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Group W Productions/Westinghouse Productions
Written and Complied by James Westerfield, Alex P. and Sean Beard
Images by Eric S., Mr. Logo Lord and V of Doom
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and Bob Fish
Video captures courtesy of mollyzkoubou, Tlogos, zyber9, Bob Fish, JoeCool85 and Eric S.
Background: Group W was a company of Westinghouse Broadcasting, a division of Westinghouse Electric Company. The parent company was also in fact named after its founder, George Westinghouse. Westinghouse Broadcasting was established in 1920 with the introduction of the world's first commercially licensed radio station, KDKA Pittsburgh. This company did not have a standard animated logo until 1980. In 1995, Group W Productions was renamed Eyemark Entertainment after the merger between CBS and Westinghouse.
1st Logo
(1963-1980)
Nickname: "The Big W"
Logo: We see a chyroned in-credit phrase "Produced by WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY" (in Anklepants font, a common typeface used on
most Group W Westinghouse logos and Group W television station logos) with the abstract Westinghouse W logo, consisting of two slanted wedges and a small triangle design, positioned either above or below the company name after 1967.
Variants:
FX: None; this was a superimposed logo.
Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.
Availability: Near extinction; the standard Group W print logo was used as an in-credit ID on programs such as The Steve Allen Show (1965-1967 version), The David Frost Show (1968-1971), and The Mike Douglas Show (1962-1984) to name a few. It is retained on Rhino Home Video's VHS set of the infamous run of November 1971 Mike Douglas Show episodes co-hosted by John Lennon. It also originally appeared on early seasons of Evening Magazine and PM Magazine.
Scare Factor: Low to medium.
2nd Logo
(1980-1984)
Nicknames: "W of Doom", "Red W"
Logo: On a plain black background, we see the abstract W from before, in red, zooming in, similar to Warner Bros.' "The Big W" logo from the 1970s. As the logo stops into place, yellow text that says "Group W Productions" (in a yellow Anklepants font)
appears underneath the design.
Bylines:
FX: The W zooming in.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extinct on TV; appeared on Evening Magazine, PM Magazine, and Hour Magazine.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the darkness of the logo, as well as the zooming W, may scare a few.
3rd Logo
(1984-1987)
Nicknames: "The Grids", "The Shining W", "The Flashing W"
Logo: On a black background, three rows of about 20 blue-silver lasers come from three sides of the screen (the top, left, and right sides), which meet in the center to form the red abstract "W", which now sparkles and shines. The words "GROUP W PRODUCTIONS", in yellow, fade in underneath.
Variants:
FX: The scanning lines, the shimmering W.
Music/Sounds: Some "whooshing" sounds when the lasers come in, followed by a low 9-note synth tune.
Availability: Extinct on TV; originally appeared on PM Magazine, Evening Magazine, Hour Magazine, and Every Second Counts.
Scare Factor: Low.
4th Logo
(1987-1993)
Nicknames: "Laser Lights", The Laser W"
Logo: On a blue background, we see red-orange laser lights shooting toward a blue rectangle with cropped-off corners forming a red-orange W out of it. As the rectangle zooms up and swings around toward us, it zooms up out of view, and the "W" is fully revealed, which shines a bit and glows red. The text "GROUP W PRODUCTIONS", written in the same color and font as before, fades in below.
Variant: There is a short version of the logo that only plays the last half of the animation.
FX: The lasers forming the W.
Music/Sounds: A fast-paced warbling synth tune sounding like the WGBH logo, which ends in a single synth horn note. It may be silent in other cases (like on Bob Vila's Home Again), or uses the closing theme of the show.
Availability: Very rare; currently found on DVD releases of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Lions Gate Home Entertainment.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
5th Logo
(1993-1995)
Nicknames: "CGI W", "Turning W", "CGI Red-Orange W"
Logo: On a black background, we see CGI red-orange wedges that flip into place and form the abstract red-orange Group W logo. The text "GROUP W PRODUCTIONS", in a dull yellow color and a plain sans serif font, fades in below.
Variants: Two other names used on this logo include "WESTINGHOUSE PRODUCTIONS" and "WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING INTERNATIONAL".
