Why are watermarks even useful, anyways?
The best contemporary watermark on FTA was the one that Seven had around 2011-12 IIRC. It was very small and was as far in the bottom right corner as you could get it, though the stupid frozen lens flare effect it had was distracting.
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They were doing it as far back as 1993, at least in the Canberra market:
One really has to wonder what these viewers who rang into complain would think of watermarking âeffortsâ from 2017 like WINâs solid coloured brickmarks and the In-Program Promotional Watermarks that all commercial networks generally partake in these days!
Maybe watermarks were useful back in the old days of analogue whenever you had to manually tune a TV set, but theyâre fairly pointless now with Digital TV and their associated LCN names.
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I wouldnât say that LCNs and digital TV make watermarkâs useless. TVâs originally had channel number indicators so that was when there wasnât a need to ID the station especially when there were just 5 options. But now with a lot more channels, no channel number readouts on TVs plus the sometimes a lack of any obvious association between the channel and the LCN e.g., 9Gem, 9Go, ABC Me (plus regionals) it makes some sense to ID the channel.
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The biggest use of watermarks is to make sure the original broadcaster is credited if another network decides to show their footage for some reason.
I also find it useful to have the channel identified - especially when I donât have access to the remote to bring up the channel info (e.g. Watching a communal tv) - however a small, very transparent logo right in the corner achieves that perfectly.
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Not sure thatâs it. Itâs branding and ownership of the product.
When you fly a plane, you see the airline logo everywhere. When you buy socks or clothes or sheets - the logo is stitched on. When you get takeaway food - logos. Shopping bags. Logos.
Most companies want to âbrandâ whatever the product is with their logo.
Phones, watches, sunglasses, hats, cars, electronicsâŚ
Itâs just branding your product to constantly reinforce the brand if you are a user of the product.
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I remember complaining to WIN and Prime back in the 90âs about there watermarks. Both pretty much replied back similar responses that they had to carry these for copyright reasons.
Even WIN had a little gold logo with dots back in the 90âs itâs a shame how big they all are now.
The Fox Sports logos these days are pretty annoying at times as well. Live HD No AD breaks Ch no, itâs a bit much these days.
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I really donât think itâs copyright either⌠thatâs just a convenient excuse, as TV stations themselves usually donât own copyright, they just have the rights to air the show.
Its for what @KICK-IT said, branding. But the branding needs to be suitably styled. Could you imagine anyone buying a Toyota if they stuck great big fugly logos on the bonnet of their cars? WIN has gone the wrong way about it here, this is more likely to cost them viewers and then advertisers.
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I canât see what copyright has to do with watermarks as there are networks like HBO and BBC 1 that often donât use watermarks.
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And Southern Cross Television GTS/BKN & Tasmania also donât use watermarks on the main channel.
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What program was this? Never seen the network watermark in the top-right (only the sport one). HD too!?
Yep always thought the copyright line was just an excuse as well. Not that its legal but if you download US shows most have no watermarks on them and are in HD. 
So 2009 
It looks like the Modern Family logo was taken straight from the promo ender. Dodge!
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From what I can tell, Bruce was in Australia last year for six months from December to May. Assuming itâs a regular thing he does where he comes here for five months and 29 days and returns to Bermuda to live for half a year plus one day, it might go a long way to explaining why so much of this shit has been happening over the past few months.
Heâs in the country right now. Bruce regularly takes the train from his home at Circular Quay to WIN in Wollongong. Anyone want to scope out which train he takes and cover the train windows with Transport for NSW logos to see how he likes it?
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Iâd put a great big Channel Nine logo in his face 
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