadcaster. For the similarly named American broadcaster, see American Broadcasting Company. For other uses, see ABC (disambiguation).

Credits

Descriptions by
Andrew Batstone, BigRene2, TrickyMario7654, Hb1290 and rj4712

Captures by
iheartparamount, indycar, and others

Editions by
edunk5, iheartparamount, Hb1290, Nico234, and others

Background

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation was established in 1932 as the Australian Broadcasting Commission, though its origins can be traced back to the establishment of the Australian Broadcasting Company in 1924. The ABC is a public-funded broadcaster akin to the BBC in the United Kingdom, funded through grants from the Australian Government, yet tasked with maintaining political independence. Like the BBC, they started as a radio broadcaster and originally charged listeners a license fee, though this was abolished in 1948. The ABC launched their television service in 1956, a few months after what would become the Nine Network made Australia's first TV broadcast. The ABC adopted the original Lissajous figure as their logo in 1963 following a design competition. The figure took on its more familiar classic design in 1975 to mark the ABC's launch of colour transmission. In 1983, as part of a major restructure, the Australian Broadcasting Commission was renamed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. By 2001, ABC had begun broadcasting on digital television, launching a new metallic logo to coincide as well as the new ABC Kids channel, making ABC the first major network in Australia to have a digital multichannel. This channel was short lived, however and was shut down in 2003 to cut costs. In 2002, the ABC marked its 70th anniversary with a modification of its new logo, returning to a more traditional design. In 2005, ABC launched its second digital multichannel, ABC2 (later ABC Comedy, now known as ABC TV Plus), this was followed by a second attempt at a digital kids' channel, ABC3 (now ABC ME), which launched in 2009. Around this time, the main ABC channel was renamed to ABC1, to compliment ABC2. However, this rename would be short lived, as by 2014, the channel had returned to its original name. At the same time, the classic Lissajous figure was reinstated as a primary logo 13 years after it was retired on-air, along with the iconic three-note jingle which hadn't been used on air since 2005. The main channel was rebranded ABC TV as of 1 January 2021 to compliment the rebranding of ABC Comedy as ABC TV Plus.

1st ID (5 November 1956-1959)

Logo: We start with a screen with "OPENING NIGHT", each letter consisting ne or two dots and stars in them with an additional two stars next to and behind "OPENING" and "NIGHT" respectively. We fade out with the text, in ascending from:

^AB_C
^TV

surrounded by 8 curves that spin in a counter-clockwise direction. The logo would then zoom out to the bottom right corner.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A fanfare that consists of brass and string instruments with a bell at the start.

2nd (known) ID (1959-1961)

Logo: Over a dark background with thin, wavy clouds at the centre, we see a transmitter tower sitting on a globe. It is emitting constant signals from the top of the structure, which are illustrated by circular pulses. The letters "A.B.C" (representing the name of the broadcaster and in a sans serif font) suddenly "pop" upon to the centre of the screen before fading out. The text “T.V” zooms in from the top of the transmitter tower and then fades out.

Technique: Cel-animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Long since extinct.

3rd (known) ID (1961-mid 1960s)

Logo: On a dark, hazy background representing space, we see a rotating globe. Points of light (seen as small dots) begin to encircle the globe like the electrons of an atom, leaving lines behind them. As the trails are completed, a TV-tube shape with the letters "ABC" suddenly appears over the globe. After a few seconds, the shape splits into three, the first shape containing "A", the middle "B", and the last "C". Then, a "NEWS" text zooms in from below the "B".

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: An abridged version of the ABC's signature news theme, Majestic Fanfare, which was composed by Charles Williams in 1943.

Availability: Same as above.

Legacy: This became the last ident that predates the first Lissajous ident.

4th (known) ID (1968-early 70's)

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Logo: The screen is filled with a view of an oscilloscope display. The "Lissajous figure" that we see is oscillating rapidly, going from one frequency to another in quick bursts until it settles on a fixed rate. After around five seconds, the display fades into an animated representation of the slow, horizontal pattern seen before. It fades into a vertical pattern, and then fades back into the previous pattern. The animation stops at the point where the figure resembles the early version of what would be the well-known ABC logo, and then pulls back, with the words "Australian Broadcasting Commission" (at the top) and "National Television Service" (at the bottom) appearing at once, contracting with the ident. The ident stops animating altogether and zooms back until it gets to a comfortable distance.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Music/Sounds: An excerpt of the song Reverie for Percussion and Harp by Bob Sharples. A loud crash-like noise can be heard briefly at the beginning.

