American Program Service

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

In 1992, the Interregional Program Service and the Eastern Educational Television Network became American Program Service (APS). The company continued to serve the purpose of the IPS and EETN. In 1999, the company was renamed American Public Television (APT).

1st Logo (1992-1997)

Visuals: On a maroon background, there is the text

A PRESENTATION OF
AMERICAN PROGRAM
SERVICE

in Copperplate, which zooms in slightly. A shining wipe appears on the text.

Variant: There is a variant which has "BOSTON" under the text.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: None. In other cases, it uses the end theme of the show.

Availability: Preserved on VHS tapes of Bloopy's Buddies and pre-1996 episodes of Computer Chronicles (which is preserved on the "Cyber Cafes" and "Macworld" episodes on the Internet Archive). It also appeared on American PBS airings of The Big Comfy Couch episodes from the era, as well as the original run of Cave Kids following the Hanna-Barbera "Comedy All-Stars" logo.

2nd Logo (1997-April 25, 1999)


Visuals: On a black background with 2 dark orange/brown squares, there are the letters "Aps" in dark orange with the words "American Program Service" below the letters zooming out from the screen, with the "p" slightly on top of the "A", a white bracket revealing the "p", and a black bracket revealing the "s". Once the letters shift into place, the words

________
Programs
For Public
Television

appear below the letters "ps", while a small flash appears above the "A" in the top left hand corner. Also, one of the squares disappears, leaving one square in the background, which rotates.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A rather triumphant synth tune with a piano and snare drumroll sounds, produced on the E-mu Proteus 2 Orchestral synthesizer using the Percussion 1 (Patch #58) instrument patch. Denny Gore is the composer.

Audio Variant: Sometimes, the logo is silent.

Availability: It was seen on 1996-1999 episodes of Computer Chronicles; a few episodes from the era on the Internet Archive retain this. It can also be seen on the final episodes of The Kidsongs Television Show on iTunes. Neither this nor the previous logo appeared at all on Nightly Business Report, which instead continued to use an in-credit notice until the rename to American Public Television.

Interregional Program Service
American Program Service
American Public Television
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