Corporation for Public Broadcasting

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a non-profit corporation created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, signed into law by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 7 of that year. It was created to provide partial federal funding for public broadcasting, initially collaborating with National Educational Television (NET) stations before starting their own private non-profit networks, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for television and National Public Radio (NPR) for radio.



1st Logo (1969-1976)

Visuals: On a blue background is a dark blue emblem consisting of the lowercase letters "c", "p" and "b" stacked together like a mixed-up jigsaw puzzle, and the text "Corporation for Public Broadcasting" written below in a serif font.

Variants:

  • Two videotaped variants exist:
    • There is a variant with a royal blue background and a white logo.
    • An inverted variant of the black and white variant exists.
  • On black and white programs, the logo is on a gray background with the emblem and the text in black.

Technique: A still graphic. For the filmed variant, a direct transmission from the card on which it was printed; for the videotaped variants, either Scanimate or another analog television graphics display format.

Audio: This logo has no music, but one of the following voice-overs is heard:

  • "Nationwide distribution of the preceding program is/was a service of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting." (for programs distributed by CPB)
  • "This program was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting." (for programs funded by CPB)

Availability:

  • As a distribution logo, it was either used in place of, or following, the NET logo before both were replaced by the 1st PBS logo.
  • Can be found at the end of episodes of Firing Line produced between 1970-1973, available for viewing on YouTube, as well as the Paley Center in New York and Los Angeles, and on YouTube. It was also known to be seen on a 1969 episode of Black Journal, The Violent Universe, and the NET special Crisis on Campus.
  • The royal blue background variant can be seen at the end of a 1972 episode of Firing Line titled "The Southern Imagination"; this episode is available on YouTube.
  • Several programs produced by NET starting in 1969 started getting grants from the CPB; a few of these programs can be found on the American Archive in Public Broadcasting website. It is confirmed to be on the earliest prints of The Andersonville Trial; however, the print available from AAPB is not easily accessible.

2nd Logo (1975-1983)

Visuals: Just a stylized "cpb" with the company name below. Sometimes, "The Program Fund" will appear above the company name.

Technique: A digital graphic.

Audio: Same as the second logo.

Availability: Seen on some episodes of Great Performances, including a trilogy of adaptations of works by Edith Wharton, and American Playhouse.

3rd Logo (July 11, 1983-July 1, 1992)

Visuals: There is a circle with a stylized "cpb" cut into it on a blue or black) background, with the text:

CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC
BROADCASTING

underneath, in a serif typeface. The logo is a circle with the text "cpb" with the ends of the letters "p" and "b" curved.

Variants:

  • An alternate variant was created in 1984. This time, the background is a black/darkviolet/purple gradient and the logo has a drop shadow. The first few programs to use this variant, including 1985 episodes of Reading Rainbow, lacked the drop shadow.
  • A rare superimposed variant appears on Alive from Off Center, The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour, and Jukebox Saturday Night.
  • A centered version of the circle appears without the text in the 1983 series Don't Look Now.
  • In later years, the cpb circle would be much larger and the text would be smaller.
  • 3-2-1 Classroom Contact used the aforementioned variation, but on a dark red background.
  • On season 1-2 episodes of Degrassi Junior High, the CPB logo on a black background, is blue-violet with a magenta diagonal line sweeping by. Plus, the text is in Haettenschwelier font.

Technique: A still digital graphic.

Audio: Same as the second logo.

Availability:

  • Original Variant: Preserved on 1983-1985 Reading Rainbow tapes. This also appeared on pre-1987 episodes of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, Jukebox Saturday Night, season 1 episodes of The American Experience, and Eyes on the Prize.
  • Later Variant: Preserved on 1985-1987 Reading Rainbow tapes. This was also used on season 1 episodes of Square One TV, The Ring of Truth, 3-2-1 Classroom Contact, Degrassi Junior High, and Frontline, among others. Also seen on the 1992 rebroadcast of Huey Long, with the 1991 CPB logo following as part of the general funding credits for the rebroadcasts of this and three other Ken Burns classics at the time.