Availability: Same as above. The full version was previously available on ABC's 75th anniversary website.

Legacy: This ident marks the first instance of the iconic Lissajous curve logo the ABC is well-known for.

5th (known) ID (Early 1970s-1975)

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Logo: In this series of idents, we witness scenes of ordinary Australians going about their daily business. All of the sequences end with the ABC logo (encased in a rounded rectangle with "ABCtv" in a sans serif font sitting above) and the phrase "The Good Looking Australian" (in the same font) being wiped on from the left.

Variants: Several variations were produced. Here are two examples:

• Airport: This follows a man in uniform going around interacting with airport staff, while an airliner is being refuelled and prepared for take-off.
• Artist: On the side of a busy city street, a portrait artist sketches a man's face in profile.
• One subset of idents would each spotlight a city or town with an ABC station based there. Each place would be given a tagline in the ident's narration. The places highlighted include:
  • Sydney, "gateway to the pacific"
  • Perth, "western gateway to the nation" and "home of VFL football"
  • Hobart, "picturesque southern most capital"
  • Melbourne, "garden city of the south"
  • Adelaide, "famed city of light"
  • Brisbane, "first city in the sunshine state"
  • Shepparton, "host to the Goulburn Valley"
  • Mount Isa, "contributing to the wealth of the nation"
  • Kalgoorlie, "rich in the history of the commonwealth"
  • Bendigo, "gateway to northern Victoria"
  • Ballarat, "Victoria's famed golden city"
  • Mildura, "Victoria's vineyard and citrus centre"
  • Cairns, "Queensland's city of the Great Barrier Reef
  • Newcastle, "located in the rich Hunter Valley"
  • Mackay, "sunshine seascape"
  • Wollongong, "servicing the south coast of NSW"
  • Taree, "part of the Manning river system"
  • Sale, "capital of Gippsland"
  • Broken Hill, "the silver city"
  • Bairnsdale, "commercial centre to east Gippsland"
  • Mount Gambier, "situated in the rich pine forests of the south east"
• In addition, one more variant showcases all of Australia's capital cities.

Technique: Live-action and 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Used several variations of the instrumental "A Shade of Brass" by Bobby Byrne, depending on the film sequence. Some of the music variations end with a 3-note tune that sounds like a predecessor to the jingle introduced in the late 1980s. On most variants, an announcer says this at the end: "This is ABC Television. The good looking Australian.", though this is not used for the cities and towns idents.

6th ID (1975-1978)

Logo: On a navy blue background, we see three diagonal bars, coloured (from left to right) green, sky blue and red. The first (green) bar contracts towards the bottom of the screen, followed by the next (blue and red) bars, until they disappear from the screen entirely. Two mustard yellow diagonal bars appear from both sides of the screen, followed by two "sharkstooth" shapes of the same colour appearing from the top and bottom. The formation slowly pulls back to reveal that it is the ABC logo, still as a Lissajous curve, but now with a thicker line and an "over and under" design for the crossover points. The company name, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION, sits at the top of the logo in a thin, white, sans serif font.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A horn-driven fanfare with rock-style drums in the background.

Availability: Was used for the arrival of colour television in Australia in 1975.

7th ID (1978-1981)

Logo: We see the outlined yellow ABC logo. Several copies of the logo zoom out and stop in the logo, and the last copy fills the logo with the yellow colour.

Variants: On some programming provided by the next (such as sporting events), the logo appears above "ABC National Television".

Technique: Scanimate.

Music/Sounds: A violin theme with drumbeats. This is exactly an excerpt from "Heavy Action" by Johnny Pearson. This was also used as the theme for American Broadcasting Company's Wide World of Sports.

Availability: It was used as ABC's second colour ID.

8th ID (1981-1983)

Logo: We see what look like fountains in the sky against a black background. The fountains fall, and the ABC logo moves towards us like a rollercoaster, while the metallic floor with some running light reflections moving under the logo. Then the logo flashes on a black-blue gradient background, and a white light has "ABC" (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) fading in, in what looks like neon lights. “ABCTV” flashes above the logo.

Technique: Slit-scan animation.

Music/Sounds: A catchy synth-disco tune with people singing “ABC”.

