Houston Public Media

Background

Circa 1989, Houston, Texas-based PBS affiliate KUHT introduced the on-air moniker "Houston Public Television" and in 2001, "HoustonPBS". Currently, it is under the moniker "Houston Public Media" since 2014.

Houston Public Television

Contents 1st ID (1985-September 30, 1993) 2nd ID (October 1-December 31, 1993) 3rd ID (1993-2001) 4th ID (February 1, 1999-2001)

HoustonPBS

Contents 1st ID (2001-March 2, 2014) 2nd ID (2000s-March 2, 2014)

Houston Public Media

Contents 1st ID (March 3, 2014-February 19, 2015) 2nd ID (February 20, 2015-July 14, 2016) 3rd ID (June 19, 2015-2020) 4th ID (April 1, 2016-2020) 5th ID (July 2016-February 19, 2020)

Houston Public Television

1st ID (1985-September 30, 1993)

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Visuals: On a gray stone/white paint background is a marble square with the following text on it:

HOUSTON
PUBLIC
TELEVISION

Then a marble rectangle containing "Presents" in white slides in from the right.

Variants: As with other PBS logos, there were variations that aired as Legal ID's:

• A local version exists where two bigger rectangles slide in from the right and on the right one is the byline reading "University of Houston Association for Community Television". Finally, green pieces of the "8" logo fly in and form the number.
• A still variant exists. It was also seen as a sign on/sign off without the UH/ACT byline.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A piano and synth trumpet fanfare.

Audio Variants: The following was used locally:

• With animation:
  • 1985-1990: An extended version of the music with a male announcer saying "KUHT, Houston Public Television".
  • 1990-1990s: A later local variant had a female announcer saying "This is Channel 8, KUHT, Houston Public Television."
• No animation:
  • 1990s-1992: No music, just a female announcer saying "This is KUHT, Houston."
  • 1992: Same as the 1990 animated variant, but the audio is shortened.
  • 1992-1993: Same as before, but with a different female announcer.

Availability: Found on locally produced programs of the time, such as Almanac, The Capitol Report, and Ryan's Roundtable.

2nd ID (October 1-December 31, 1993)

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Visuals: There is a flashback of previous logos from KUHT, until the screen fades into the "8" logo on 2 ripped pieces of papers (purple behind pink) and a pink rectangle on a purple/black gradient background with confetti. Below the "8" is the text "HOUSTON PUBLIC TELEVISION" and a green marquee with a blue dropshadow and the text "F O R T Y Y E A R S".

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A calm synth/piano tune.

Availability: It was used for their 40th anniversary, but then again, most local shows produced during this cycle will preserve this.

3rd ID (1993-2001)

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Visuals: On a yellow background with a rotating sun and moving colored streaks, there is an indigo square containing a curve that glows to reveal that it was part of an eclipse/sunburst. Below the logo is "Houston Public Television".

Trivia:

• The logo was sampled by Lark International, KUHT's previous owner, who also owned KTCS and WTVS.
• The eclipse/sunburst would survive into the 2001 HoustonPBS logo, albeit modified to go through an 8.

Variants:

• A local variant exists. There is a close-up look of Earth. The screen pans to the right of the globe. Suddenly, a flash appears and it continues normally, but the curve does not glow as long nor bright and starting in 1997, the following text appears in order; "Channel 8 KUHT", "University of Houston System", and "ACT", and then the text disappears. The background has smoke.
• There is a still version.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A five note synth bell with a drumbeat at the end.

Audio Variants:

• The still variant has the announcer say "This is KUHT, Houston Public Television.", or "KUHT, Houston".
• On the local variant, a longer version of the music plays (with a piano added), and an announcer (Bob Ford) says the following, which there were 4 known renditions:
• 1993?-1995?: "From the University of Houston System, in cooperation with the Association for Community Television, this is Channel 8, KUHT, Houston Public Television." Probably just a sign on variant.
• 1993?-1997?: "This is KUHT, Houston Public Television."
• 1997?-1999?: "From the campus of the University of Houston, this is Channel 8, KUHT Houston, aservice of the University of Houston System, and supported by the Association for Community Television."
• 1999?-2001?: "This is the channel that changes you, Channel 8, KUHT, Houston Public Television."

