Yle (Finland)

Logo descriptions by Thisisanswer, Logent

Logo captures by Logent, Pyscowicz and VPJHuk
Editions by aarol, SnowflakesOmega, Logent, Thisisanswer, Unnepad and VPJHuk

Video captures courtesy of aatox, Retropiiretyt, FinnTapes, Nauhoitevideot/Pyscowicz, Vanhoja-mainoskatkoja, NikkeFin and - VPJLogo -

Background: Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle) is the name of the state-owned Finnish radio and television agency, that is founded in Helsinki on May 29, 1926. Originally named as "O.Y. Suomen Yleisradio – A.B. Finlands Rundradio", the company started as a radio broadcaster, but during 1957, Yleisradio did the test broadcasting on television. Suomen Televisio was launched with regular broadcasting beginning in next year on January 1, 1958. The first television newscast from Yleisradio aired in September 1, 1959. Following the acquisition of Tesvisio and Tamvisio in 1964, Yleisradio renamed its Suomen Televisio as TV-ohjelma 1 and its new second channel TV-ohjelma 2. Both of these channels were then later renamed simply TV1 and TV2 in 1971, and again as Yle TV1 and Yle TV2 since 2000. Both channels had separate programming blocks over the years (MTV and FST) and additional channels such as Yle Teema & Fem and TV Finland were created alongside two channels. For three decades, Yleisradio owned fully the television monopoly in Finland until the Finnish TV channel reforming happened in 1993 with MTV3 becoming its own commercial television station. In 1994, the company was renamed as Yleisradio Oy or simply Yle, while in 2012, the company's brand was revamped. Prior January 1992, Yle didn't use their company logo in any of their television channels.

1st Logo
(January 1, 1992-1999)

Nicknames: "Renkaat (Rings)", "Finnish Saturn Rings","The Finnish Equivalent of Doordarshan's 80's Logo", "Finnish LSD", "The Invisible Saturn With 5 Differently Colored Rings"

Logo: On a white background, multilayered orange ripples emerge from the bottom left corner of the screen, followed by blue ripples on the bottom right, purple in the top left, and green in the top right before all of them disperse in a burst of particles. An burst of yellow particlesthen disperse away,around a invisible sphere. This is followed by subsequent burst of orange, purple, blue, and green particles as the camera rotates to an angle below the bursts (which also speeds up the animation). Solid rings in yellow, orange, purple, blue and green,allin that order, then emerge from the sphere one by one. After the rings emerge and particles disappear for a second, "Y L E" then fades in below, forming the final product.

Trivia: Advertising graphic artist Herbie Kastemaa designed the new company logo nicknamed "Renkaat" (Rings for English) in 1990. Kastemaa used the company's previous logo for the basics of creating the new one (most notably the wavelength seen in the previous logo), as all five rings represent the company's news operations, sport, music, drama and entertainment.

Variants Note: Yle TV1 had a couple of different variants of this ident seen as startup and closedown idents. It should be noted that these variants were used as main idents for the channel during that time. For more information about variants, see the 7th Yle TV1 logo.

FX/SFX: The ripples, the particles, the rings emerging.

Music/Sounds: A dissonant, yet gentle-sounding synth and string ambient theme.

Availability: Extinct on TV. While this was one of the four variants that could be spotted as startup and closedown idents onYle TV1, the main logo described here could be seen as a closedown ident in few occasions. In 1998, when Yle TV1 started using the 9th logo as a closedown ident, this could still be spotted being used afterwards. However, since 1999, this logo was then taken out and the 9th logo on Yle TV1 was used from that point as both their startup and closedown idents alone. On Yle TV2, this logo was used as both the startup and closedown ident between January 1, 1992 and August 10, 1997.

Editor's Note: This logo is considered nostalgic to those who grew up in Finland and is considered a favorite to many there, though the dissonant music doesn't really mix well with the calm animation.

2nd Logo

(March, 2001-January 23, 2013)

YLE (DocPoint festivals variant, February 6th, 2002)

YLE (Christmas promotional variant, 2002)

Nicknames: "lYLEl", "Tolppa YLE Tolppa (Post YLE Post)", "Finnish Flashing Letters", "Dark Glossy Letters", "Finnish Deep Note"

Logo: On a black background, we see the dark and glossy-textured text "lYLEl" with vertical lines on both sides, fading in from the background. Then a bright light reflects in the logo and moves from the bottom up to the top right corner. As we see the logo in a brighter tone, a small shimmer can be seen on top of the right vertical line, while a oblique light sweep is seen going through the logo.