9th ID (1983-1985)

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Logo: On a black background three laser beams come in from the left of the screen each going in a different direction after the third one, a map of Australia is showing with glowing red lines, as the background changes to blue with pink and black lines in the background, then it flips to reveal that is the ABC logo then it flashes turning the logo into a grey/black gradient and causing the words Australian Broadcasting Corporation to appear in white as well, the logo zooms out slowly until it fades out.

Technique: Early CGI/Oxberry motion graphics.

Music/Sounds: An instrumental excerpt from "Affair of the Heart" by Rick Springfield.

Availability: Can be seen on ABC Video tapes released during this logo's lifespan.

10th ID (1985-1987)

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  Day Variant

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  Night Variant, also used for ABC Video

Logo: We see several red squares form below on a black/blue gradient background. Then, the camera pans inside of one row, and a yellow globe forms in the distance. The camera pans through and up out of the row, and the globe, with a glass ABC logo on it and a map of Australia engraved on the globe, floats to the top, rotating. The ABC logo flies off the right of the globe and towards us. Light bars are seen on the reflection of the logo.

Variants:

• On programs aired during nighttime, the squares have a purple tint and a swirling Milky Way galaxy fades in behind the logo.
• For programs broadcast via satellite, the words "BY SATELLITE" appears circled in below the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: An uplifting orchestral tune with drums, horns, flutes, and bells, ending with a twinkling sound. The "Milky Way" variant lacks the twinkling sounds.

Music/Sounds Variant:

• Sometimes, an announcement might be heard during the logo, advising what the next program is.
• When the night variant appeared before the premiere of The Newscaster in 2021, a different '80s-esque synth theme which ends with the 3-note ABC jingle was used instead of the regular audio.

Availability: The night time variant was also used for ABC releases on video during this time period. The daytime and 'By Satellite' variants are extinct. The night variant also re-appeared on TV in 2021 before the premiere of The Newscaster, a series set during the mid 1980s.

11th ID (1987-25 January 1988)

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Logo: We see several silver ribbons swirling around on a dark blue background. They form an unidentifiable shape at first, but as the camera zooms in the centre, spins around, and zooms out, we see a solid formation of the ABC logo set against a brown floor. "ABCTV" fades in above.

Variant: A Christmas variant was used during Christmas Eve 1987.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A series of synth choir sounds with a four-note synth chime tune, ending with an orchestral hit.

Availability: Only used for a short period of time, check old tapes for this one.

12th ID (26 January 1988-1995)

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Logo: We see a glassy ABC logo turning upward against a background split into thirds that contains one of various image styles relating to Australian heritage. For idents made between 1988 to 1992, the logo is centred on the screen. For idents made between 1992 to 1996, the logo is made slightly smaller and pushed to the near bottom.

Variants:

