LBS Communications

Credits

Descriptions by
Jason Jones, Jeffrey Gray, James Fabiano, Juniorfan88 and Logoboy95

Captures by
Juniorfan88, Shadeed A. Kelly, wisp2007, V of Doom, Pygmalion X, TimYeiLogoCollector and others

Editions by
Juniorfan88, Shadeed A. Kelly and Brendan Richards

Video captures courtesy of
JohnnyL80, Eric S. and TrickyMario7654

Background

Lexington Broadcast Services (commonly known by its initials, "LBS") was created in 1976 by Henry Siegel. It was reincorporated to "LBS Communications, Inc." in 1984. LBS also joined forces with Columbia Pictures Television to create "Colex Enterprises", which distributed TV series by Screen Gems and CPT. Over the years, the company would produce/distribute television shows such as Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff (DIC), What's Happening!! and What's Happening Now!! (CPT), Baywatch and Family Feud (Mark Goodson), and World of Wrestling. LBS was also an ad-sales barter until they formed "TV Horizons".

After Colex Enterprises dissolved in 1986, LBS Communications began to lose money and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991. This left the company to sell more than 80% of its assets to All American Television in March 1992. LBS would live on in the 1990s as an in-name-only unit of All American Television, which was sold to Pearson, plc. in 1997 and renamed to Pearson Television; the production company would close in 2001.

Today, most of the LBS library, with the exceptions of their DIC co-productions (WildBrain), What's Happening Now!! (Sony Pictures Television), and Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (Columbia Pictures), is owned by Fremantle.

1st Logo (September 1976-1984)

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Visuals: On a black background, a group of four small lights flashing multiple colors scan across the screen, leaving a large fused "LBS" (consisting of an "L" and "S" nearly fused together and a "B" in the gap between them). The LBS logo slides back into the background and, after the LBS text slides into place, a small white flash appears, leaving behind the text "LEXINGTON BROADCAST SERVICES COMPANY" in a white Futura font.

Variants:

• A filmed version also exists.
• On Not for Women Only, an in-credit LBS logo is seen with the text "Distributed by LEXINGTON BROADCAST SERVICES" above it.
• In 1983, the text was altered to have a different font (Helvetica) and ", INC." was included at the end of the name. The ending animation was also altered to have a softer, computer-generated flash.
• A still variant of this logo exists with the texts "AN" above and "COMMUNICATIONS PRESENTATION" below the logo, respectively.
• On most episodes of The Glen Campbell Music Show, the animated logo is superimposed over the credits.
• On early '90s Family Channel airings of Inspector Gadget, the logo is slightly sped up.

Technique: Backlit cel animation, with chyroned text for the 1983 variant.

Audio: An uplifting Moog synthesizer tune accompanied by a rising series of beeps, and a synthesized "zap" accompanying the flash.

Audio Variants:

• On early episodes of Inspector Gadget, none.
• On The Glen Campbell Music Show, the end theme plays over the logo.
• On a Serbian-dubbed print of Inspector Gadget, this logo has the music from the 1996 Saban "Twirly-Doo" logo. This is most likely due to a reverse plastering error.

Availability:

• It first appeared on LBS' first nationally syndicated program Hot Fudge.
• This logo is also intact on the Inspector Gadget: The Original Series DVD set and on the Inspector Gadget: Go, Go Gadget Collection DVD (with the exception of the "Launch Time" episode, which replaces all logos at the end with the 2004 Cookie Jar logo).
  • It was also seen when This TV aired certain episodes of the aforementioned series, and it may have been seen on Nickelodeon's airings of the series in the '90s.
• The variation with "INC." can be seen on some early episodes of Tales from the Darkside last seen on Syfy and the now-defunct Chiller.
  • Some airings of the show on Syfy, however, have the 1986 Lorimar-Telepictures "Crashing Comets" logo, while DVD releases (and Comet in the USA, and Horror Channel airings in the UK) use the 2007 CBS Television Distribution logo instead,
• This logo is also still intact on the 2015 Strawberry Shortcake - Double Feature: The Wonderful World of Strawberry Shortcake/Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City DVD released by CBS Home Entertainment.
• The still variant can be seen at the end of Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation.
• This logo can also be seen on GetTV airings of The Glen Campbell Music Show.
• It was also seen on 1980s syndication prints of shows from the CPT catalog, including those originally distributed by TAT Communications Company, plastering its elusive "Rising Star" logo.
• It was also seen at the end of a 1985 airing of Rainbow Brite on affiliate WNEW (now FOX 5), following the silent variant of the videotaped version of the DIC "Vortex" logo.