4th Logo (December 14, 1987-December 22, 1995)

Visuals: On a space background with stars zooming past is the CPB logo in 3-D, with the circle colored blue and white. First is it slowly rotating 90 degrees to the left. After it finishes rotating, the following text text is shown:

CORPORATION
FOR PUBLIC
BROADCASTING

Variants:

  • Sometimes, a still version of the logo, with only the stars being animated, was used.
  • Some versions of the logo have fewer stars in the background.
  • On Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, the Earth is behind the whole thing, and on 1993-1996 episodes, the byline used in the 6th logo is seen below the text. On the series premiere, "The Taking of the Shrew", this only appeared at the start, with the standard version appearing at the end.
  • A variant with more stars can be seen on episodes of The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour from August 14, 1989 to June 28, 1991.
  • An earlier variant, as seen on season 2-3 episodes of Square One TV, put this logo on a black/purple gradient background.
  • Some shows, like Great Performances, had the logo superimposed over a specialty backdrop.
  • The logo may also fade away to make room for the text "Viewers Like You", which contains the words "Viewers Like" (in a small font) with "you" sketched below in yellow script. This happened on many post-1988 shows. After being sketched, the yellow script glows in Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?.
  • On some shows, the "Viewers Like" words are in capitals.
  • On 1989 episodes of Frontline, the text is set in the Haettenschwelier font, just like the Degrassi Junior High episodes.
  • On V at the Brinks, the text is in a different font and arrangement and not in all caps.

Technique: CGI. It is unknown which studio created this (possibly R/Greenberg Associates, Rhythm & Hues, or Whitney/Demos Productions).

Audio: Same as the 2nd logo, often with "...and by the (annual) financial support of (PBS) viewers like you." or just simply "...and viewers like you.".

Availability:

  • Preserved on 1989-1991 Reading Rainbow tapes.
  • The animated variant also appeared on 1987-1991 episodes of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, Degrassi Junior High, WonderWorks, Great Performances, and Amigos.
  • The still variant also appeared on Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, The Civil War, Long Ago and Far Away, American Playhouse, and American Masters.
  • The standard space background variant was last seen on The Dancing Man: Peg Leg Bates, which premiered on PBS stations on February 11, 1992.
  • On DVD, the logo can be seen at the beginning and end of the 1988 WonderWorks TV film, "Sweet Fifteen".

5th Logo (July 1, 1991-2001)

Visuals: Here are the main variants of this logo:

  • Version #1: On a textured cobalt blue/purple background with occasional thulian pink comets flying past, two circles slide in and form the CPB logo above the white text:
    CORPORATION
    FOR PUBLIC
    BROADCASTING
    At this point, a redesigned version of the CPB circle is now used, with a blue and lavender outline around it and in the letters. The font is also modified slightly, to ITC Garamond Light. After a few seconds, the text fades out as the logo splits into two CPB logos flying off to opposite sides of the screen so that the words "Viewers Like You" (in plain white plain serif text this time) appear in its place near the top, as more comets fly diagonally upward. For this version, the "Viewers Like You" text sometimes fades out earlier, so the background is shown for about one second before completely fading out.
  • Version #2: Starting on March 22, 1993, a new byline "A private corporation funded by the American people" in a condensed white Garamond font was added under the text. At that time, the text above was arranged centered and appears earlier, before the sweeping pink lines. Also, the CPB logo, smaller to make room for the byline, has a steel blue/opera mauve color scheme instead of the casual blue/lavender one, which is only used on still and superimposed variants.