• Feathers: We see white feathers in a row moving from left to right on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a pine cone.
• Handrail: We see a handrail going down on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a shadow walk past the handrail.
• Ashes: We see wood on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see fire spreading among some ashes.
• Motor Boat: We see waves of water on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand pulling a motor.
• Afternoon Tea: We see a door closing on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand pouring a pot of tea into an unseen tea cup.
• Leaves: We see leaves dangling from a tree moving slightly on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see leaves from a plant.
• Snake Skin: We see a wooden fence with raindrops falling on it on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see black snake skin with yellow spots.
• Outback Train: We see some white marble on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a train quickly zooming past us, leaving only the sky in view.
• Transistor Radio: We see a ceiling fan spinning on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle, we see a hand operating a transistor radio.
• Skyscrapers: We see marble moving with left to right on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a view of skyscrapers.
• Flowers: We see an artistic image of flowers on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see flowers with dew falling from them.
• Bush Fire Hose: We see a bush fire on the top and bottom rows and in the middle row, we see someone holding a hose.
• Baby: We see a white baby shirt hanging on a clothes line on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a baby's hand on its cot.
• Ballet: We see images of ballet clothing on the top and bottom rows moving from left to right, and in the middle row, we see a hand tying ballet shoes.
• Ice: We see images of what look like belt materials on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see what appears to be ice.
• Curtains: We see images of a fence on the top and bottom rows, and the middle row, we see a moving image of a curtain flowing.
• Tide: We see some rocks on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a tide come crashing down.
• Noir: We see some blurry images on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see what appears to be a balcony rail.
• Didgeridoo: We see black trees at sunset on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a man playing a didgeridoo.
• Jazz: We see a wall on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a man playing a saxophone.
• Beach: We see water moving on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see sand dunes.
• Bush Windmill: We see wood on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a bush windmill operate.
• Gold Panning: We see rocks in a pot of water on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand panning for gold in a water filled pot.
• Pottery: We see images of art materials move from the left to the right on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand making pottery.
• Cave Painting: We see the walls of cave on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see an Aboriginal cave painting of people holding hands.
• Rainforest: We see what looks like mist on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see what appears to be some sort of plant.
• Reflection: We see some sort of handles on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a reflection of a pier rippling.
• Sand: We see waves washing over sand on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see rocks.
• Rodeo: We see some leaves on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see some boots on a fence.
• Wattle: We see a side-scrolling image of what appears to be gum-tree bark on the top and bottom rows and in the middle row we see wattle.
• Pebbles: We see a water-waving distorted image of pebbles on the top and bottom rows and in the middle we see an image of what looks like a river.
• Cattle Drive: We see cattle run past a fence on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a man holding his belt.
• Seashells: We see moving images of various coloured seashells on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a still image of a palm tree.
• Desert: We see sand on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see some unknown image.
• Outback: We see sand and a lizard walking on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see bark.
• Swing: We see ground on the top and bottom rows, and the middle row, we see a swing moving.
• River: We see what appears to be water moving in the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see an unknown image.
• Train Commute: We see blurry moving images on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we someone reading a newspaper.
• Bush Tea: We see wood with stuff on it on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand holding a cup of tea with steam coming out of it.
• Boiling Water: We see a grey forest with smoke on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a boiling pot of water.
• Cattle Truck: We see a moving image of a cattle truck on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand on a black rail.
• Cave: We see rippling images on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a still image of a cave wall.
• Tractor: We see piles of haystacks on the top and bottom rows and in the middle row, we see a hand on a steering wheel.
• Sprinkler Tap: We see images of a hose pipe on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a hand turning on the tap.
• Outback Fire: We see images of a fire on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see an unknown image.
• Special Variant 1: We see a marble-like texture on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see a crystal-like lake effect. Once the ABC logo flips in, the lake effect fades away, leaving the middle with the same marble texture as the top and bottom rows. The word "SPECIAL" (with the same glass effect) then zooms out from the centre of the screen as the ABC logo fades out. Depending on the variant, either the background fades out (with the word "SPECIAL" remaining on a black background), or the word fades out with the background.
• Special Variant 2: We see what appears to be a backstage set on the top and bottom rows, and in the middle row, we see another image of the backstage set. After the ABC logo fades out, the word "special" writes itself in in black, then the same word appears in white.
• Bicentennial: We start off with the Australian Bicentennial logo (consisting of a green banner with two yellow lines in it shaped in the continent of Australia) on a black background. It then flips downwards, eventually turning into the ABC logo. At the same time, the same background from the 'Special' ident fades in.

Technique: CGI mixed with live action.

Music/Sounds: It normally used a gentle uplifting fanfare with a horn section, ending with six synth bell/choir notes (the last three would later become the trademark ABC jingle), and would be remixed depending on the variant. Other sounds relating to the imagery would be used, as well (The normal jingle was heard on the Leaves, Cave Painting, Snake Skin, River, Rainforest, Tide, Ashes, Desert Flower, Desert, Seashells, Skyscrapers, Wattle, Rock Pebbles, Sand and Cave with the sounds intact). The 1st Special variant was usually accompanied with an announcer.

Availability: Most of the idents are obviously extinct. The Bush Tea ID makes a surprise appearance on The Best Of The Late Show Volume 3 VHS (as part of a joke to pretend that the show cut to a documentary about birds). The Bicentennial ID was also used as a home video logo for the release of From The Outback to the Sea - Images of the Australian Bicentennial Year.

Legacy: These idents are considered a favourite among some viewers of the channel, especially older ones.

13th ID (1995-1996)

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Logo: We see several words changing until stopping into a particular word for each ident. Then, we see some footage, and the ABC logo flips up with the picture below changing depending on the ident.

Technique: Live-action ending with computer animation.

Music/Sounds: Depends on the variant, usually ending with the three note jingle.

Availability: Extinct, as many ABC .

Legacy: The flipping animation of the logo would form the basis of the original ABC DVD logo.

14th ID (January 1996-31 December 2000)

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Logo: We see some people doing many actions, then someone (or the same people) draws the ABC logo in the air, with a white outline representing the motion. Then the video fades to black, leaving behind the logo as the letters "abc" fade in.

