WABE

Background
WPBA is the third PBS station for Atlanta, Georgia. It started in 1958 as WETV (not to be confused with low-power station in Tennessee as WETV-LP), then changed to call letters to WPBA in 1984.

1st Logo (1979-1984)
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Nickname: "Tin Foil Text"

Logo: Fading into a black void, there is the text "WETV" in Microgramma, shown as a metallic model over a distorted, reflective surface as a dim light illuminates the entire thing. The screen starts off blurred, but slowly comes into focus. As it finishes focusing, the cornflower blue text "ATLANTA" appears below in the same font, waving constantly with the occasional jerk.

FX/SFX: The focusing, the waving text. Obviously live-action for the tin-foil "WETA", and video feedback effects for the "ATLANTA" text.

Music/Sounds: A soft, dreamy piano ditty while 4 warble synth tones play throughout the logo.

Availability: Extinct. Seen only on  New German Cinema: Werner Herzog so far.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1984-1987)
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Nicknames: "Hidden 30", "Ribbon 30"

Logo: On a black background, there's a 30 made of red ribbons, facing the right with black lines representing the front. Above it is "WPBA" and below it is "Atlanta", all in a white serif font. Bordering the top and bottom are 2 pairs of lines.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct. It was seen on A Southern Voice.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1987-1990)
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Nicknames: "The Highway", "Flaming Text"

Logo: Fading into a live action shot of cars driving all over a highway in downtown Atlanta, "FROM ATLANTA WPBA", colored blood red with a drop shadow, appears via a weird "flame" effect on the bottom of the screen.

FX/SFX: Other than the appearance of the WPBA text, it's all live-action.

Music/Sounds: A high-pitched two-note keyboard tune, then an ascending synthesized "gurgling" sound. This is actually the end of the short piece music Shortie No. 19 by Don Voegeli.

Availability: Ultra rare. Seen on the very few PBS programs produced by WPBA from that time. This could've been on some old reruns of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood during the 80s and 90s. This was spotted on Cinema Showcase, among others.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (1990-1994)
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Nicknames: "The Skyline", "Crossing Text"

Logo: Panning over a shot of downtown Atlanta, 2 sets of white lines come in from the top and bottom of the screen, zooming in before merging in the center. It reveals the stacked text "from WPBA Atlanta" in the 1984 PBS corporate font, colored white with a black drop-shadow.

FX/SFX: The lines crossing, the skyline shot.

Music/Sounds: A short harpsicord tune with a held-out synth note at the beginning.

Availability: Rare. It could be seen on later episodes of Cinema Showcase, The Making Of Modern Atlanta, and Postcards from the Edge.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (1994-2000)
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Nickname: "30PBA"

Logo: On a purple background, several panels rotate slowly around as several shots from different programs fly across the screen. As the screens start to head towards the screen, a large lavender "30" swing in, with the font in Copperplate Gothic, followed by "PBA" zooming out letter-by-letter. As it happens, apurple "W" emerges from the right side of the circle and slides in. The screens then take over, which is a dark turquoise background with several lines in different colors wiping in scrolling to the right. "ATLANTA PUBLIC TELEVISION" then swings into place below the logo, all in a thinner version of the font in white while the logo shines. Several lines continue to scroll past.

FX/SFX: The panels flying, the letters zooming out.

Music/Sounds: A descending piano tune at first, followed by a tune made of synthesized "doo" sounds. The tune plays again, this time with a trumpet MIDI, then one final time in a much grander tone. A synth flute/piano/trumpet theme then plays after a bit.

Availability: Extinct. Seen only as a local ID.

Editor's Note: None.