2nd Logo (June 27, 1984-March 26, 1988)

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Visuals: On a shaded violet gradient background with a floor, the "LBS" from the previous logo (now in a medium shade of light blue) zooms out while "unfolding" and stops in the center of the screen. "LBS COMMUNICATIONS INC." wipes in under the logo, in an ITC Avant Garde font, as the LBS logo "shines" with a stripe of white inside. The shadow of the LBS logo can be seen below on the floor.

Variants:

• There are also two main variants of this logo; a filmed version and a videotaped version.
• A more recent variant exists, which is seen on What's Happening Now!! in which the words "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" fade in at the bottom. This is then followed by the 2002 SPT logo.
• A superimposed version also exists, which was seen on a PSA for Kideo TV where the "LBS COMMUNICATIONS, INC." text is in a different font and is blue, with "KIDEO-TV IS A TRADEMARK OF LBS COMMUNICATIONS INC." below the logo.

Technique: Computer animation and chyroned text.

Audio: A nine-note synthesized tune. The tune starts with a synth brass note held throughout along with a hi-hat, then a synth bass guitar plays the next four notes, and then a synth piano plays the last four notes. It ends in two drumbeats. Composed by Andrew Holtzman.

Audio Variants:

• On the What's Happening Now!! episode "Mr. First Nighter", it uses the 1982 CPT music.
• On the superimposed Kideo TV variant, John Harlan, continuing from the DiC logo (the first half of the logo combo), says "...and is produced in association with LBS Communications, Inc.".

Availability:

• The videotaped version survived on Tales from the Darkside on the now defunct Chiller and Syfy, although some episodes plastered it with the 1986 Lorimar-Telepictures "Crashing Comets" logo.
• The videotaped version of this logo, along with the videotaped variant of the DIC Entertainment "Vortex" logo is also preserved on the 1991 UK VHS release of Heathcliff & Cats and Company: Xmas Memories from Tempo Video.
• The videotaped version of this logo is also intact at the end of the 1986 UK VHS release of GoBots from The Video Collection, following the 1983 variant of the 1979 Hanna-Barbera "Swirling Star" logo.
• The 2007 CBS Television Distribution logo plastered this logo on Tales From The Darkside DVD releases, Comet airings, and Horror Channel airings in the UK, but it's still intact on DVD releases of The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin and What's Happening Now!!, as well as uploads on both the official The Jim Henson Company YouTube channel and Amazon Prime Video of the former.
  • It is unknown if the ThrillerVideo/IVE VHS releases of TFTD retain this logo, or the above logo.
• It was also seen on season two of Inspector Gadget and was on most of the seasons of Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, respectively (DVD releases of both also preserve the logo). Nickelodeon's late '80s-late '90s airings of these series may contain the logo, as well.
• The filmed version was seen on Pole Position and Rainbow Brite, respectively, both of which rarely rerun on TV in most regions anymore, among some other DiC shows from the era (though if they are rerun in the future, this logo might be intact).
• The filmed version of the logo is also intact on certain episodes of M.A.S.K. on Shout! Factory TV.
• What's Happening Now!! reruns on TVOne also retain this logo as of 2022.

3rd Logo (April 12, 1987-April 27, 1991)

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  In-credit version
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Visuals: On a black background, a group of round balls pan to the left of the screen. The "LBS" logo, now in 3D and colored a transparent dark blue, slides in from the right side of the screen and the camera revolves to the front of it, during which two groups of 5 conical lights (possibly representing meteors) streak through twice. The logo makes a stop at the front of the screen, a spotlight illuminates the logo, and "LBS COMMUNICATIONS INC." fades in below in the same font as before, but with a metallic look to it.

Variants:

• If LBS was distributing the program, once the logo finishes, the words "Distributed by" would fade in above the company name. It would also sometimes have a copyright stamp.
• On The New Gidget, the logo starts midway and is zoomed back a bit for the text "in association with" to appear below. The music is also poorly abridged.
• The normal 1987 LBS version exists as both filmed and videotaped versions.
• Like the first logo, an in-credit version exists.
• A still in-credit variant with magenta lettering with the text "In association with" in white is seen on the final season of 21 Jump Street. Later episodes of that season have a still image with a smaller LBS logo in magenta and the company name in a big bold white font on a gradient violet background. This is similar to the second logo.
• A few opening variants have been used for several specials:
  • On the 1988 documentary Mysteries of the Pyramids, the text below the logo changes to "PRESENTS", and then the animation is played in reverse.
  • On the 1989 TV special Exploring Psychic Powers... Live, "PRESENTS" is put in the middle of the screen while the logo plays in reverse.
  • On the 1990 TV special A Tribute to John Lennon, the logo fades in halfway, and no text appears below the LBS logo at all, and a 3rd set of meteors fly through the background; the camera then zooms into the lower hole in the "B" to reveal a starfield and the word "PRESENTS" in a chromed font over it.

Technique: CGI.