Variants:

• From January 1996 until July 1998, the footage is filmed in a single shot and is in black and white. The ABC logo fades out towards the end and after the video fades out, the words "it's your abc" appear.
• Starting in late November 1996 or early December 1996, additional text appears below "it's your abc", giving the info on who was in the ident or where the ident was filmed.

Technique: Live-action and 2D computer animation.

Music/Sounds: Depends on the variant, usually ending with the three-note jingle.

Availability: Extinct, as many ABC .

15th ID (1 January-31 December 2001)

Standard Versions

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Logo: On a black background with coloured lights, we first see various close-up shots of a silver ring twisting and morphing in various angles. On the final shot, we then see the silver ring take the form of the ABC logo (without the usual "over and under" design), settling itself in the centre of the screen. The text "The National Broadcaster" then fades in below the logo while three stars appear one by one onto the logo in sync with the 3-note jingle. Sometimes, the ABC website URL (abc.net.au) may fade in below the slogan.

Trivia: This ident, along with the accompanying on-air design package, was made by Mish Mash Multimedia.

Variants:

• There are a few variations of the main ident itself, usually with different close-up shots, logo animation, and/or background colours.
• Another set of idents was made using this design, referred to as "Reflections". The idents start with various clips relating to certain themes reflected onto close-up shots of the silver ring; the logo then animates as usual. In some cases, "The National Broadcaster" slogan may be replaced with a different text, such as "ABC Rural", "ABC Natural History", and "ABC Children's".

Technique: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: Custom music depending on the ident, with the three-note jingle playing at the end

16th ID (1 January 2002-6 September 2003?)

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  "Leaf"

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  "Fire"

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Logo: A silver ring is seen on a background with either one of these elements: a fireplace, an iceberg, or a cluster of leaves. Then, a light ray passes on the silver ring, making it twist itself to form the ABC logo (back to the "over and under" design, but still keeping the silver texture of the previous logo). On the final shot, the logo is positioned in the centre while three faint stars flash individually onto the Lissajous curve and another light ray shines from the right side of the screen. The following text fades in below the logo:

Celebrating 70 years

abc.net.au

Variants:

• Beginning in around the third quarter of 2002, the logo is made smaller and re-positioned to the right side of the screen; the text "everyone's" appears on the left alongside the logo.
• Much like the previous logo, an alternative set of idents with various clips reflecting on the logo is made; the only difference being the logo animation in the end.

Technique: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: A tribal synth composition with accompanying ambience sounds related to the scenery of each ident, ending with the three-note jingle.

Availability: Was only used during ABC's 70th anniversary throughout 2002.

17th ID (6 September 2003?-19 December 2005)

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Logo: A video sequence of everyday life is seen, with various ribbons interacting with the footage. At the ending shot, the ribbons draw the ABC logo on the right (which solidifies into a modified version of the 2002 logo). The text "every" with a word relating to the theme of each ident below it then draws in on the left of the logo; the themed word then changes into "one's" after a few seconds, making the text and logo read as "everyone's ABC".

Technique: Live-action mixed with 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Varies per ident; all idents end with the 3-note jingle.

18th ID (19 December 2005-8 February 2008)

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  The very last ident made in this era, promoting the upcoming rebrand of the channel to ABC1

Logo: On a white background with faint blue gradients, we see the ABC logo in the centre, which then unfolds into a rectangular frame leading into various individuals interacting with CGI objects. At the end, half of the ABC logo slides into the near centre, protruding from either the top or bottom of the screen. The text "There's more to Television..." appear in a blocky font above or below the logo From 2006 onwards, the slogan would vary depending on the ident.

Technique: CGI and live action.

Music/Sounds: Various arrangements of an uplifting tune. The standard version was a piano-driven orchestration.

19th ID (November 2006)

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ID: We start off with the ABC logo zooming in and morphing into a screen which then shows an ID used by the ABC in the past. Near the end of the ID shown, the video zooms off to the left at an angle. The top of the newer ABC logo then slides from the right side of the screen and stops near the middle. The text "Celebrating 50 Years of Television..." and "Circa 19x0s" (the third digit varies depending on what decade the ID shown was from), then appear letter by letter from the left side of the screen.

Technique: CGI mixed with animation or live-action from the previous .

Music/Sounds: The music/soundtrack from the ID being played.

Availability: These were used during the 50th anniversary of television in Australia.

20th ID (8 February 2008-6 February 2011)

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Logo: We see a clip of live action footage with the new ABC1 logo, a blue rectangle with the words "ABC1" in it and a second rectangle below with the Lissajous curve logo.

