KPBS

Background
KPBS is a PBS affiliate located in San Diego, California. KPBS was founded in 1960 by San Diego State College (now San Diego State University), as a radio station that went under the name KEBS; in 1967 KEBS began broadcasting on television as an NET affiliate. In 1970, after NET folded in to New York City/Newark station WNDT (Now WNET), PBS absorbed NET's operations and KEBS changed its name to KPBS.

1st Logo (1977-1983)


Nicknames: "Glass KPBS", "Virtual Boy KPBS", "Spinning Glass Panels"

Logo: On a black background, a -tinted glass rectangle, with a lot of pink sparkling on it, on a black background. It revolves around until we see "KPBS" inside it. "SAN DIEGO", in a red CG Omega font, fades in below. Once the logo's in place, the pink sparkling seems to die down.

Technique: The turning logo, and the pink sparkling all over. It's quite obviously using a model on a black cloth with lights going through it.

Music/Sounds: An outer-spacey synthesized twinkle sound, which sounds like the opening notes to Street Fighter II on the SNES. This is actually the 4th track of Sound Patterns with Logo from Four Notes In Search Of A Tune by Don Voegeli.

Availability: Very rare. Possibly seen on KPBS shows from the era, such as Newsthink episodes.

Legacy: The music and dark atmosphere may get to some, but this is a futuristic logo with an interesting concept, even though it looks like it was made using a Virtual Boy.

2nd Logo (1983-1985)


Logo: On a black background, an white outline for the text "KPBS" in a font similar to that of the 1971 PBS logo wiping in downwards, filling in with a light blue/black gradient after it's finished. The cursive text "San Diego" in a yellow/ gradient cursive font fades in below.

Variant: A short version just has the "San Diego" text fading in.

Technique: The shining, "writing" and flashing. All typical '80s computer effects. Not too bad for the time, though.

Music/Sounds: A steady synth tone shifting slightly off tempo, with a series of beeps and tones when the "San Diego" text fades in. The short version also has extra notes playing throughout.

Availability: Extremely rare. The normal long version appeared on Big Mama Thornton, while the short version appeared on Ballad of an Unsung Hero.

Legacy: The music and the font can be seen as unnerving, but it's a fine logo; one that wasn't discovered until very recently.

3rd Logo (1985-1991)


Logo: On a black background, we see the light blue text "Serif" in the standard PBS typeface with a blue glow around it. The "Serif" shines throughout the logo. The words "San Diego" in a yellow stylized cursive, are written out (a la the ALMI logo) as the outline of the letters flashes at the viewer, at sort of a tilted position (a la the Celebrity Home Entertainment logo). Once the text is completed, the outline flashing goes back into the words.

Technique: The shining, "writing" and flashing. All typical '80s computer effects. Not too bad for the time, though.

Music/Sounds: An ascending, and then descending, synthesized piano crescendo. It ends with what sounds like a synthesized French horn note.

Availability: Can be seen if your station has older prints of programs produced by KPBS, otherwise it's extremely rare. Can be seen on a PBS logo demo VHS.

Legacy: The music may rattle you, but it's mostly harmless and a fan favorite.

4th Logo (1991-2001)


Logo: On a black background, various copies of KPBS' new logo, which is consisted of the letters "Serif" clumped together, in various sizes overlapping each other zoom in slowly as "A PRODUCTION OF" zooms in with them. A normal sized copy slowly moves up to the middle. A copyright in Roman numerals appears as the text zooms in and fades out and the background darkens. "S A N D I E G O" moves down quickly from the top of the screen and meets up with the logo as the background darkens to a point that the copies are barely visible and a picture of a shell casting a shadow over a concrete surface fades in below.

Variants:


 * A later version has the logo much cheaper looking (the copies don't zoom in, the logo and text are smaller), with "A PRODUCTION OF" and a normal copyright date appearing in a different font.
 * There's a still version of the logo on a grey background and without the shell pictures

Technique: The copies dimming, the logo sliding in.

Music/Sounds: A somber 4-note trumpet and xylophone theme. The variant had only the somber.

Availability: Rare. It appeared on San Diego Above All. The logo was also on episodes of Debbi Fields' cooking show Great American Desserts, while the later version is seen on Nature's Classic: San Diego.

5th Logo (c. December 1993)
Logo: TBA

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct. Only used as a local ID.

6th Logo (1996-200?)
Logo: On a background, "A CO-PRODUCTION OF" slides down below as the KPBS logo slides down to position. "S A N D I E G O" slides up from the bottom.

Technique: The sliding in of the logo.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show or a strange piano tune heard throughout the logos.

Availability: Rare. It's intact on VHS tapes of Bloopy's Buddies. It also appeared on Great American Desserts.

Legacy: This logo's boring and pointless.

7th Logo (2001-2019)
Logo: We see the letters "Serif", shown in the same style as the 3rd logo, on the screen. The words "San Diego" are also found usually next to the logo.

Technique: Usually none or the the text shines.

Variants: Usually the PBS P-head is next to the logo and the background of the logo can vary depending on the show.

Music/Sounds: Usually, none or the end theme of the show. Early programs have a piano rendition of the 1991 jingle.

Availability: Common; seen on new programs produced by KPBS.