• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

What are some TV stations that have kept the same logo for many years...

... or even since their founding? (I'm not concerned with minor changes or "tweaks", as long as the basic logo is recognizable as not having changed materially.)

The first one that comes to mind is the ABC O&O "Circle 7" logo. I know there are variants throughout the country, but I am thinking of the logo for WABC, WLS, and so on:

1654489941199.png

I know that in the beginning, ABC was trying to snap up the channel 7 allocations in various large cities, the idea being that low-VHF might go away, and (assuming the channels weren't renumbered) this would put ABC at the top of the dial. There's also somewhat of a parallel there with how the major Australian TV networks brand themselves, Seven, Nine, and Ten. (I'm assuming that, wherever possible, they got these OTA channel numbers, Sydney, Melbourne, et al).

I know that WCSC-5 in Charleston SC had a very simple, elegant logo for the longest time, but a few years back, they changed it to a squashed-down "5" that, compared to the former logo, is kind of ugly. Here's the former logo I'm talking about:

1654490210438.png
 
The first one that comes to mind is the ABC O&O "Circle 7" logo. I know there are variants throughout the country, but I am thinking of the logo for WABC, WLS, and so on:

View attachment 3019

I know that in the beginning, ABC was trying to snap up the channel 7 allocations in various large cities, the idea being that low-VHF might go away, and (assuming the channels weren't renumbered) this would put ABC at the top of the dial.
The "Circle 7" logo has been used since 1962. ABC's decision to put all their O&Os on Channel 7 dates back to the 1940s.
 
The "Circle 7" logo has been used since 1962. ABC's decision to put all their O&Os on Channel 7 dates back to the 1940s.
And in the past 25 years the ABC7 logo has also been attached to the ABC Logo too. I know ever since Disney took over ABC and O&O's their current logo has been attached together as in the case of KABC-TV and KGO-TV. Note KATV in Little Rock, AR which is a Sinclair owned ABC affiliate also borrows their logo design from the ABC O&O's.imgbin-wabc-tv-kabc-tv-american-broadcasting-company-circle-7-logo-jingdong-broadcasting-co-TU...jpg
 
KTVU the Fox Owned station in Oakland/San Francisco has been using the same logo since the 1970's. Initially this logo was designed when the station was managed by COX at the time. But the logo even went on to survive under Fox ownership. Logo-fox-2-san-francisco-ktvu.png

Here is the current KTVU logo under Fox Ownership.

Screenshot_2019-08-16-12-45-24.png

Here is the initial use of the Fox 2 Logo under Cox ownership.
 
The "Circle 7" logo has been used since 1962. ABC's decision to put all their O&Os on Channel 7 dates back to the 1940s.
Here is a wild-azz guess as to how the Circle 7 logo came to be: It came from someone with a long memory, going back to the Blue Network days when they still shared space in 30 Rock with their former parent company. The main phone number for both NBC and the Blue Network, per the 1944 Broadcasting Yearbook listings for WEAF and WJZ was... CIrcle 7-8300. Hmmmm....

That changed after ABC moved into its own building, but I wonder if someone who had been there put 2 and 2 together and thought "Our stations are all on Channel 7, and we did use the CIrcle 7 phone exchange at the start. Why not?" The logo was designed by someone in San Francisco, but you never know. The truth is probably lost to the ages.
 
The surviving Group W logos—KPIX 5 and WJZ 13—were introduced in 1963. Owing to the elongation of the 5 in the '90s, however, the present 13 more nearly resembles its original version.
WJZ-TV13.png
 
KCRA_3_News_logo.png


Here is Sacramento's longest running TV logo the KCRA-TV logo first used in 1975. Note this logo has some variation changes over the years.

GW245H183.jpg

This is the 1980's version of the logo and this version of the KCRA-TV logo also appeared in Seattle at the sign on of KCPQ-TV 1980's premiere when Kelly Broadcasting were the owners of both KCRA and KCPQ-TV. Note some of the KCRA news Promos we're seen Seattle too when the owner at the time talked about having newscasts on KCPQ-TV.


KCPQ_13_Independent_(1980-1986).png.
 
The Circle 7 logo is also used by WBBJ ABC 7 in Jackson, TN:
1654568720695.png
They also have a version of the logo with both ABC and CBS for their 7.3 subchannel:
1654568833823.png
 
View attachment 3028


Here is Sacramento's longest running TV logo the KCRA-TV logo first used in 1975. Note this logo has some variation changes over the years.

View attachment 3029

This is the 1980's version of the logo and this version of the KCRA-TV logo also appeared in Seattle at the sign on of KCPQ-TV 1980's premiere when Kelly Broadcasting were the owners of both KCRA and KCPQ-TV. Note some of the KCRA news Promos we're seen Seattle too when the owner at the time talked about having newscasts on KCPQ-TV.


View attachment 3030.
You must be a mind reader. Seeing KCRA's logo was what brought this question to mind for me. Their logo is OLD.
 
Ever since KHJ-TV became KCAL9 for nearly 33 years in Los Angeles. KCAL9 has been using the same logo font style for 9 since 1989-1990 timeframe when Disney owned KCAL9. Yes the font has survived different ownerships too from Young Broadcasting to now Paramount inc which currently owns KCAL9 as part of a duopoly with CBS News Los Angeles and KCBS-TV.kcal9.jpg

maxresdefault.jpg
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom