Rai 1 began transmissions in 11:00 on January 3, 1954 as Programma Nazionale. The first person to appear on Italian television was believed to be Fulvia Colombo, a woman who presented the inauguration of the channel. In its first days, it was almost completely educational with no advertising.
Programma Nazionale/ReteTV
1954–1983
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 the opening and end of transmission 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 in 1977, when Rai's channels finally adopted colors. The logo was a colored version of the Programma Nazionale's logo.
Rai Uno
1983–1988
Later in 1982, Rete 1 changed its name to Rai Uno. It launched a new logo corresponding with Rai's rebranding in the same year, the first logo in its history to adopt its now signature color: blue. In the bumpers, the logo was accompanied with a blue sphere.
1988–2000
In this logo, the Rai Uno typefaces as modified (as with the Rai corporate logo at that time) and the sphere officialy became part of the logo. A vertical version of the logo was used on idents.
2000–2010
Designer:
AReA
Typography:
Futura
Launched:
23 October 2000
This logo, which drops the sphere, uses Rai's newly-launched butterfly symbol, and maintains its now-standard blue color, was introduced on 23 October 2000; during the TV shows it was all white until September 21, 2003, when it became white with a blue halo around.
Rai 1
2010–2016
Designer:
Frame by Frame
Typography:
Futura
Launched:
18 May 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 the new bumpers appeared on November of the same year that appeared in 16:9 instead of their predecessors.
Futura (Rai's logotype) Lubalin Graph Bold BT (Digit 1) Neue Haas Grotesk (on air graphics)
Launched:
12 September 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.