Technique: Live-action mixed with 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Each ident has a custom musical score with the dialogue of the featured person over it.

21st ID (6 February 2011-20 July 2014)

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Logo: An update of the previous idents' concept, now with the new slogan "Think..." (like the 18th ID, the last word varies by ident) and an updated logo featuring a large "1" in a rectangle with the word ABC and the Lissajous figure below it. The logo would appear in either orange or blue, depending on the ident.

Technique: Live-action and CGI.

Music/Sounds: A soft synth or upbeat musical score ending with the three-note jingle.

22nd ID (20 July 2014-4 February 2019)

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Logo: We see footage of various everyday Australians. At the end, the ABC logo (once again in its 1975 2D design) draws into the screen with the slogan "#ourABC" next to it.

Technique: Live-action.

Music/Sounds: Various, depending on the ID, though all culminating in the iconic 3-note jingle from the 12th ident.

23rd ID (August 2018-)

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Logo: There are a few different versions of this ident.

• The main ident consists of a compilation of Australians singing "I Am Australian" by the Seekers. A short version of this also exists.
• Other idents consist of ABC presenters discussing various topics, e.g. in the New Year period, they give us their new year's resolutions
• Another set of idents consist of prominent Australians discussing the role of the ABC in their lives; this is known as "ABC Stories".
• An additional subset, known as "With You, for Life" highlighting how the ABC has been with Australians throughout their lives, has a girl moving through various phases of life as different ABC presenters appear, starting with the Toys from iconic children's show Play School when the girl is young.
• A special set of idents themed around the COVID-19 pandemic featured a series of Australians singing "I Am Australian" from their homes.
• Another special set of idents were used as part of the ABC's 90th Anniversary in 2022. These idents consist around the main concept of "90", with the "Celebrating 90 Years" tagline appearing at the end of each ident. Both long and short versions of each individual ident were created for this set, alongside the main ident, which features a compilation of footage from the four described idents below;
  • 90 Choir Singers: Filmed in the Northern Territory on Arrernte Country in Alice Springs, this ident features a choir of Australians singing "I Am Australian", beginning with the first half in Aboriginal language before singing the last half in English. At the end of the ident, we see the ABC logo made on the sand-engraved ground.
  • 90 School Kids: Filmed in the Inner West of Sydney on Wangal Country, this ident features a choir of school children singing (and signing) "I Am Australian". At the end of the ident, we see the children make a heart using paper boards, before they make the ABC lissajous symbol using the same boards.
  • 90 Drummers: Filmed in Brisbane on Turrbal & Yuggera Country, this ident features 90 drummers all drumming to "I Am Australian" while shouting throughout. The ident starts in the daytime and ends at nighttime, where we see the ABC logo made in fire on the hoisted platform held by a crane.
  • 90 Dancers: Filmed in Sydney on Gadigal Country, this ident features a group of 90 dancers all dancing to a remix of "I Am Australian". The ident begins inside a studio, and near the end of the ident, the dancers all go outside the building to continue their routine, before they all form to make the ABC lissajous symbol.

Technique: Once again, live action. The idents were filmed by the ABC's in-house creative team, ABC Made.

Music/Sounds:

• Originally, a cover of "I Am Australian" by The Seekers, sung by a female singer. the "ABC Stories" use an instrumental version of this.
• Later idents use various generic music cues.
• The "With You For Life" ident opens with a music box version of the Play School theme, before segueing into a slow, soulful version of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be With You".
• The "Celebrating 90 Years" use a brand-new cover of "I Am Australian", and each of the idents has its own unique version of it.

Availability: Since 2019, these are being used in tandem with the next idents. The "Celebrating 90 Years" idents are brand-new, and were only used to celebrate 90 years of the ABC in 2022.

24th ID (4 February 2019-)

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Logo: On a live-action backdrop, we see a box with a different, albeit relevant, live action clip in it. A white border draws in around the smaller box and the iconic Lissajous curve logo draws itself in as the "Yours" slogan fades in below.

Variant: Since 2021, the idents are modified, with the letters "TV" now appearing below the logo.

Technique: Live-action mixed with simple 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A new rendition of the 3-note jingle from the 12th ident, usually accompanied by a soft synth pad and sounds related to the imagery. The jingle plays in sync with the white border line hitting each corner of the inner box.

Availability: Current.

Legacy: A worthy successor to the iconic 12th ident.