Variants:

  • Like the 3rd logo, some shows superimpose the logo over a specialty backdrop, with NOVA being one example.
  • A still version is seen on some programs.
  • On some shows with the 1991-1993 variant, such as seasons 4 and 5 of The American Experience and Annenberg/CPB program Americas, the text is all centered, like the later variant and the previous logo.
  • Some shows do not use the text "Viewers Like You".
  • Some shows just use the text, and not the circle.
  • Some shows, like 1990 episodes of Frontline, just use the circle, and not the text.
  • Some shows, like season 2 episodes of Wishbone, just use "Viewers Like You".
  • On shows which feature the still version of the CPB logo, the text "Viewers Like You" is dead center and often larger.
  • On some shows from 1991-1993, including episodes of American Experience and NOVA, the first variant of CPB logo has a brighter blue color scheme. This was often used for still or superimposed variants.
  • On 1991-1995 episodes of Sesame Street, the logo fades out (instead of the CPB logo splitting into two CPB logos) to make room for "PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTORS".
  • On some shows, particularly those produced by WGBH Boston, would feature a still version of the logo superimposed over a background unique to that show.
  • On 1997-1998 reruns of Barney & Friends episodes from seasons 1-3, the CPB logo is already formed for a few seconds, before it splits into two CPB circles, and reveals "Viewers Like You". This variant also lacks the sweeping lines. A rare superimposed version of this variant's animation, using the 1991-1993 graphics, was used on 1991-1992 episodes of Great Performances.
  • Starting on October 4, 1999, the text "Thank You" follows "Viewers Like You". This is often customized for the particular show; however, on programs that use this with the standard setting, the text uses a completely different font than had been used for eight years. The original font, however, was used on Wall Street Week episodes and (in a slight variation) Not Done: Women Remaking America.
  • On The Charlie Horse Music Pizza, the logo is a solid ultramarine color with "The Corporation for Public Broadcasting" and the usual byline below it in the Ad-Lib font, all against a stylized musical-oriented background.
  • On Club Connect, there are more sweeping pink lines, the two big circles move slower, and the text appears after the logo (in brighter colors) is formed. Unlike most uses of the logo, this particular variant has an accompanying soundtrack (which is described below).
    • This variant was also used on season 1 episodes of Dragon Tales, albeit with just the spiel (described below); here, the logo fades to the show's custom variant of the United States Department of Education logo when the spiel gets to the U.S. Department of Education part.
  • On 1998-2001 episodes of NOVA, a bold Century Gothic font was used. On at least one or two episodes, the text is not bold.
  • Ghostwriter used an animated sky background with two pinwheels forming the CPB circle. In later episodes from 1993-1995, the background was replaced with an animated aquamarine background with jacks. Reruns of select episodes on Noggin have it superimposed in the credits along with the PBS logo (the P-Heads on top of the "PBS" letters, like the 3rd and 6th PBS logos) in yellow.
  • On Kratt's Creatures and The Living Edens, the CPB circle is transparent.
  • On 1995-1998 episodes of Sesame Street, the whole text is bigger and written in cursive, and the logo is shown on the top left of the screen. The background takes place behind a green curtain.
  • On 2000-2001 episodes of Reading Rainbow, the logo takes place on a nighttime background with swirling rainbows flying around.
  • On 1993 episodes of The Puzzle Place, the logo (with byline) is still, then, a set of CGI puzzle pieces (the same ones that are the background for the other variant for this show) fly towards the logo, fit together, and then fly off the screen, revealing the SCE Corp funding tag. On 1996 episodes, the Puzzle Place logo is shown, then the flashing puzzle pieces in the background disappear one by one to reveal the CPB background, and as the PP logo fades out, the standard CPB animation plays.
  • On The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power, Motorweek 92, and The Longest Hatred, both the CPB logo and "Viewers Like You" are shown at the same time.
  • Local shows by Idaho Public Television consistently used a different, unique font for the main text and byline.
  • On John Glenn: American Hero, the "Viewers Like You" tag is completely static, except for fades at both ends.
  • On pledge drive programming such as The Internet Show, The Judds' Farewell Concert, and The Kennedy Center 25th Anniversary Celebration, the "Viewers Like You" tag used a blurry, multi-colored background. This was also seen on the Sesame Street specials Elmo Saves Christmas and Elmopalooza.
  • On some mid-90s reruns of Barney & Friends, the 1993 variant is sped up slightly.
  • On the 1992 series Behind the Scenes, the CPB circle is slightly cropped, and the closing funding variant has it slightly uneven.

