Family Channel (Closed Captioning Bumpers)
1st Bumper (1994-1997)
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Bumper: On a blue/black gradient background, we see the words "The Following Program Has Been Closed Captioned For The Hearing Impaired." typing in letter-by-letter in a yellow Impress font. A small Family Channel logo is seen on the corner in the bottom left, while the Closed Captioned logo in purple, but in a "childish" fashion, slides in on the bottom right.
Trivia: The purple, "cartoonish" TV speech bubble was used in Family Channel's Closed Captioning bumper from 1994 to 1998, but was also used by Teletoon (now Cartoon Network Canada) from 1997 to 2004.
Technique: Computer animation.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: An announcer saying "The following program has been Closed Captioned for the hearing impaired".
Availability: Seen on Family Channel airings from 1994 to 1997.
- On September 1, 2023, the original 1994 CC ident will be expected to become released from the Canadian archive and digitally remastered in true, 1080p High Definition (straight from the original tape negatives) for Family Channel's 35th anniversary edition, as part of the "Flashback" interstitials.
2nd Bumper (August 1997-September 30, 1999)
Bumper: On a white background, consisting of the famous trademark sun (as seen in the original 1988-1999 Family Channel logo) blurred on the bottom-right side, the familiar round-cornered TV chat symbol, in a chromed, brassy and metallic fashion, appears on the corner in the bottom left via a "water rippling" effect (a la the 1996 Imagine Entertainment logo). The dark blue words:
The Following Program
Has Been
Closed Captioned
For The
Hearing Impaired
type in above them letter-by-letter in the same style as the 1994 bumper. "air" in "Impaired" overlaps the ray of the sun.
Trivia: The font used in this bumper is Skia.
Technique: Computer animation.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Same as above, but with a sound of the rippling (probably a plop/fizz audio) as the symbol appears below.
Availability: It was found on Family Channel airings from 1997 to 1999.
3rd Bumper (October 1, 1999-August 12, 2001)
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Bumper: On a black background, we see the then-new 1999-2011 Family logo on the bottom-left corner and the same brassy "TV chat" symbol from before (now in blue) on the bottom-right, both being shown below. The text:
The following
program has been
closed captioned for
the hearing impaired
in a Gill Sans font types in above them letter-by-letter (prior to the 1st and 2nd bumpers).
Trivia: The 1999-2011 Family Channel logo, shown on the bottom-left corner, was designed by Pittard Sullivan, just after the original 1988-1999 logo was discontinued on October 1, 1999 at 6:00 a.m. Eastern time before its rebranding as well.
Technique: Computer animation.
Music/Sounds/Voiceover: Same as the first two bumpers.
Availability: Seen before programs on Family Channel from 1999 to 2001.
4th Bumper (August 13, 2001-August 18, 2002)
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Logo: We zoom back from the blue gyroscope with a round-cornered TV chat symbol outlined in it as it spins, while being shown on the right on a cloudy sky background with half a huge object that looks like Family Channel's iconic "Circle F" logo. The transmitters spread across it. A small 1999-2011 Family logo is displayed on the bottom left corner and the words "Closed Captioning is brought to you by", in the same font as the "family" text, blurs in on the left side as the both the gyroscope and camera stop. The transparent bars are shown on the top and bottom to create a "widescreen" effect.
Online Variant: There is a variant of Family's webpage ident. The sequence is played and the Family logo is omitted. The words "CLOSED captioning" are shown on the top left. An address bar with "captioning" in it drops it down, which brings forth the words "is brought to you by" inscribed on it. Also, a blue right arrow briefly flashes and brings forth the blue vertical lines, making the letters rotate, revealing a URL address that reads "family.ca".
Technique: Computer animation.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A brief gust of wind, as well as a guitar tune played with a xylophone, and a singing choir with a "whoosh" at the end as the words appear, and a male voiceover says "Closed Captioning of the following program is brought to you by Family."
Music/Sounds/Voice-over Variants:
- Sometimes, a female voiceover reads the text in a version of the bumper.
- On Family's webpage variant, a male voiceover says "Closed Captioning of the following program is brought to you by family.ca. Log on to join Click Club!". He also says "Click on games, votes and chats!" at the end.
Availability:
- On September 1, 2023, the 2001 CC ident (made by Family Channel's local station) will be released from the Canadian archive and digitally remastered in 1080p High Definition for the network's 35th anniversary edition, as part of the "Flashback" interstitials.
5th Bumper (August 19, 2002-2009)
Logo: On a teal/orange gradient marble wall background, we see the Closed Captioning logo (the "TV chat balloon" symbol) made of brass and chrome, flying about. A white bullseye circle pops up on the top right of the screen, as the symbol spins faster and gets placed on before it rotates around. Two trapezoidal objects appear (one orange and one teal), and the symbol brings forth the black text "The following program has been Closed Captioned for the hearing impaired.". The words wipe in as the symbol settles on the bullseye circle, and gray dots fly about before they spin around, forming a circle. A small 1999-2011 Family logo pops up on the bottom left corner of the orange trapezoid, while the word "family" in its 1999 corporate font with a tiny "Circle F" logo dotting the I, flips in. The chat symbol rotates before it tilts on its side.
Online Variant: On Family Channel's webpage bumper, the sequence plays, and the words read "Closed Captioning of the following program is brought to you by" before the 1999 corporate text forms as "family.ca". The words ".ca" is in an Arial font.
Technique: Computer animation.
Music/Sounds/Voiceover: An ascending synth tune and a "WHOOSH" as the symbol flies directly to the bullseye before settling. The voiceover from Family Channel's on-air programming in 2000 says "The following program has been Closed Captioned for the hearing impaired."
Music/Sounds/Voiceover Variant: Sometimes, on Family Channel's website variant, a voiceover says "Closed Captioning of the following program is brought to you by family.ca. Click for games, contests and fun stuff!".
Availability: Seen on Family Channel programs from 2002 to 2009.
- On September 1, 2023, the final CC ident (used from 2002-2009) will be expected to be released from the Canadian vault. It will also be digitally remastered in true 1080p High Definition and cropped (but presented) in 16:9 widescreen for the network's 35th anniversary edition, as part of the "Flashback" interstitials.
Legacy: This became a memorable moment as Canadians grew up in the years watching Family Channel throughout the future. It was also the last of these bumpers to be used before their programs, until the 2020 remaster of the 2nd bumper was unveiled, along with the 2021 remaster of the 3rd bumper itself. The remastered version of both the 2nd and 3rd Closed Captioning bumpers will be used for the network's 35th anniversary edition, as well as the restoration of the 1994, 2001 and 2002 bumpers released from the archive.
