ABC National IDs

1st logo (1948-1953)
Nickname: "The Map of the United States"

ID: In a gradient background, we see a map of the United States. In front of the map,we see: American Broadcasting Company in the middle of the screen.

Variant: A rare variant exists, where we see a globe in a cloudy background. We zoom in to the USA, and we see the letters "American Broadcasting Company" zoom towards us.

FX/SFX: None or in the globe variant, the globe spinning and the letters zooming.

Music/Sounds: An announcer is heard saying "This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company."

Music/Sounds Variant: A variant exists where the announcer says: "The preceding program, originally telecast by ABC in New York (or in rare cases, Chicago), is accompanied by a special video recording. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company."

Availability: Extinct. This logo has been spotted on Tales of Tomorrow and some other shows from the time. The globe variant can be seen in You Asked For It.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1950s)
ID: Just the word "ABC" in a camera lens.

FX/SFX: Just the camera lens opening.

Music/Sounds: An announcer says "This is ABC Television Network."

Music/Sounds Variant:A different variant exists where the announcer says "The preceding program, originally telecast by ABC in New York, is accompanied by a special video recording. This is ABC,the American Broadcasting Company."

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd (known) Logo (1953-1957)
Nicknames: "ABC Eagle"

ID: A weird-looking eagle with a bolt through its head, and the text "ABC" is at the bottom where the feathers are sticking out.

Variant: The logo is dark at first,but it brightens up on the second after it.

FX/SFX: None in the regular variant. The other variant has brightening.

Music/Sounds: An announcer says "This is ABC Television Network.".

Availability: Extinct, but can be found on ABC releases from that time. It has recently been spotted on a Disney+ print on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club.

Editor's Note: None.

4rd Logo (1957-1963)
Nicknames: "Weird ABC", "Prototype ABC"

ID: We see a prototype version of the current ABC logo, which is a giant lowercase A with "abc" situated within it.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: An announcer says "This has been an ABC Television Network Presentation.".

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (1963-1969)
Nickname: "Froot Loops"

Logo: Against a black background, six circles come in from the left, colored red, pink, blue, light blue, green, and yellow. They all disappear off to the right except the red, blue, and green circles, which transform into an "A", "B", and "C", respectively, and in the corporate font used for the network. The letters then zoom out a bit and the black area shrinks to a circle, forming the ABC logo against a beige background.

FX/SFX: All 2D animation.

Trivia: The ABC logo was designed by Paul Rand (1914-1996), who is better known for designing the logos for IBM and Westinghouse, among others.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic horn fanfare, sometimes coupled with a man saying "This is an ABC color presentation.". Sometimes, the announcer is not used.

Music/Sounds Variant: There was an earlier version that used an orchestral string fanfare and no announcer. Another version was used, which was a news theme-like orchestra fanfare, with an uplifting finish. This was seen on The Bullwinkle Show.

Availability: Ultra rare/Near extinction. This appeared before network broadcasts of The Bugs Bunny Show, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Bewitched, amongst other color programs ABC aired in the Sixties. The earlier music variant may have been seen on at least ONE episode of The Bugs Bunny Show. Strangely, this is left intact at the beginning on some episodes of The Baron on DVD, in place of the ITC logo.

Editor's Note:The first half of the logo is animated quite smoothly, but the second half with the zoom-out of the logo is somewhat rough. Also, the string variant's music is very poorly played. Despite that, this logo is a favorite of many.

6th Logo (October 5th, 1968)
Logo: Pretty much, a still of the ABC logo with some trails.

FX/SFX: None, unless you count the fade in.

Music/Sounds: Three dings.

Availability:Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (1974)
ID: We see an array of clips from ABC shows of the period, all in a black background. Then, the music starts, and the clips disappear, one by one, in rhythm with the music. Then the words:

What you see on ABC this fall you'll be talking about tomorrow!

in white zoom in. Then, it fades out, and see aburnt orange ABC circle with "abc" in the corporate font. The circle has anorangey-yellow-ish glow.

Variant: The logo described is the main logo, but this logo is used for promos of shows from the period as well.

FX/SFX: The clips disappearing, the text zooming in and fading out, the logo fading in.

Music/Sounds: One clip has audio, which is heard before music starts. The music itself includes, at the beginning, a 7-note bass playing with a 7-note trumpet that starts at the third bass note, and is at a faster pace. Then, groovy music plays, as a choir sings "What you see on ABC this fall you'll be talking about", then a man finishes the slogan saying "Tomorrow!". The choir then sings that same line and holds it for a bit.