Technique: CGI by an unknown graphics boutique.

Audio: Same as the 6th logo. The voice-overs are the same as the first logo.

  • Sesame Street episodes from 1991-1992 used the "Funky Chimes" as background music, while episodes from 1992-1995 used a hip-hop instrumental based on the Sesame Street theme. Episodes from 1995-2001 used a jazzy version of the aforementioned theme.

Audio Variants:

  • On all Sesame Street episodes with this logo from 1991-1995, the announcer (Gordon [Roscoe Orman]) says "Funding for this program was provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting... and by public television stations and their contributors." In 1991-1992 only, the "Funky Chimes" played under the voiceover; starting in November 1992, the music was a rearrangement of the '90s closing theme (which, starting in 1993, would be a semitone higher).
  • On 1995-1998 episodes of Sesame Street, a kid (Gabi [Gabriela Rose Reagan]) says "Funding for Sesame Street was provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting... and by public television stations and their contributors." A brass-driven, jazzy rearrangement of the show's theme music played under the voiceover.
  • On 1998-2000 episodes of Sesame Street, Gordon says "Funding for Sesame Street is provided by the annual financial support of PBS Viewers Like You." The music was the same as before.
  • On season 1 of Dragon Tales, the announcer (a older-sounding man in this case) says "Dragon Tales is funded in part by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, through funds from the U.S. Department of Education."
  • Sometimes, for example, on 1989-1991 episodes of NOVA, 1989-1999 episodes of Frontline, and 1989-1996 episodes of Nightly Business Report (the latter only at the end), the announcer says, "...the [annual] financial support of viewers like you", even though "Public Television Viewers" is shown on the screen.
  • Starting on October 4, 1999, the "viewers like you" spiel is changed to "Contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you (or, in the case of such programs as Sesame Street, Masterpiece, and PBS Arts Fall Festival, "...and viewers like you.") Thank you."
    • The spiel varies from show to show. For example, on the revivals of Zoom, the Zoomers shout "Thanks!" instead, and the announcer for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood utters "We thank you." Some early programs originally broadcast during this period, including Not for Ourselves Alone, omit the "Thank you" entirely, and Frontline used the wording "financial support from PBS Viewers Like You" for about a decade after.
  • On pre-1997 episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy, a small portion of a random hard rock/alternative song (e.g. "The Star-Spangled Banner" as performed by Jimi Hendrix) played under the voiceover.
  • On the Club Connect variant, a synth theme is used with a female announcer saying "Partial funding for this program has been provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."

Audio Trivia: The announcer of the Dragon Tales variant also narrated the "Coming Up Next on Dragon Tales" cold open that preceded most PBS Kids airings of the show (though some later broadcasts replaced the cold open with either the 2000 PBS Kids funding plug or went straight to the sponsors).

Availability:

  • It has been preserved on reruns of 1991-2000 PBS programs, even when the current PBS logo is plastered over a previous logo. Also preserved on PBS Home Video tapes and DVDs of the era.
  • The byline variant, which first appeared on the Shining Time Station episode "Becky Makes a Wish", is much easier to find and can be spotted, for example, at the end of at least one or two episodes on a few of The Magic School Bus DVD releases, the KidVision VHS of The Magic School Bus episodes "Butterfly and the Bog Beast" (released as "Butterflies!") and "Out of This World" (this does not appear on the KidVision releases of "Taking Flight" and A Magic School Bus Halloween, the latter which was made out to look like a simple double-episode videocassette of "Going Batty" and "Inside the Haunted House" per the slipcover), and on some PolyGram tapes of Wishbone that end with the Big Feats! logo, including "Salty Dog" (on such Wishbone tapes, this will inevitably be followed by the 1993 PBS Kids logo). It also assists the plastering of the previous funding credits for post-1994 prints of David Macaulay's Castle and Cathedral. Australian broadcasts of Lamb Chop's Play-Along also retain this for some reason.
  • This logo was last seen on Dragon Tales reruns on PBS Kids Sprout and can be also found on VHS/DVD releases of the show.
  • On DVD, the standard animation of the 1993 logo can also be found with the Ken Burns' documentaries Baseball and Thomas Jefferson, and the Rick Sebak documentary, An Ice Cream Show.
  • The Reading Rainbow superimposed variant appeared with the 2000-2001 fundings on the DVD releases of "Borreguita and the Coyote" and "Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express". (All other DVDs of pre-2004 episodes usually include only one set of funding credits from 2003 which use the 7th logo.)
  • The solo "Viewers Like You" variant appeared on Not Done: Women Remaking America, broadcast on October 27, 2020.