Availability: Apart from locally produced programs that also contain the previous logos, it can be seen on The American Woodshop, Live at the Woodlands, Video Workshop, and Tiger Cruise. It was also used as a local ident until 2001.

4th ID (February 1, 1999-2001)

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Visuals: Over a marble sea green-white background, many eclipses/sunbursts surround the square with the eclipse/sunburst from before and text zooms out as a yellow abstract eclipse turns white, but the square is bigger and the "Houston Public Television" text is in blue and set in Helvetica Bold. The text flips in a curtain vent style. Finally, the logo and text shine and the eclipse glows.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Apart from local shows like The Capitol Report, it appears on the national PBS documentary The Story of Jesse H. Jones.

HoustonPBS

1st ID (2001-March 2, 2014)

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Visuals: Over a moving blue-yellow gradient background, a blue "8" is seen with a sea green outline of itself behind it with a pointy curve with a spike going through it. Above the "8" is the text "HoustonPBS". Both shine and the curved spike in the "8" sparkles. Along with that, in the background is transparent text and 8's moving. The text in the background reads "Houston" and "PBS", respectively.

Variants:

• An enhanced, widescreen variant was used from 2007 to 2014. Once it was used locally, it had "KUHT-TV" below.
• The local station ID's are longer:
  • 2001-2007?: Several white ovals draw in and get stretched and squashed, all in different positions. In the background, the text starts to fade in and shrink. The 8 glows in and "Houston" slides in, and "PBS" rotates per letter. several white glowing lines go up and down the 8. A shimmering comet forms the curved spike and glows vividly. It continues normally afterwards.
  • 2007: March 2, 2014: The whole logo slides in and the curve can be seen being drawn. There are also bubbles behind the logo. It usually was superimposed onto the Houston skyline (one has it at night), a statue, a Ferris wheel, etc.
• Another local ID used a dark blue/blue gradient bubbly background, which also had the URL.
• There is a variant where "Presents" was also seen.
• There are also some test ID's.

Technique: CGI by Andrew Kramer.

Audio: Same as the previous logo.

Audio Variants:

• Local variations have Bob Ford saying:
  • "This is KUHT-TV, Channel 8, HoustonPBS."
  • "From the Leroy and Lucille Melcher Center for public broadcasting, this KUHT-TV, Channel 8, HoustonPBS."
• Sometimes, the local variants have the action as the audio besides the announcer.
• The test ID are silent.

Availability:

• Original: Seen on programming of the time, such as InnerVIEWS and Arts Insight.
• Local ID's: They were posted to HoustonPBS' YouTube channel.
• Test ID's: Never used on television, but were uploaded to HoustonPBS' YouTube channel.

2nd ID (2000s-March 2, 2014)

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Visuals: Over a blue tinted background, the logo starts with the Houston skyline when all of a sudden, "HoustonPBS National" appears via a shining effect and slowly zooms in.

Technique: 2D computer effects.

Audio: A synthesized note followed by a phasing sound.

Availability: Same as the previous logo.

Houston Public Media

1st ID (March 3, 2014-February 19, 2015)

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Visuals: There is a red screen which is then divided into squares that flip and shine. It reveals an odd-looking stretched red square and the text "Houston Public Media" zooming out on an aurora background.

Trivia: This logo was created at Locke Bryan Productions, and animated by Kenny Benitez and Cameron Deutschendorf.

Variants:

• A longer version exists as a local variant. The text would fade in as the "square" zooms out to a comfortable distance.
• A version exists where on a black background, the logo's parts fly in to their places.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A five-note synth bell tune followed by strings. Composed by Alan Villatoro.

Audio Variants:

• On the local variant, the logo starts with a synthesized flare, with a female announcer saying "This is KUHT, Houston Public Media, TV 8." On the toolkit montage, the voiceover is missing.
• The other variant has a piano tune.

Availability:

• Original: See above.

