Background: Télé-Québec, formerly known as Radio-Québec until 1996, is a Canadian French-language public educational television network available in the province of Quebec. It first went on the air in 1972 as a local cable channel, starting off in Montreal and Québec City, before expanding its coverage fully throughout Quebec in 1975.
Radio-Québec[]
1st Logo (1970?, 1972-1983?)[]
Nicknames: "Canada's Film Cylinder", "Dissonance In Quebec"
Logo: On a black background, three shapes (one green, one red, and one blue) appear on the top of the screen one-by-one. Then, three circles appear between the shapes, those being in yellow, cyan and purple. The finished result looks like a filmreel-like design, a-la the GPB logo of the 1970s. While the circles appear, the word "RADIO-QUÉBEC" (with a line above the first "E" of "QUÉBEC") zooms in below the logo in a choppy fashion.
Variants:
- A prototype was shown back in 1970 where the logo is shown in all white, with an announcer saying "Ici Radio-Québec" before changing sizes a few times.
- One of the variants had the logo zooming in and rotating a bit until it covers most of the screen. The logo is also on a different hue than the original ident (though that might be due to tape deterioration) and is cleaned up a bit. The name of the company would then fade in front of the logo.
- Another variant just had the Radio-Québec symbol fading in without any text.
FX/SFX: The parts of the logo appearing, the name zooming in. Probably created with limited computer animation and chroma-keyed zooming for the name.
Music/Sounds: A 9-note synth theme that ends with a dissonant binaural tone.
Availability: Extinct. This was seen on Les Oraliens whereas the variant with the company's name on the logo was on Les 100 Tours De Centour.
Editor's Note: The zooming in of the text is noticeably unsteady and the entire logo forms a bit too slowly. The placement of the circles on the original variant are also off-position, most notably the purple circle. Although it's unlikely to frighten adults today, several French-Canadian viewers expressed how the logo (particularly the final note) frightened them as children.
2nd Logo (1972?-1983?)[]
Logo: While both bumpers have a bar with "intermède" and the Radio-Québec logo cote-out of it, along with an upwards-facing trail of them that blink on and off, they both have rather different animations.
- Bumper A: A moving green blob can be seen as the trail visibly moves down and shifts around. The bar also changes colors and waves about during the entire logo. Soon, the blob takes over the screen and changes to black, with the surrounding space now changing colors.
- Bumper B: Rapidly shaking orange bars are seen while the bar remains in an orange color. Halfway through, color bars replace the black background, the orange bars start to change color, and the bar inverts as well.
Trivia: One of the songs used in this logo ("One Note Samba", mentioned below) is part of the first-ever LP to include synthesized music, with the song being released in 1967.
FX/SFX: The Scanimate and video feedback effects. Typical '70s animation standards, but done in a more unique way.
Music/Sounds: An almost purely synthesized light jazz tune, almost sounding like "elevator music". The first track is actually called "One Note Samba", made by Perrey & Kingsley. The second track is called "Lover's Concerto" (1975), made by the same music group.
Availability: Extinct. This was possibly used as an interstitial clip to fill time between programs.
Editor's Note: This may be a favorite of some due to the trippy animation and music score.
3rd Logo (1979-1986)[]
Logo: TBA.
FX/SFX: TBA.
Music/Sounds: TBA.
Availability: Extinct.
4th Logo (1986-1990)[]
Nickname: "Plates Flying"
Logo: On a black background, several glass plates in red, green, and blue hues fly in, along with a rounded version of the Radio-Québec logo spinning in. Compared to the 1st logo, the central piece is in a solid gray, while the circles are also red, green, and blue. As the plates rotate towards the screen and turn gray as well, the logo splits into 3 halves, with the middle flat section remaining and rotating towards the screen while thickening out in the process.
Variants:
- Most of the time, the logo would appear at the end of a small animation via a "peeling" effect in the lower right corner. Surrounding it are monochrome versions of the print logo.
- A variant exists where the plates are missing, leaving the logo forming on a dark gray background.
FX/SFX: The plates flying, the object splitting.
Music/Sounds: A soft synth theme, with a bass line in the middle and an announcer saying "Ici Radio-Québec" at the end.