6th Logo (November 9, 1998-2001)

Visuals: On the same background as the 7th PBS logo (replete with the walking men silhouettes) is the CPB print logo, in black, centered on the screen. This time, no text or byline is shown. The logo is then usually followed by the "Viewers Like You" and "Thank You" disclaimers, which are often custom-made for the particular show, or else uses the standard font introduced in 1999.

Variants:

  • Though this is one of the few logos to lack the text or byline, another variant of the regular logo exists with the byline from before, along with the URL, "cpb.org", added in 2001. The byline has two different arrangements, with one arrangement being in at least three different existing fonts.
  • The superimposed variants during this era, including on Cooking with Master Chefs, In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs, and Baking with Julia broadcasts at the time, often have the CPB circle in white.
  • On In the Mix, the CPB logo is only followed by the "Thank You" disclaimer.
  • On early programs, "Viewers Like You" is styled differently, with the text entirely in the Frutiger font, and is not followed by "Thank You".

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio:

  • An extended version of the 1998 PBS logo's music, albeit entirely on guitar. The music is also used on 2000-2004 episodes of Scientific American Frontiers, using the "Viewers Like You" disclaimer without the CPB logo. On some programs, music relating to the program is used instead.
  • For voice-overs, an announcer either says, "This program is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting" or "and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting". This is often followed by the updated "viewers like you" and "thank you" spiel from the 7th logo.

Availability:

  • It may appear on PBS programs from 1999-2001 if your station has older prints. Also seen on a few PBS Home Video tapes of the era.
  • The early "Viewers Like You" variant can be seen on Digital TV: A Cringely Crash Course (also its VHS release) and Fiesta in the Sky and appeared mainly on HDTV programming.
  • This also plastered the previous logo and sponsor tags - for Braun and Farberware - on broadcasts of Cooking with Master Chefs from 1999 to 2010, and it did the same for the previous logo and sponsor tags - for E&J Gallo Winery and Farberware - on broadcasts of In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs from the same period.

7th Logo (September 4, 2000-)

Visuals: On an aqua background, blue and white dots appear in the center of the screen and pulse out, while streaks run through it. The rings then form the CPB logo, redesigned again with smoother text and is now in a square. The "p" and "b" are connected to the edge of the square. The white then fades out inside the text and 4 streaks run along the edges. The same byline appears underneath in all capitals, but with "CPB.ORG" at the end in blue, which is wiped with a streak.

  • For the Viewers Like You variant, the same dots appear across the screen, vertically centered, and blue and white rings provide the transition from the CPB slide to the "Viewers Like You" slide, and the process repeats itself for the transition from the "Viewers Like You" to the "Thank You" slide. Both the "Viewers Like You" and "Thank You" slides have the letters moving closer to the center.

Variants:

