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Background

WCNY (abbreviated Central New York) is a PBS affiliate located in Syracuse, New York that was established in 1965 as an affiliate of NET. It became a PBS affiliate in 1970. It was founded by the Onondaga County School Board Association under a charter by the New York State Department of Education. The station was originally assigned the call letters WHTV, but switched to WCNY-TV on September 23, 1965, after the station now known as WWNY-TV in Watertown gave up the call letters. WCNY went on the air on December 20, 1965.

1st Logo (1985-1991)

Visuals: The logo opens with a black/blue/salmon gradient background and a dark orb in the center of the screen. The orb shines with an indigo color, exposing a hidden hollyhock symbol in the middle of the orb. The symbol shines bright as the indigo shining fills the orb, and white shining occurs over top. This happens twice until the orb is completely indigo and the hollyhock symbol's leaves glow red, orange, yellow, and yellow-green. The background gradient fades from vertical to circular, surrounding the orb. The leaves glow brighter and brighter, as yellow background flares start to shine behind the orb. Glowing streaks form from the leaves, as a bright flash causes the orb to disappear. In its place, the WCNY wordmark of the era in an indigo/baby blue with an orange glow appears, with "SYRACUSE" subtext below in the font Eurostile Light. The background fades to black. After a few seconds, a red/orange/yellow flash transitions the WCNY text to similar looking text that says "PRESENTS" in the Eurostile Black Extended font. After a few seconds, the logo fades to black.

Variants:

The first version of the logo cuts out the hollyhock animation and only shows the WCNY text transitioning to the Presents text. This version also simply fades between the two texts rather than using a transitional flash, implying that the regular version of the logo was animated around this early variant. This was used until 1985
A closing version exists. The print logo of the time, affixed with vibrant colors, is animated or "drawn" in. The symbol then moves to the left, as the WCNY wordmark is drawn in next to it.

Technique: Traditional back-lit cel animation, likely animated by long-time art director Steve Meltzer himself. The closing variant was likely made with primitive chyron technology.

Audio: Two whooshes play in sync with the shining of the orb. This happens in tandem with a repeating synth arpeggio in the key of E minor. A 10-note synth melody plays over the continuous synth arpeggio. After the melody is finished, a cymbal clash ushers in lush synth pads in the key of C. 3 more synth notes are added to the melody after a measure of the synth pads, after which the key is changed to A and the cymbal is clashed once more. 3 more high-octave synth synth notes play as the synth pads ease the jingle to its end.

Audio Variants:

A classical, harpsichord rendition of the normal music was used on Winter's Eve.
The closing variant features the closing theme of the program.

Availability: It can be seen on WCNY programs from the mid to late 80s, though they are very hard to come across. Don't expect this to appear on episodes of the TV adaptation of Bluegrass Ramble. The early variant has only been spotted on Now Tell Us About To War currently, though it's likely to be found on other WCNY programs from 1984. The closing variant is only known to appear on Henry Gernhart: A Natural Process, though there is a chance it could appear on other 80s WCNY programs.

2nd Logo (1995?-2000)

Visuals: Against a red and gray marble background that moves upwards, we see a shiny, bevelled metallic version of the updated WCNY wordmark that flips up. "SYRACUSE" zooms in below, in a white spaced out font and the logo sparkles and shines.

Variant: A version exists where the text "SYRACUSE" is replaced with "PRESENTS".

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Usually silent. However, there is a version with a dark synth chord that gets higher in pitch as the logo progresses. This version has been seen more than once.

Availability: Can be seen on most content WCNY produced during the 90s. The earliest it's been seen is from 1995, but might be seen on programs from the early 90s. Select rereleases of Pappyland include the logo.

3rd Logo (2000-2001?)

Visuals: We see a yellow light that moves into the screen, revealing the WCNY logo in a metal texture. Another light does the same actions to reveal the word "SYRACUSE" in Arial.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A simple synth chime.

Availability: Only used for a year.

4th Logo (2001?-2007)

Visuals: On a black background, we see "WCNY", with a few multicolored flames coming out of the Y. It zooms out. "presents" fades in below.

