ABC’s Circle 7 Logo…Which Came First, Chicken Or Egg?
ABC’s Circle 7 Logo…Which Came First, Chicken Or Egg?
ABC’s first corporate phone number was Circle 7 – 5700 and their first offices were at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Remember, ABC came into existence when NBC was forced to sell off the Blue Network, which was more than just radio.
1944, Edward Nobles bought the entire NBC Blue Network for a price of $8 million. This package included leases on land lines, three pending television licenses (WJZ-TV in New York, KGO-TV in San Francisco and WENR-TV in Chicago, all eventually established on Channel 7), sixty affiliates, four facilities (in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.), contracts with actors, and the brand associated with the Blue Network.
Thanks to Steve Finkelmeyer (for the rare letterhead), and to John Schipp (for the 1962 San Francisco Chronicle article on the KGO Circle 7 logo), we have a conundrum. Was the circle around the 7 just a cool looking visual flourish with no relationship to the company history? Could be, but it’s an interesting coincidence isn’t it? Anyone know more? Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
It’s worth noting that NBC’s phone number back then was CIrcle 7-8300.
One of many versions of WABC’s film ID’s. Just about every other NY station at the time was using slides. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyY2c3aglu8&list=PL8E75D0617A5679EA&index=5
I’ll vote the phone number inspired the logo.
DC, Bangor, Chico, Albuquerque, Detroit, Little Rock, to name a few. Then there’s all the variations to get around the copyright – Boston/Miami and Seattle.
How many ABC affiliates on channel 7 used (or still use) the “Circle 7” type logo? WKBW in Buffalo still does, and it was an ABC O&O through much of the ’70s. KSWO in Lawton, OK still does.
Horrible logo, just like that NBC read and blue “thing” in the 70s.
It’s a classically simple logo that can’t miss.
It still holds…
For many years my favorite Channel 7 news team was Van Amburg and Jerry Jensen. They were the ratings kings in San Francisco.
A coincidence that is still on the air after all of these years…..and on very many stations and with very many variants.