  • On Life 360, the whole thing is on a black background.
  • On several shows such as The Ruff Ruffman Show, a still version is superimposed over the credits of that show.
  • Some shows, like Nature, just use "Viewers Like You."
  • On American Experience, the logo is in gold.
  • See the PBS Kids page for a description of the variants used on PBS Kids shows.
  • Some shows, like Between the Lions and Dragon Tales (Season 2), do not use "Viewers Like You."
  • On Reading Rainbow and 2004 prints of Dragon Tales' first season, the blue dots bounce off the bottom of the screen, then onto the middle and form the CPB logo. The URL slides in to the top left of the screen. Then, the byline (which is now in a straight line, in blue, and not all capitalized) fades in at the bottom and forms a smile. Sometimes, the text may not smile.
  • On 2001-2007 episodes of Great Performances, the logo looks more like a rectangle, apparently due to some sloppy digital manipulation.
  • Some pledge drive specials, even a Sesame Street/Elmo's World special, use only the "Viewers Like You" half of the standard variant.
  • A alternate version of the RR variant exists, where instead it has the same animation as the normal variant.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: The music consists of a futuristic synth tune as the dots appear, followed by a woodwind note as the CPB logo wipes in. This is followed by an updated version of the 1996 PBS logo's music, performed on brass. (This version is also used for the actual PBS logo on Beyond the Color Line.) The voiceovers are the same as the 7th logo.

Audio Variants:

  • The Reading Rainbow variant has a weird Moog synth tune with kids claiming "WHOA!", followed by a muffled "yay!" when the byline forms a smile.
  • The solo "Viewers Like You" variant is not known to have any music.
  • The logo may also have no music.
  • For the Clifford the Big Red Dog, Reading Rainbow, Plaza Sesamo and Dragon Tales variants, it uses a funky synth tune, which was actually used on the PBS Kids bumpers from the era.

Availability:

  • May appear on PBS programs from 2000-2015 if your station has older prints. Also seen on a few PBS Home Video tapes of the era.
  • The blue dots version is known to appear on home video on America Rebuilds: A Year at Ground Zero, while the Reading Rainbow variant can be seen on DVD releases of the show.
  • The Ruff Ruffman Show and Super Why! variants can be seen on said shows, while Sesame Street continued to carry the centered version of the CPB logo until 2014.
  • This is plastered by the 12th logo on current broadcast prints of Jazz, though most episodes retain this logo on their streaming counterparts.
  • The logo is still used on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS Kids websites.

8th Logo (September 24, 2002-November 2019)

Visuals: On a blue/purple/red ethereal background with silhouettes of random people doing various things, the CPB logo wipes in horizontally (first with the dots, then the text), and the byline from the 9th logo appears. During all of this, the PBS P-Head (the 1989 PBS logo's size) is shown in the background, moving up and down, left and right, etc.

Variants:

  • A widescreen variant is introduced in 2005. In this version, the byline and URL are slightly altered.
  • Starting in 2007, the background and the logo were graphically enhanced, with the silver tinted CPB logo with a shine instead of white. The byline and URL were altered in the same silver and shine color as on the CPB square logo. The wiping in of the logo is quicker. It's then followed by the letters "Viewers Like You" and "Thank You" in the same silver and shine color as seen on the CPB logo.
  • On several shows like Washington Week (where this specific animation persisted until at least 2011) and Sid the Science Kid (which features only the CPB square wiping in), the animation (or simply a still version) of the logo is superimposed.
  • On A Place of Our Own, the logo is black.
  • On current episodes of NOVA and 2010 episodes of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, the logo features a royal blue line sweeping by.
  • On 2000s and 2010s episodes of Frontline, "Viewers Like You" and "Thank You" are both shown at the very start of the funding credits, immediately before this logo.
  • Sometimes, the company name is shown. This was seen on The National Parks: America's Best Idea, Independent Lens, and later episodes of American Experience, among other programs.

Technique: 2D animation by Edgeworks.

Audio: Several variations of the 2002 PBS logo's music have been used so far. The voiceover is the same as the 8th logo.

Audio Variants:

  • When the CPB logo is shown by itself, either the program's custom funding credits music or the music played on the "Mother and Daughter" variant of the 2002 PBS logo is used.
  • Due to the aforementioned unusual funding arrangement, the voiceover on Frontline goes "Frontline is made possible by contributions to your PBS station from Viewers Like You-thank you!-and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."

Availability:

  • Preserved on 2002-2019 PBS programs funded by CPB if a station has older prints. Its last appearance was on a 2019 episode of Wild Kratts.
  • The fully-animated version continued to appear superimposed on WETA programs such as Washington Week and In Performance at the White House until at least 2013.
  • The second half reappeared on recent rebroadcasts of The Adirondacks.