Variant: On HD programs, it would start out the same as the main variant, but then an HD symbol flips in next to it with some blue trails. Text that shows WCNY's website appears letter by letter at the same time. "PRESENTS" text appears similarly at the bottom of the screen.

Technique: A zoom effect. The variant uses 2D computer animation.

Audio: A segment of what seems to be a redone version of the previous logo's music, with a synth orchestra.

Availability: Seen on Facing HIV/AIDS In Central New York, as well as other WCNY programs of the time.

5th (known) Logo (2022-)

Visuals: Unknown

Technique: Toon-Boom animation.

Audio: Unknown

Availability: Seen on Ivory Towers.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 <center><youtube width="240" height="185">pDSX-nPmJi8</youtube><youtube width="240" height="185">lYRdzCcg8VY</youtube></center>
 <youtube width="240" height="185">c06nUhpvVzM</youtube></center>
-<youtube width="240" height="185">aEtSvxUbs6Q</youtube></center>
+<youtube width="240" height="185">aEtSvxUbs6Q</youtube>
+'''Visuals:''' The logo opens with a black/blue/salmon gradient background and a dark orb in the center of the screen. The orb shines with an indigo color, exposing a hidden hollyhock symbol in the middle of the orb. The symbol shines bright as the indigo shining fills the orb, and white shining occurs over top. This happens twice until the orb is completely indigo and the hollyhock symbol's leaves glow red, orange, yellow, and yellow-green. The background gradient fades from vertical to circular, surrounding the orb. The leaves glow brighter and brighter, as yellow background flares start to shine behind the orb. Glowing streaks form from the leaves, as a bright flash causes the orb to disappear. In its place, the WCNY wordmark of the era in an indigo/baby blue with an orange glow appears, with "SYRACUSE" subtext below in the font Eurostile Light. The background fades to black. After a few seconds, a red/orange/yellow flash transitions the WCNY text to similar looking text that says "PRESENTS" in the Eurostile Black Extended font. After a few seconds, the logo fades to black.
-'''Visuals:''' On an dark background with some {{color|orange}} light at the bottom of the screen, we see a {{color|blue|dark blue}} circle in the center with a {{color|saddlebrown|brown}} tree in it that has some leaves which can be identified by some brown outlines. The circle starts shining, but then stops. When it stop shining, some events happen:
+'''Variants:'''
-* The leaves start to become {{color|red}}, {{color|orange}}, {{color|gold}} and (really bright) {{color|gold|yellow}} .
-* The brown outlines disappears from the leaves.
-* A black outline appears around the circle.
-* The background becomes brighter, making it less dark and also doesn't contain the {{color|orange}} color, but has a more {{color|darkviolet|purple-ish}} vibe than before
-* And the background also shines at the center, with the leaves also shining.
+* The first version of the logo cuts out the hollyhock animation and only shows the WCNY text transitioning to the Presents text. This version also simply fades between the two texts rather than using a transitional flash, implying that the regular version of the logo was animated around this early variant. This was used until 1985
-The circle flashes to a black background, which has text in the center that says "'''{{color|blue|WCNY}}'''" in {{color|blue}} with an {{color|orange}} glow appears behind, with text below reading "{{color|orange|SYRACUSE}}" in Eurostile Light font. The orange shining still appears, before being disappearing 1 second later. It then quickly flashes away to another black background, with similar looking text reading "{{color|blue|PRESENTS}}'''"''' fading in in the center, before it too fades out 2 seconds later.
+* A closing version exists. The print logo of the time, affixed with vibrant colors, is animated or "drawn" in. The symbol then moves to the left, as the WCNY wordmark is drawn in next to it.
+'''Technique:''' Traditional back-lit cel animation, likely animated by long-time art director Steve Meltzer himself. The closing variant was likely made with primitive chyron technology.
-'''Variants:'''
