Circle 7 logo

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"Circle 7" redirects here. For the Disney animation studio, see Circle 7 Animation.

The Circle 7 logo is one of the most classic and familiar television station logos in the United States. Designed in the 1960s for the ABC Television Network's five owned and operated stations (O&Os), the logo, or a version of it, is currently being used by a number of TV broadcasters around the world.

1 History and information
- 1.1 International
2 List of stations using the circle 7 logo
3 Sources

[edit] History and information

The Circle 7 logo was designed by G. Dean Smith, and first used in 1962 by ABC for its five owned and operated stations (O&Os): WABC-TV in New York City, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, WBKB-TV (now WLS-TV) in Chicago, KGO-TV in San Francisco and WXYZ-TV in Detroit. When ABC applied for TV licenses in the late 1940s, it was thought that the low-band (channels 2 through 6) TV channels would be discontinued, thus making these five stations broadcasting on VHF channel 7 the lowest on the TV dial. American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., ABC's corporate parent, registered the Circle 7 logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1962.

When WABC adopted the Eyewitness News format in 1968, all reporters and anchors were required to wear a blazer with a Circle 7 patch (in later years a lapel pin) when they appeared on the air—a marketing practice that spread to the other ABC O&Os. WEWS also did something similar with using a Circle 5 pin.

WABC-TV, WJLA-TV and WLS-TV.

The Circle 7 logo was designed to be interchangeable with the circular ABC logo in network and channel imaging, although many current variations of the Circle 7 have incorporated the ABC logo itself (see below). It also was used as the name Circle 7 Productions of the production company for locally-produced programming by ABC owned-and-operated stations prior to takeover by Capital Cities.

This logo has become iconic in local television, largely due to the presence of the logo in major markets. Today, many other ABC affiliates around the United States which broadcast on channel 7 are allowed to use the Circle 7 logo. Such stations include KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas, WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. (which used its own stylized version until 2001, when it adopted the original version), KLTV in Tyler, Texas, WVII-TV in Bangor, Maine, KVII-TV in Amarillo, Texas, KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico, KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas, KSWO-TV in Lawton, Oklahoma, KRCR-TV in Redding, California, WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee (formerly used on WTVW in Evansville when it was ABC affiliated). KMGH in Denver uses a variation of the circle 7 logo, and places the ABC logo in the same position as the other stations.

The low-VHF channels 2-6 never were discontinued, but were subject to greatly-reduced power limits as a result of the 2009 DTV transition in the US, leaving relatively few stations willing to remain on these channels under these restrictions. A station limited to 20kW or less on channel 6 could apply for up to 65kW of power on channel 7-13 or 1000kW UHF.

KABC-TV & KGO-TV.

Note: WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio uses the circle as part of its logo. But instead of using a Circle 7, WEWS uses the Circle 5 variation. An older version is still used on West Palm Beach, Florida's NBC affiliate, WPTV. Since WEWS went high definition on January 7, 2007, the Circle Five looks like a brother of the Circle 7, similar to WABC-TV in New York City, New York and KABC-TV in Los Angeles, California.

Due to its popularity, several variations have arisen for use by non-ABC affiliates.

Boston's three Circle 7 logos over the last 30+ years

In addition, the channel 7 brand in Boston, Massachusetts has had three different Circle 7 logos. In the mid-1970s, as WNAC, it had a logo similar to the ABC logos (except it was a white "7" inside a filled circle). That logo was abandoned in 1977 for a Times-Serif-Italic "7". In 1987, as WNEV, the filled-circle came back, and inside was a "7" made up of 7 small white dots. That logo was abandoned shortly after the sale of the now-WHDH to WSVN, after which WHDH took on WSVN's Circle 7. WHDH still uses the WSVN logo to this day.

[edit] International

ATN-7 in Sydney, Australia used a circle 7 in the 1960s that resembled the ABC O&O version, but had the top line of the 7 extend out of the circle as an arrow. ATN-7, along with other Seven Network stations in Australia, later used other variations of the circle 7 logo from the early 1970s until 2000. [1]
The GMA Network in the Philippines used a circle 7 logo in the 1970s and 1980s to identify its channel designation in Metro Manila. (See: GMA Network logos)
Malaysia's ntv7 also uses a circle 7 logo that greatly resembles the one used originally on the ABC O&Os, though the 7's tail is curved differently from both the ABC and Seven Network versions.
Brazil's Rede Record used in the 1970s, when it was called simply TV Record in São Paulo, a text logo all in capital letters, but the O was replaced by a circle 7 logo.
Argentina's state broadcaster Canal 7 used from 1999 to 2002, a circle 7 logo, but the 7 was scripted.
Telecadena 7/4 in Honduras uses a 7/4 logo, to identify their San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa stations, respectively.