Variants:

Usually, a small year mark appears below the logo, when the lighting has reflected in it.
Since 2004, the widescreen variant for both the regular and the one with year marks has the logo zoomed in a little bit closer. Prior 2004, these 16:9 variants with year marks had the text about the same size as in regular ones with 4:3 ratio.
In 2010 and 2011, the regular and year marked variants were remade completely with the logo fading in a little bit slower and being stable for a short amount of time before the light reflects in it. The logo has also cleaner texture around it, while becoming darker towards the end of the animation.
Black and white variants are known to exist.
In the talk-show Lauantaiseurafrom 2005, the logo is pasted on a moving detailed background.
An anniversary variant was used in 2001 when it premiered. It has the logo wiping in on a black background with a somewhat darker texture. As the lightning is about to reflect in the logo, it suddenly oscillates and disappears around the logo, while the following words appear on the top and bottom parts of the logo for a short amount of time until it wipes out on a black background:

75v

lYLEl

– 1 9 2 6 –

A promotional variant exclusively for the 2002 DocPoint festival events was made to promote said event. The logo added additional text "DocPoint" and "Helsingin dokumenttielokuvafestivaali" in blue.
A rare Christmas variant was made for promotional purposes in 2003. The logo started from the bright light flashing, the background was blue, and some additional text saying "Yksi sana. Tuhat tarinaa." This is translated to "One word. Thousand stories."
An open matte variant was spotted on a 2010 airing ofTarinateltta.
A stretched version exists.

FX/SFX: The lighting effects and the shimmer on the clean CGI logo.

Music/Sounds: A rumbling, Deep Note-like sound, that ends with a soft one-note chime. After that, we heard short two piano notes.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Silence or the closing theme of the show is often heard.
The anniversary variant has longer Deep Note-like sound at the beginning. After the one-note chime, we then hear a re-arranged version of the logo with the first four notes of the old interval signal heard in Yle's radio broadcasts played with a droning synth.
The DocPoint festival version added a woman announcer that said "DocPoint-festivaaleilla mukana Yleisradion TV1 uusi kino ja TV2 dokumenttiprojekti.".

Availability: Common. Probably the most common closing logo in Finnish television, as it is featured at the end of almost every program (excluding news broadcasts and minor programs) on the Yle channels during that time and it could be easily spotted during re-airings. The regular variant without the year mark can be spotted at the end of foreign shows or re-aired programs prior 2001. It is also used as the opening logo in DVD/VHS releases distributed by Yle Tallennemyynti. The ones with year marks are featured at the end of Finnish television programs aired for the first time. These year marked variants can also be spotted at the starting point of each Jefferson Anderson (Pasila) animated sitcom's DVD release. Since 2003, both original and widescreen variants were used depending on the aspect ratio of the program. Re-airings of some Finnish shows (for example of pilot episodes in Kummeli sketch show from 1991) had either old Yle TV1 or Yle TV2 closing logos being plastered by regular variant or played after the old closing logo. The anniversary variant is extremely rare and unusually seen as a opening logo for certain programs in 2001, such as Ykkösdokumentti: Nainen ja valta documentary. Extended remade variants are scarce and featured in the end of programs aired from late 2010 to 2013, such as Tosi tarina: Tervanpolttaja documentary. The last known program to feature the remade logo was the third season of Pirunpelto, that aired between December 2012 and January 2013.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo

(March 6, 2012-)

Nicknames: "yle", "Cyan Stamp", "Soft Cyan Box"

Logo: On a black background, we see three bright letters appearing one at a time, forming a word "yle" with a cyan block with soft edges popping in behind it. As the cyan block pops in, the black background gets brighter from the center point of the screen, becoming white. As the logo moves little bit closer, while we see tiny sparkle on top of the "l".

Variant: A letterbox version of the logo exists on home video releases.

FX/SFX: The lighting effects on the background, popping letters and cyan block.

Music/Sounds: A four-note synth piano chime followed by a brief echoing that quickly fades out.

Availability: Current. The opening logo could be spotted in almost every regular program or television show aired on Yle channels. It can also be spotted as opening logo in home video releases distributed by Yle Tallennemyynti/Yle Myynti and VLMedia Oy. Home video releases that have the aspect ratio of 4:3 feature the separate letterboxed logo. However since 2016, the logo has quietly disappeared from television, but it could still be discovered on recent home video releases along with VLMedia Oy logo.

Editor's Note: None.

Yle (Finland)

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