Descriptions by PAV123, edc4, Unnepad, thatvhstapeguy, Hb1290
Captures by Hb1290, Poocian
Video captures courtesy of LogosAreFun, edc4, Allentown854's Logo Archive, Marta Pniewska, Mister Foureyes' Logo Gallery!, ZMB's Worldwide Logo Archive, ThomasTheMcDonald’sBoy2007
Logo: On a light blue background we see the white letters "N", "B", and "C" appear and merge to form the NBC snake logo of the era. The logo zooms back, and the "C" breaks apart and then shifts up to the other letters leaving an "S" in the process. A copy of the "N" slides down, and an additional copy slides to the right, bumping the "S" and morphing into a "W". An "E" slides down from the "B", forming the word "NEWS". Everything then zooms out back again.
Variants:
A B&W version exists.
There is an in-credit version as well.
On WRC-TV programs made from NBC News, the logo plays out the same until it zooms back in again. The BG (which was originally blue) changes to black when it zooms in. After this, it zooms out and is placed on top of the middle of the number 4 (the channel station). Underneath it, it says "WRC-TV Washington".
There is a rare green version.
There is also a purple filmed version likely due to film deterioration.
FX/SFX: The generally zooming and morphing effects.
Music/Sounds: A dramatic fanfare. Sometimes, this is accompanied by a voice-over stating, "This program was produced by NBC News, which is solely responsible for its content."
Music/Sounds Variant: If a program were produced for a specific channel, the announcer would say, "Produced for [channel station] by NBC News, which is solely responsible for its content."
Availability: Extinct. Found on older prints.
Editor's Note: The animation combined with the music will undoubtedly startle more than a few people.
4th Logo (1970s)
Logo: Whe see two yellow stripes moving towards, one down and other up, while forming the 1976 NBC trapezoid logo. Once the logo's formed, it moves to the right while the text "NBC NEWS" appears.
FX/SFX: Basic animation, same design as other NBC news programs from the period.
Music/Sounds: The 70s NBC News theme while an announcer says, "NBC News produced this program and is solely responsible for its content."
Availability: Extinct. Found on older prints.
Editor's Note: None.
5th Logo (1980s)
Logo: On a black background, a diagonal line of light wipes in from the bottom left, forming a diagonal set of blue lines. They rotate to their final position as the light wipes again, leaving another set of lines. They form the text "NBC NEWS" which settles into the center of the screen. Between the two N's, the NBC "Proud N" of the period forms, first with the peacock fanning in from the top, then the trapezoid N being drawn in behind it.
FX/SFX: Filmed cel animation.
Music/Sounds: The late 1970s NBC chimes, accompanied by teletype ticking and a voiceover which reads "NBC News produced this program and is responsible for its content."
Availability: Extinct. It might turn up on old recordings. One such program that this appeared on is To Be a Doctor, from late 1980.
Editor's Note: This contains many distinctive styling cues that formed the on-air NBC identity of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
6th Logo (1990s)
Logo: On a black background, a series of gold lines fly in from either side of the screen to form a classic television shape. Then, colorful beams of lite converge on the TV to form the 1986 NBC peacock. The logo flashes for a moment as the words "NBC NEWS" appear below the peacock and "PRODUCTIONS" appears below the TV shape.
Closing Variant: At the end of programs, the "PRODUCTIONS" text fades out with a copyright notice taking its place.
FX/SFX: All CGI.
Music/Sounds: A slow, modern version of the NBC chimes, followed by a brief horn motif from the NBC News theme "The Mission" by John Williams. The music was done on a Roland D-50 synthesizer using the "Fantasia" patch mixed/doubled with the "Syn Marimba" and "D-50 Voices" patches.
Availability: Extremely rare. This logo has turned up on a Reader's Digest videotape of Space, An American Adventure: Journey to the Moon, uploaded to the Internet Archive. It also surprisingly appeared on Tubi's print of the Project Twenty episode "The Story of Will Rogers" .
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