Availability: Extinct. It was only seen on ABC in Fall 1974.

Editor's Note: None.

8th ID (1998-2000)
ID: The ABC Logo appears suddenly in a yellow background and the words "American Broadcasting Company" (or "America's Broadcasting Company") appear one by one in the bottom. If you can watch carefully, the ABC logo is being formed by a circle zooming in and the ABC logo suddenly appears

Variants:
 * There is a slightly longer variant of this ident, seen during commercial breaks.
 * Other variations are spotted.

FX/SFX: The ABC Logo suddenly appearing.

Music/Sound: A dramatic fanfare of the four-note ABC jingle.

Availability: Extinct. Only appeared in the late 1990s. It also appears at the end of 1998-2001 episodes of Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.

Editor's Note: None.

9th ID (2000-2002)
ID: Same as the previous. Except that the text "America's #1 Broadcasting Company" appears below. After "America's" appears, an arrow draws and points down with "#1" on top, then followed by "Broadcasting" then "Company"

Variants: TBA

FX/SFX: The ABC Logo suddenly appearing.

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note: None.

10th ID (2002)
ID: As the ABC logos forms in the middle, a yellow circle drops down behind the ABC logo and fills the rest of the screen. After this, a red circle drops down in front of the ABC logo and covers the screen including the ABC logo. Also after the yellow circle drops, a shadow turns clockwise and zooms out revealing that it is the ABC text in the signature font. After green, blue, and orange circles drop down in tune with the beat, a black circle drops down. Once it hits the middle, a white shine appears. This white shine focuses and reveals to be the ABC logo, whilst the black circle fills the screen. Once the ABC logo is done forming, another green circle appears, drops down behind the ABC logo, and fills the screen. With this, the words "America's Broadcasting Company" appear in white. The logo stays on screen, while the Green BG lights up in certain places. Variant: The ID is sometimes shortened. FX/SFX: The Circles, the ABC logo, and the Green BG.

Music/Sounds: The ABC theme, but dramatized and an extra note at the beginning. This gets shortened to the 2nd note on the shortened variant. Availability: Extinct. Was only seen around this time, and can be seen if one has a recording (VHS, DVD, etc.) from ABC at this time.

Editors Note: This logo design was used for the ABC Entertainment logo for programs around this time.

11th ID (2003-2004)
Nicknames: "The Twelve Squares", "Blue Squares"

ID: We see a 2D version of the black ABC circle forming on a black background. As this happens, 12 squares in many different shades of blue slide in (and also slide right), along with the slogan "America's Broadcasting Company" appearing word-by-word.

Trivia: This was designed by PMcD Design.

FX/SFX: The logo forming and squares moving.

Music/Sounds: A guitar note, ending in a string rendition of the ABC theme. Sometimes combined with whooshes.

Availability: Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note: Same as the previous logo.

12th ID (2004-2005)
Nicknames: "Red Squares", "Welcome to the New ABC", "The Nine Squares"

Logo: On a background of nine red squares, we see the black circle being tilted. On it, the letters "a", "b" and "c" draw themselves circularly. When the logo positions itself, a “ripple-in-the-water” effect is seen, and the slogan "America's Broadcasting Company" fades in below.

FX/SFX: Prolific 3D animation.

Music/Sounds: A triumphant, news-like rendition of the ABC fanfare.

Availability: Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note: Same as the previous two IDs.

13th ID (2005-2006)
Nickname: "Bright ABC"

Logo: On a green-blue aurora background with white lines trailing around, we see a black disc in the center. The letters "a", "b", and "c" write themselves on the disc with the white lines to make the finished logo. When it forms, the words "AMERICA'S BROADCASTING COMPANY" appear word-by-word below and the disc then shines.

Variants: Localized variants have the slogan moved on the top and the station callsign and number on the bottom.

FX/SFX: Good animation.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 10th ID.

Availability: Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note: Same as the previous three IDs.

14th ID (2006-2007)
Nicknames: "The Bubbles"

ID: A shiny blue disc zooms out on a white background. This turns out to be an illusion in the ABC logo, which then zooms out on a white background filled with blue bubbles and streaks. "America's Broadcasting Company" appears one-by-one.

FX/SFX: The ABC logo zooming out, and the bubbles.

Music/Sounds: An orchestral rendition of the ABC tune.

Availability: Extinct on TV.

Editor's Note: Same as the previous four IDs.

15th Logo (2007-2013)
TBA

15th Logo (2013-2018)
TBA

17th Logo (2018- )
TBA