2nd ID (February 20, 2015-July 14, 2016)

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Visuals: Over a gray-white background, the same logo settles into the closeup transparent logo background. "Houston Public Media" slides in from behind the logo, while a line expands in. Finally, the byline "TV 8 News 88.7 Classical 91.7" slides below the line. The logo sparkles. As all this happens, a shining transparent ribbon is seen looking like this:

| ARTS & CULTURE | EDUCATION | NEWS | ARTS & CULTURE | EDUCATON | NEWS | ARTS & CULTURE | EDUCATION | NEWS | ARTS & CULTURE |

Variants:

• Local:
  • There is a closeup of the logo and then it continues as normal.
  • Sometimes, it just animates regularly and the regular byline is replaced with the byline "KUHT-HOUSTON".
  • Sometimes, it had a red bar on the left side without the closeup segment.
  • There is a prototype version with a gray background and different sparkling. Again, it was spotted with the "KUHT-HOUSTON" byline.
  • Starting in mid 2015, both bylines are used.
• Sometimes at the beginning of the show, the logo is on the left with the show's name on the right, without the ribbon. The closing version has the regular logo positioning, but with a copyright stamp reading (© *year* Houston Public Media".
• Starting on April 22, 2016, the ribbon is missing and the text reads "TV 8 | PBS". Below is " News and Information | Arts & Culture | Education".
• On July 14, 2016, the last time the logo was used, the now unstacked logo is 2D, and either "TV 8 | PBS" is lower down to make room for "A SERVICE OF THEUNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON", and the letters just fade in, except for "TV 8" and "PBS" which slide from "|", or just a line expands, and the UH byline slides, along with the same copyright stamp.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the previous logo. On the new variant, it begins with the flare, but without the strings. This version was also used for the older variant.

Local Audio Variants:

• The same local audio variant as the previous, but a bit shifted.
• On the "KUHT-HOUSTON" variants, the announcer says "This is Houston Public Media, KUHT Houston, TV 8."
• There was a variant where the announcer says "This is Houston Public Media, KUHT Houston, TV 8, broadcast from the University of Houston, Houston's public tier-one university."

Availability:

• Normal: It is seen on Arts Insight.

3rd ID (June 19, 2015-2020)

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Visuals: Some images from the University of Houston and the HPM logo in 2D are seen. It then fades to a certain scene of the UH with the text "UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON" and "A CARNEGIE DESIGNATED TIER-ONE PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY" with a line drawing onto the logo. There are three known variants.

Technique: 2D effects.

Audio: A rock theme and the same female announcer saying (in a different take) "This is Houston Public Media, KUHT-Houston, TV 8, broadcast from the University of Houston, Houston's public tier-one University."

Availability: Only seen as a local ID. It is used occasionally with the next one below.

4th ID (April 1, 2016-2020)

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Visuals: A white screen opens up to reveal a Houston-related scene (either the skyline, the station in its HoustonPBS years, a big yellow heart, or a hill). The Houston Public Media logo (complete with "TV 8 | PBS") fades in and zooms out. The position varies:

• Skyline: Non-stacked on top.
• Station: Stacked to the right.
• Heart: Stacked to the left.
• Hill: Non-stacked on top.

Variant: Starting on July 22, 2016, "TV 8 | PBS" is slightly lower down to make space for "A SERVICE OF THEUNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON".

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: Same as the 2nd logo's early-to mid variant, but the voiceover comes in a bit later.

Availability: Only used as a station ID.

5th ID (July 2016-February 19, 2020)

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Visuals:

• Opening: On a black background is the same logo from above, but 2D and solid red. It jarringly shifts backwards, and then just when it shifts back to its original position, the background turns red and the logo turns white. The logo again shifts backwards, and the background becomes a white background with gray gradient in the corners. The logo slides to the left to reveal "Houston Public Media" stacked, which slides to the right. "A SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON" fades in below "Houston Public Media". Everything zooms in.
• Closing: Same as the final result, but the logo is on top of "Houston Public Media", which is on top of 'A SERVICE OF THEUNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON", which is now stacked as well. The whole thing fades and zooms in, except for a copyright stamp below.

Technique: CGI.

Audio:

• Opening: A three note piano tune.
• Closing: A piano chord.

Availability: Was used online.

◄ KUHT

Houston Public Media