WHUT

Credits

Captures by
Doctorine Dark

Video captures courtesy of
The PBS-ST Archive, PolyesterMoustache, Alden's Vintage PBS Archive and 17-Bảo Nguyên

Background

WHUT is the secondary PBS outlet for Washington, D.C., based on the Howard University campus. They signed on as WHMM in 1980, but changed their callsign to WHUT in 1998.

WHMM-TV

1st Logo (1980-1982?)

• 

Visuals: On a neon blue grid background, there are the words "WHMM TV" in a italic font, but with the letters WHMM in red/orange and with a neon glow on it, and the TV in an italic, blue glowing font with a pink/magenta line underneath. Below it is a large neon blue "32" with a yellow glow behind it. Below that is another pink line, and the pink italicized text WASHINGTON, D.C..

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: An announcer saying: "WHMM, TV 32 in Washington, D.C."

Availability: Used as a local ID.

2nd Logo (1980-1997?)

Visuals: On a black space background, a white grid emerges from a blue glowing horizon, and flies to the viewer. The area above the horizon lights up, revealing silhouettes of many Washington DC landmarks. The camera then rotates to the right as an italicised yellow-orange gradient W flies in above from the right. It stops and flashes, then, the remaining letters of the callsign follow suit as the camera continues to spin. After the M flashes, the camera stops spinning as the skyline fades out. The camera lowers slightly as the white grid becomes a blue line underneath the WHMM text. "Washington, D.C." in a pink font fades in below.

Variants:

• A shorter version exists, starting at when the camera begins to rotate.
• A still version of the end result exists
• Starting in 1994, the logo now consists of a purple-tinted shot of the US Capitol, followed by the grey text "WHMM-TV Washington, D.C." flying in from the center.

Technique: Computer animation

Audio: A funky synth beat with 3 synth drum notes at the end.

Audio Variants:

• An alternate music version exists, which consists of a synth bongo tune that sounds similar to a news open.
• The still version has the last 3 notes of the normal theme.
• The alternate version is silent.

Availability: Seen on shows like Cinema Answer, Good Intentions, and African-American in the North. Also used as a local ID.

• The short version appears on Personal Conversations with Dennis Wholey.
• The later version appeared on Pioneer of Color: A Conversation with Dorothy Height.

WHUT-TV

1st Logo (1998?-1999?)

• 

Visuals: On an blue-tinted image of the Howard University, a navy blue rectangle with a red clock tower attached to it flies in from below at an angle. Then, the words "HOWARD", "UNIVERSITY", and "TELEVISION" in Times New Roman fly in from the right and place themselves on the rectangle. The additional text "WHUT-TV" and "WASHINGTON, DC." in Arial, fly in as well. A white line then flies in from the right and stops in between the text as the rectangle faces the camera.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A majestic triumphant fanfare.

Availability: Seen on programs such as Lessons of Kosovo: The Limits of Air Power. Also used as a local ID.

2nd Logo (1999?-2005)

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Visuals: Over a video of a spinning globe, an image of the Founder's Library flies in from the right, along with a red line to the right of it. The globe then fades into a blue-white gradient as the black text "HOWARD UNIVERSITY" and "TELEVISION", fold down. The additional text "WHUT-TV" and "Washington, DC." fade in below.

Variant: Starting in 2001, three images of Howard University would fade in beside the Founder's Library image.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: "Steepian Faith" by Kenny Kirkland.

Availability: Used as a local ID.

3rd Logo (2005-2012)

Visuals: There is footage of a family relaxing in a park. Below it is a black box with the text "Howard University Television" and "Washington, DC." to the left, and the WHUT logo at the time, accompanied by a small PBS logo, to the right.

Technique: Live-action, combined with a still graphic.

Audio: A funky electronic tune.

Availability: Used as a local ID.

4th Logo (2012-2017?)

Visuals: On a white wall/floor background, while the screen rotates to make the logo is in front of the it, there is a pieces of WHUT logo falling down outside wall, which then forms into a blue "W", and then a connected "HU", and it then falls down to form a "T" and then forms entire logo, with the PBS "P Head" logo in blue next to WHUT, and the text "HOWARD UNIVERSITY TELEVISION" appears below.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A relaxing and airy synth fanfare.

Availability: Seen on some programming produced by WHUT from the 2010s.

5th Logo (2015-present)

Visuals: On a colored red/orange/yellow gradient background with a Washington, D.C. skyline, there is a rectangle which then zooms in, and then rotates to 30-60 degrees, then a "W" and "T" slides in, and the words "HU" appears below, and then connect into the rectangle box, forming the current WHUT logo. The "HOWARD UNIVERSITY TELEVISION" appears below.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A whooshes, then a two "click" sound when the logo forming.

Availability: Seen on WHUT productions currently.