NBC logo
National Broadcasting Company logos used at various times:
Early NBC television logos
In 1943, four years after inaugurating television service, NBC television got its first official logo, a microphone surrounded by lightning bolts, a modification of an existing logo used by the NBC radio network. Lightning bolts were also part of corporate parent RCA's logo, as well as that of sister-company RKO Pictures. At the beginning of telecasts, another card was used, depicting an NBC cameraman with his camera. In 1954, on New Year's Day, to coincide with the start of broadcasting in color, a stylized xylophone and mallet was introduced, accompanied by the three-tone "bing-bong-bing" NBC chimes, first heard on NBC radio in 1927. The tones are the notes "G," "E," and "C." There is some indication that the xylophone logo was used at 5:32 PM on December 17, 1953 to announce the FCC's approval of the new color standard, which would go into effect 30 days later. Special permission was apparently used on New Year's Day when the Tournament of Roses Parade was aired.
NBC Peacock logos
Contrary to popular belief, the Peacock was not originally used as NBC's own logo; the 1956 and 1962 versions were used solely to identify the network's color broadcasts, while other logos (initially the xylophone logo, but most commonly the "NBC Snake") identified NBC itself. Nonetheless, the Peacock became so famously identified with NBC that it was incorporated into the network logo in 1979 by Fred Silverman, then President of NBC, due to prior research from 1977 in NBC's corporate planning department by Peter Kliegman who recommended the station identification value of the Peacock and suggested the Peacock be utilized as a logo. The Peacock became the sole logo in 1986.
1956 Peacock logo
In 1956 an abstraction of an eleven-feathered peacock to indicate richness in color was created by John J. Graham, and adopted, due to the increase in color programming. NBC's first color broadcasts showed only a still frame of the colorful peacock. On September 7, 1957 on Your Hit Parade the peacock was animated, and thereafter appeared at the beginning of every NBC color broadcast until a revamped animation appeared in 1962. Its musical backing was a gong while the peacock began its formup, then an announcer saying "The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC" while the music crescendoed, and after that a bombastic nine-note flourish while the peacock's feathers changed color and finally "filled out".
1962 Peacock logo ("Laramie Peacock")
On April 16, 1962, on the Laramie series, a second version of the Peacock opening was introduced in which the bird fanned its bright plumage against a kaleidoscopic color background. Like the 1956 Peacock, this logo only appeared at the start of NBC color broadcasts; as all NBC broadcasts eventually became color, it was generally used only to open those shows that had traditionally opened with the Peacock such as the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. The "Laramie Peacock" (named for the series which introduced it) was retired on December 31, 1975. It used the same "living color" spiel as did the first peacock, but its music piece was a soft, woodwind-based number.
1979 Peacock logo
The Peacock, still with eleven feathers, returned in the fall of 1979, was married with the N, to create a design called "the Proud N". This was the first time the Peacock was actually part of NBC's own logo. It was simplified in keeping with the letter's pared-down design. Although all eleven feathers were intact, the teardrop tips were gone, the feet were gone and the Peacock's body became a simple triangular shape. On several occasions, the new Peacock was used independently of the N (starting with the 1979 "Proud as a Peacock" advertising campaign that reintroduced the Peacock). However, the N and the Peacock were usually used together between 1979 and 1986.
1986 Peacock logo
On May 12, 1986, NBC broadcast its 60th Anniversary Special. At the very end, every NBC star (past and present) stood on stage to introduce a new logo to America. The arranged marriage of "N" and Peacock ended, and "The Bird" finally assumed its official place as NBC's symbol. The peacock was now flipped to the right to suggest it was forward looking, not back. With its six feathers then representing the network's divisions (at the time: News, Sports, Entertainment, Stations, Network, and Productions) as well as the six primary colors, this Peacock, designed by Chermayeff & Geismar, remains one of the world's most recognized logos.
Other NBC logos
Beginning in 1959, an animated logo joined the Peacock, appearing at the end of broadcasts. Beginning with N, each letter would grow from the other, forming a stacked typographic logo ending with C, forming the base. This would be known as the "NBC Snake." A recent announcement that this logo would be used again suggests an "NBC Snake" redesign may be used when the network fully enters the HDTV era. Several editions of this exist, the earliest being the snake formup in front of a multicolored background while a camera passed by to an orchestral version of the NBC chimes, and the second consisting of the snake forming on top of a color-changing background (going from blue to green to brown) on each note of the regular, automated NBC chimes.
In 1975, NBC's visual trademark was updated, as a stylized 'N' was introduced, consisting of two trapezoids. The design was bold, bright and contemporary. One of the technological innovations of this logo was the first electronically animated ident for an American television network. ([1]) In February 1976, NBC was sued by the Nebraska ETV Network for trademark infringement since the new NBC logo was virtually identical to the ETV logo. An out-of-court settlement was reached in which NBC gave ETV new equipment and a mobile color unit (valued at over $800,000) in exchange for allowing NBC to retain their logo. In addition, NBC paid $55,000 to ETV to cover the cost of designing and implementing a new logo. Newfoundlanders can also tell the story of NBC's successful attack on the similar logo of the Newfoundland Broadcasting Corporation's stylized "N", and subsequent capitulation.
At one time each of the six colors correlated with one of NBC's six divisions, e.g. red was the color of NBC Sports. During the era of the "Proud N," NBC microphone flags displayed a peacock with all red feathers. In the late 80's - after NBC introduced the current peacock - the NBC Sports logo consisted of a peacock with all red feathers over the word "SPORTS."
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, NBC turned the peacock to resemble an American flag, which was used right up until the 2002 Winter Olympics.