9th Logo (March 24, 2010-)

Visuals: On the 2009 PBS logo's bubble background, the CPB logo in white appears via bubbles forming the square while the text zooms out, and the byline from the 9th and 10th logos appears. Then, "Viewers Like You" wipes in left to right, in the PBS Explorer font (similar in style to Interstate). "Viewers Like" is white, and "You" is yellow within a dark rectangle. After a few seconds, "Viewers Like" wipes out right to left and is replaced by "Thank", with "You" shifting to the left to ensure centering just as quickly.

Variants:

  • On Washington Week (on which it started appearing as early as 2011) and some other programs, including PBS NewsHour beginning with the July 20, 2015 edition, the third season of Finding Your Roots, In Performance at the White House, Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, The Civil War, and Jazz, the whole animation is superimposed.
    • Programs not funded by CPB which use this variant, mainly British programs, include Call the Midwife, PBS Arts Fall Festival, Pioneers of Television, and the respective first seasons of Vicious and The Great British Baking Show (and also the third season of the latter).
  • Starting with Peg + Cat, the company name, aligned to the left and in ITC Avant Garde Gothic, appears below the square, and the byline, in the same font, is a single line of text, without the URL.
    • However, some shows such as Washington Week continued to use the earlier variant until June 26, 2015, though it made surprise appearances at the end of some editions from November 6, 2015 to January or February 2016, and also on America After Charleston.
  • On Ready Jet Go!, the 2015 variant's byline is in a more digital font.
  • Sometimes, as seen on Arthur and American Masters, the 2015 variant appears inside of a white rectangle.
  • On Tavis Smiley, the CPB logo didn't appear. Instead, the bubble background was shown animating by itself before the "Viewers Like You/Thank You" animation played.
  • On other programs that used this animation with the standard background but weren't funded by CPB, snippets of the Bluesman, Observing Child, Photo Album, Big Dreams, and Family Viewing variants of the 2009 PBS logo were shown before transitioning to the standard animation with the bubble background, around the point where the "Viewers Like You/Thank You" animation starts playing. This was actually the first variant of this logo, and premiered a few months before the standard CPB/VLY version.
  • On Summer, Surf & Beach Music We Love, the above variant instead wipes to a custom background, with "VIEWERS LIKE YOU" appearing on an airplane banner and "THANK YOU" appearing directly underneath.
  • On Josh Groban: Bridges in Concert from Madison Square Garden, the solo "Viewers Like YOU" variant is zoomed in heavily for some reason.
  • On The Contenders: 16 for '16 and The Vietnam War, the 2015 variant has the byline on two lines once more.
  • On occasion, the original variant has been shown against a black background.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A variation of the 2009 PBS logo's music. The voiceover is the same as in the previous logo.

Audio Variants:

  • As with the previous logo, Frontline used a variant reversing the CPB and "Viewers Like You" credits.
  • NOVA, in referring to public television viewers, had its shortened announcement say, "...and by PBS viewers like you. Thank you." Some episodes, however, used the standard full voiceover until the 2015 variant was introduced.
  • On most programs funded by public television viewers but not CPB, including pledge drive specials and pre-2014 DVD and Blu-ray releases of Masterpiece, the "Viewers Like You" voiceover said, "Explore new worlds and new ideas through programs like this, made available for everyone through contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you. Thank you."
  • Tavis Smiley had the program theme play over this.

Availability:

  • The orange variant is the most common and even plasters over the 8th logo on In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs, the 10th logo on Carrier, and the 9th logo on Jazz.
  • The magenta variant is typically used for superimposed variants, including on Finding Your Roots.
  • The blue variant appeared on PBS NewsHour until July 17, 2015, and is also used for the superimposed variant on most editions of Washington Week beginning on June 29, 2015. This premiered just a few months after its solo "Viewers Like You" counterpart, and is still used as part of the current CPB/Viewers Like You combo even after the next logo entered use.
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