-*There is a shorter variant that not only doesn't contain the "circle" part, but the transition from the animation of the "'''{{color|blue|WCNY}}''' text and the "'''{{color|blue|PRESENTS}}'''" text is simply fade in and out'''.'''
-*There is also a completely different closing variant. On a black background,  a {{color|blue}} circle draws itself, and then reveals to be the WCNY symbol. The symbol then moves to the left and the text {{color|gold|WCNY-TV/24}} and {{color|green|Syracuse Production}} with a {{color|gold|yellow}} dot between thw words and a {{color|gold|yellow}} line reveals itself, finally ending with the copyright mark "© Copyright, 1989 Public Television Council of Central New York Inc.".
+'''Audio:''' Two whooshes play in sync with the shining of the orb. This happens in tandem with a repeating synth arpeggio in the key of E minor. A 10-note synth melody plays over the continuous synth arpeggio. After the melody is finished, a cymbal clash ushers in lush synth pads in the key of C. 3 more synth notes are added to the melody after a measure of the synth pads, after which the key is changed to A and the cymbal is clashed once more. 3 more high-octave synth synth notes play as the synth pads ease the jingle to its end.
-'''Technique:''' Traditional cel animation.
-'''Audio:''' A great ominous and mystery-like synth tune theme that becomes cheerful when the circle stop shining, with some flash and whoosh noise being added in.
 '''Audio Variants:'''
+*A classical, harpsichord rendition of the normal music was used on ''Winter's Eve.''
-*A variation of the music exists, which is a guitar version of the original music.
 *The closing variant features the closing theme of the program.
-'''Availability:'''  It was once only seen on ''Tell Us About The War'', but the variant appeared on ''Henry Gernhart: A Natural Process''.
+'''Availability:''' It can be seen on WCNY programs from the mid to late 80s, though they are very hard to come across. Don't expect this to appear on episodes of the TV adaptation of ''Bluegrass Ramble''. The early variant has only been spotted on ''Now Tell Us About To War'' currently, though it's likely to be found on other WCNY programs from 1984. The closing variant is only known to appear on ''Henry Gernhart: A Natural Process'', though there is a chance it could appear on other 80s WCNY programs.
-===2nd Logo (1991-2000)===
+===2nd Logo (1995?-2000)===
 <gallery mode="packed" heights="220">
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@@ Line 45: / Line 38: @@
 <center><youtube width="240" height="185">VX7UXBph6JY</youtube><youtube width="240" height="185">baL-fNibGJk</youtube></center>
-'''Visuals:''' Against a {{color|red}} and {{color|gray}} marble background that moves upwards, we see the text "{{color|silver|'''WCNY'''}}" in a metallic, futuristic font that flips up. "SYRACUSE" zooms in below, in a white spaced out font and the logo sparkles and shines.
+'''Visuals:''' Against a {{color|red}} and {{color|gray}} marble background that moves upwards, we see a shiny, bevelled metallic version of the updated WCNY wordmark that flips up. "SYRACUSE" zooms in below, in a white spaced out font and the logo sparkles and shines.
 '''Variant:''' A version exists where the text "SYRACUSE" is replaced with "PRESENTS".
@@ Line 53: / Line 46: @@
 '''Audio:''' Usually silent. However, there is a version with a dark synth chord that gets higher in pitch as the logo progresses. This version has been seen more than once.
-'''Availability:''' Can be seen on most content WCNY produced during the 90s. The earliest it's been seen is from 1995, but would probably be seen on programs from the early 90s. Whenever ''Pappyland'' is rerun on select PBS stations, you might find the logo there.
+'''Availability:''' Can be seen on most content WCNY produced during the 90s. The earliest it's been seen is from 1995, but might be seen on programs from the early 90s. Select rereleases of ''Pappyland'' include the logo.
 ===3rd Logo (2000-2001?)===
@@ Line 62: / Line 55: @@
 '''Technique:''' 2D computer animation.
-'''Audio:''' A synth chime sound.
+'''Audio:''' A simple synth chime.
-'''Availability:''' Unknown.
+'''Availability:''' Only used for a year.
 ===4th Logo (2001?-2007)===