Audio:

• 1987-1989: An ascending/descending jingle with twittering sounds as the meteors streak through, followed by a whoosh and a tense remix of the 1984 LBS theme. This was done on a Roland D-50 via the PN-D50 expansion pack using the patches "Glockenspiel" and "Stereo Polysynth" and on a Yamaha DX7 using the patch "Brass 1". A short version exists, starting just as the meteors streak.
• 1988 (Mysteries of the Pyramids): An eerie sounder.
• 1988 (Bonanza: The Next Generation): The closing theme.
• 1989-1991: A descending synth jingle with a deep wind sound, then a two-note synthesized chorus. The distribution variant has a longer version with the last note of the first jingle and the first note of the second one being held on longer. The second half of the 1989 theme is also used on the end of Exploring Psychic Powers... Live.
• 1989 (Start of Exploring Psychic Powers... Live): A choir vocalizing.
• 1989 (Hunt for Stolen War Treasures): A drum pounding through-out (the start of the opening theme), with an announcer saying "The following is an LBS presentation."
• 1990: A quiet synth sounder. A low toned version also exists.
• 1990 (A Tribute to John Lennon): A synth fanfare, likely done on a Korg M1.

Audio Variant: On the MeTV Toons airings of Police Academy: The Animated Series, the 1987 version of the logo plays silently.

Availability:

• 1987-1989: The distribution version is seen occasionally on Father Knows Best on Antenna TV and FETV.
  • It was also spotted on a repeat of Hazel on TV Land years ago and the last season of Inspector Gadget. Nickelodeon's airings of the latter in the '90s may have kept it too.
  • This logo can also be found on reruns of Police Academy on MeTV Toons.
  • It was also intact on the final season of Tales from the Darkside (that would feature the 2nd Tribune Entertainment logo) last seen on Syfy, but some episodes plaster it with the 1986 Lorimar-Telepictures "Crashing Comets" logo instead.
  • The 1987 version of this logo is also preserved on Inspector Gadget VHS releases released by Maier Group.
  • It is also preserved on some episodes through the finale of The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin on DVD.
  • It is also preserved on the 1988 U.S. VHS release of Mysteries of the Pyramids with Omar Shariff, albeit with the ending theme playing over it.
  • The silent variant of the 1987 version of this logo is also preserved on the MeTV Toons airings of Police Academy: The Animated Series, following the 1984 WBTV logo.
• 1989-1991: This version is seen on some shows currently like What's Happening Now!! on TVOne and occasionally on Father Knows Best and The Monkees on Antenna TV and (for the former) FETV.
  • The 1989 version of this logo was also seen on CBN's reruns of The Young Rebels and Nostalgia Television's reruns of The Interns, as well as Eisched.
  • It was also seen at the end of a December 1992 airing of It Nearly Wasn't Christmas on affiliate WGBS.
  • It was also seen on The New Adventures of He-Man following the Jetlag Productions logo (however, current prints thereof plaster these with the 1999 Entertainment Rights logo instead).
  • This may also be seen on syndicated movies that LBS had rights to such as the Image Organization-owned Backstab, Martial Law and Crime Lords, among possible others.
• 1990: It was seen on a few syndie episodes in tandem with the 1989 logo on Family Feud.
• In-credit and Still variant: It was only seen on the final season of 21 Jump Street in syndication, but current prints remove this and the other.
  • International prints, however, may keep this, as did a French TV airing in the mid-90s.

4th Logo (15th Anniversary logo) (September 23, 1991-May 18, 1992)

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Visuals: On a black background, a yellow/white oval comes from the middle of the screen and swoops forwards. Then, the LBS logo in red comes down from the top of the screen, followed by a purple banner flying up as the text "15^TH ANNIVERSARY" wipes in over it. After the logo is completed, the entire logo shines as "1976-1991" appear along the bottom edge of the oval.

Variant: A shortened variant exists where the logo starts at the banner flying up.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A mellow synthesizer score. Starting in late 1991, a five-note synthesized somber tune ending in synth guitar chords is used (a short version of the latter also exists). Both versions have a "ping" sound (different in each other) to indicate the shine.

Audio Variant: On a Universal Channel Poland airing of at least one episode of the second season of Baywatch, the logo is silent.

Availability:

• This was seen on the original U.S. airings of season 2 of Baywatch, as well as on the 1991-1992 syndicated season of Family Feud.
• The logo is also retained on the Goodtimes Home Video VHS release of The Elvis Files.
• The logo is currently plastered by the 2001 and 2018 FremantleMedia/Fremantle logos on season 2 Baywatch episodes on DVD and HD remasters. However, the U.S. VHS release of the said show from Avid Home Entertainment also retains this.
• It was last seen on second season episodes of Baywatch on Universal Channel Poland as well (albeit cropped to 16:9).