Availability: Extinct.
5th Logo (1990-1993)[]
Nickname: "CGI Cylinder"
Logo: On a dark cloudy sky, a while cylinder with red, green, and blue sections comes in from the left, rotating clockwise. As it moves towards the center, the cylinder rotates to reveal that it's the Radio-Québec logo and rests in the middle, all while shining and the back of it condenses to a flat form. If you look closely in the background, there appear to be indents of their corporate logo when it rests.
Variant: At the beginning, 2 glass plates are seen covering the background, all the while a promo plays just off-center. After it ends, the plates slide away to reveal the logo already formed. Sometimes, it just fades to the logo.
FX/SFX: Standard late '80s CGI.
Music/Sounds: A somber synth theme with a saxophone incorporated, with a ethereal chorus and the same voiceover at the end. Rarely, there would be no announcer.
Availability: Extinct.
6th Logo (1993-1994)[]
Nickname: "Wood Cylinder"
Logo: On a blurry brown background (possibly a wooden floor), the Radio-Quebec logo appears as a translucent shape in the corner, zooming out while rotating to the center.
Variant: The logo would be cut to its last few seconds when used on promos.
FX/SFX: Just the logo zooming out.
Music/Sounds: Same as before, but it also includes the promo announcer as well.
Availability: Extinct.
7th Logo (1994-1996)[]
Logo: A few different variants exist, but usually, bars either slide in and form up in the background while a circular object is sent up and turned into a silver 3D version of the Radio-Quebec logo, while the bars turn gray and gain a scrolling granite texture.
FX/SFX: The logo forming.
Music/Sounds: Depends on the variant, but it has a build-up to a remixed version of the 1st logo's tune. An announcer says "Ici Radio-Quebec." as usual, which may be an adult male or a child male.
Availability: Extinct.
Télé-Québec[]
1st Logo (1996-2001)[]
Logo: In what appears to be a dark void of water, white-toned objects are seen floating about like they are in anti-gravity. What these items are portraying depends on the ident, but at the end, it fades to a dark blue patch of color with white ripples forming and the new Tele-Quebec logo fades in with a slight ripple effect. It has a dark blue frame with 2 green swishes on the bottom and a red oval on the top, all of which are shown at an upwards-facing angle and have a sheen to them. Below, the white text "Télé-Québec" fades in with a more notable ripple effect and a visible water texture in it. Here are all of the possible variants:
- Originals: 2 people in baggy white clothing dangling about with a white ball near their feet, followed by a person spinning about in a ball-like position next to that white ball, a person spreading about like a ballet dancer, a close-up of the ball with a projection of a dictionary page running off it, then finally the 2 people bursting away from each other.
- Kids: A close-up of several crayons, followed by a teddy bear rising up, letter blocks tumbling towards the screen, then finally a close-up of a tricycle.
- Documentaries: 2 different close up shots of a dictionary with its page open, followed by 2 shots of a film reel and its film spilling out, a trumpet dangling about, then finally a happy comedy mask passing in from of it.
- Technology: A computer is seen floating upwards, followed by a close up of it, 2 CDs flying by, a pair of roller skates floating, a different shot of the dictionary/code-covered ball, what appears to be a Walkman, then finally a single CD flying forwards. Unlike the other versions, there's no fades in-between each shot except for the logo reveal.
- News: A hourglass floats from left to right, followed by a brief shot of some white cloth, a bunch of chemicals in beakers and vials floating about, a remote control moving about, then finally a brief shot of the ball from "Originals".
FX/SFX: The objects floating about, the logo fading in.
Music/Sounds: A new composition that differs based on the idents, but follows the same instrumentation, along with a person saying "Ici Tele-Quebec" at the end.
- Originals: A heavenly choir combined with acoustic guitar notes and a gong at the end. The person is a adult female.
- Kids: A xylophone and woodblock instrument, with a twinkle at the end. The person is a child.
- Documentaries: A piano and string instrument. The person is the same as "Originals".
- Technology: A synthesized tune with extra "techno" beats in it. The person is a young male.
- News: Combines the choir from "Originals" with the string instrument from "Documentaries". The person is a different adult female.
Availability: Extinct.