BNT1

Credits

Compiled by
Tabit

Video captures courtesy of
Антон Оруш

Background

BNT1 (БНТ 1) is a Bulgarian-language public television station and the first channel of Bulgarian National Television founded in 1959. It began broadcasting on December 26 of the same year.

1st ID (December 25, 1959-1992)

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Visuals: On a black background, there is a white octagon with a shallow opening, containing an abstract "БТ" shaped like an antenna surrounded by "БЪЛГАРСКА•ТЕЛЕВИЗИЯ•" in the form of a ring. In front of the octagon, there is a weird line pattern with the colors of the Bulgarian flag rotating counter-clockwise, shaped like a camera focuser. Soon after, the "БТ" crossfades to the number "1".

Variant: Before channel one was introduced, the ident was in black and white and there is no symbol for channel 1 present.

Technique: Live-action.

Audio: A bombastic orchestral fanfare which then abruptly slows down to a somber flute theme.

2nd ID (1992-February 22, 1994)

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Visuals: The logo starts with 2 oddly shaped <span style="color:blue">blue cuboids flying in from both ends of the screen to the center forming the number "1", as well as a symmetrical, metallic brighter blue cuboid, outlining the 2 cuboids rising from the bottom of the screen against a yellow background. The 2 cuboids remain stationary as the screen zooms into the 2nd half of the brighter metallic cuboid, entering through a metallic tunnel with the 2nd half of the blue cuboids at the end. As the camera moves through the tunnel is various snippets of news programs on the right, as well as "НОВИНИ" ("NEWS" in English) on the left side of the tunnel. Once we exit the tunnel and come close to the 2nd blue cuboid, footage of various objects flying around zooms by from the right side, and at the same time, we come across another metallic tunnel but in blue, which then morphs into another grey tunnel.

This time, various snippets of Bulgarian films being broadcasted on the right and "ФИЛМИ" ("FILMS" in English) on the left can be seen as the screen zooms through the tunnel. When we exit the tunnel, "МУЗИКА" emerges from the center and rapidly moves to the left side of the screen, with the background rapidly changing its shade of yellow. Through this, the following scrolls by:

• A snippet of the Beatles song
• "СПОРТ" ("SPORT" in English)
• A footage of a sailboat
• A footage of a track and field competition

After that, the same metallic cuboid reappears from the left side, along with "БЪЛГАРСКА НАЦИОНАЛНА ТЕЛЕВИЗИЯ" ("BULGARIAN NATIONAL TELEVISION" in English) rising from the bottom of the screen.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A new-age synth theme.

Availability: was used as a startup and closedown ID.