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


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10 Comments

  1. Scott Fybush September 26, 2014

    It’s worth noting that NBC’s phone number back then was CIrcle 7-8300.

  2. John Schipp September 24, 2014

    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

  3. Sally Hewlett September 24, 2014

    I’ll vote the phone number inspired the logo.

  4. John Schipp September 23, 2014

    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.

  5. Curtis R Anderson September 23, 2014

    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.

  6. Mike Medrano September 23, 2014

    Horrible logo, just like that NBC read and blue “thing” in the 70s.

  7. Dave Ramos September 23, 2014

    It’s a classically simple logo that can’t miss.

  8. Todd Palladino September 23, 2014

    It still holds…

  9. Dan Evans September 23, 2014

    For many years my favorite Channel 7 news team was Van Amburg and Jerry Jensen. They were the ratings kings in San Francisco.

  10. James Stanley Barr September 23, 2014

    A coincidence that is still on the air after all of these years…..and on very many stations and with very many variants.