Rai 1 is the flagship television channel of Rai, Italy's public broadcaster.
Programma Nazionale/ReteTV[]
1954–1983[]
Rai 1 began transmissions at 11:00 on January 3, 1954 as Programma Nazionale. The inauguration was presented by Fulvia Colombo, who is believed to be the first person to appear on Italian television. In its first days, Programma Nazionale was almost completely educational with no advertising. However, the channel had no official name, because it was directly identified with the name of the company Rai TV until 1961. This logo was used on sign-on and sign-off idents used from the network's launch up until 1983.
1961–1977[]
Rete 1/TV1[]
1977–1983[]
Programma Nazionale changed its name to Rete 1 on April 5, 1976; this did not affect the general style of the logo. The following year, the channel would start broadcasting in color, together with sister Rete 2, and have its logo colorized.
Rai Uno[]
1983–1988[]
Later in 1983, Rete 1 changed its name to Rai Uno, adopting a new logo in line with Rai's rebrand that same year. It would be the first logo in its history to adopt the channel's now signature color: blue. In the bumpers, the logo was accompanied with a blue sphere.
1988–2000[]
The typeface of the Rai Uno wordmark was modified (as with the Rai corporate logo at that time), the sphere officially became part of the logo. A stacked variant was used on idents.
2000–2010[]
Designer:
AReA
Typography:
Futura
Launched:
October 23, 2000
This logo, which drops the sphere in favor of Rai's newly-launched butterfly symbol, while maintaining its now-standard blue color, was introduced on October 23, 2000; its on-screen bug was wholly white until September 21, 2003, when it adopted a blue glow around the logo.
Rai 1[]
2010–2016[]
Designer:
Frame by Frame
Typography:
Futura (Rai) Neue Haas Grotesk (number 1)
Launched:
May 18, 2010
On May 18, 2010, Rai Uno changed its name to Rai 1 (but is still called Rai Uno in a way since uno is Italian for one/1), introducing a new logo based on two squares, but keeping the same, historic color of the channel: blue. Although the logo was introduced on May, they still used the 2003 idents until new bumpers appeared in November of the same year; now being shown in 16:9 instead of their predecessors.
Futura (Rai's logotype) Lubalin Graph Bold BT (Digit 1) Neue Haas Grotesk (on air graphics)
Launched:
September 12, 2016
On September 12, 2016, Rai 1, along with Rai 2, Rai 3, and Rai 4, redesigned its logo and launched a new graphics package. The new design of Rai 1's logo maintains Rai's corporate logo, drops the second square at the right and gives an entirely new look for the number 1. The channel's iconic blue color was maintained, albeit in a different shade.