FX: The merging wedges.
Music/Sounds: This logo contains two very good variations of music; one is a three-note ascending chime tune (Group W version), or an excellent majestic orchestral/synth tune, which was similar to the now defunct USA Broadcasting music used on its owned television stations (WP and WBI versions).
Availability: Rare, near extinction; the Group W version can be seen on the 1993-1995 seasons of TMNT, the 1994 international prints of Speed Racer (whenever any network airs it) and as for WBI, it can be seen on the original 1967 version of Speed Racer shown internationally.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
Images by Eric S., Mr. Logo Lord and V of Doom
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, V of Doom, and Bob Fish
Video captures courtesy of mollyzkoubou, Tlogos, zyber9, Bob Fish, JoeCool85 and Eric S.
Background: Group W was a company of Westinghouse Broadcasting, a division of Westinghouse Electric Company. The parent company was also in fact named after its founder, George Westinghouse. Westinghouse Broadcasting was established in 1920 with the introduction of the world's first commercially licensed radio station, KDKA Pittsburgh. This company did not have a standard animated logo until 1980. In 1995, Group W Productions was renamed Eyemark Entertainment after the merger between CBS and Westinghouse.
1st Logo
(1963-1980)
Nickname: "The Big W"
Logo: We see a chyroned in-credit phrase "Produced by WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY" (in Anklepants font, a common typeface used on
most Group W Westinghouse logos and Group W television station logos) with the abstract Westinghouse W logo, consisting of two slanted wedges and a small triangle design, positioned either above or below the company name after 1967.Variants:
- There is a version with the words "GROUP" at the top of the W, and "in association with" at the very top of the screen. "Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc." is written below.
- A Group W print logo with "GROUP" on the side of the W had shown up in end-credit rolls around 1970.
FX: None; this was a superimposed logo.
Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.
Availability: Near extinction; the standard Group W print logo was used as an in-credit ID on programs such as The Steve Allen Show (1965-1967 version), The David Frost Show (1968-1971), and The Mike Douglas Show (1962-1984) to name a few. It is retained on Rhino Home Video's VHS set of the infamous run of November 1971 Mike Douglas Show episodes co-hosted by John Lennon. It also originally appeared on early seasons of Evening Magazine and PM Magazine.
Scare Factor: Low to medium.
2nd Logo
(1980-1984)
Nicknames: "W of Doom", "Red W"
Logo: On a plain black background, we see the abstract W from before, in red, zooming in, similar to Warner Bros.' "The Big W" logo from the 1970s. As the logo stops into place, yellow text that says "Group W Productions" (in a yellow Anklepants font)
appears underneath the design.Bylines:
- 1980-1982: "WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING COMPANY"
- 1982-1984: "WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING AND CABLE, INC." (they were a leading cable TV operator in the early-to-mid 1980s)
- Both of these bylines are in a white Impact font.
FX: The W zooming in.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extinct on TV; appeared on Evening Magazine, PM Magazine, and Hour Magazine.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the darkness of the logo, as well as the zooming W, may scare a few.
3rd Logo
(1984-1987)
Nicknames: "The Grids", "The Shining W", "The Flashing W"
Logo: On a black background, three rows of about 20 blue-silver lasers come from three sides of the screen (the top, left, and right sides), which meet in the center to form the red abstract "W", which now sparkles and shines. The words "GROUP W PRODUCTIONS", in yellow, fade in underneath.
Variants:
- On some shows, there is a copyright date fading in underneath.
- In other cases, it's superimposed.
FX: The scanning lines, the shimmering W.
Music/Sounds: Some "whooshing" sounds when the lasers come in, followed by a low 9-note synth tune.
Availability: Extinct on TV; originally appeared on PM Magazine, Evening Magazine, Hour Magazine, and Every Second Counts.
Scare Factor: Low.
4th Logo
(1987-1993)
Nicknames: "Laser Lights", The Laser W"
Logo: On a blue background, we see red-orange laser lights shooting toward a blue rectangle with cropped-off corners forming a red-orange W out of it. As the rectangle zooms up and swings around toward us, it zooms up out of view, and the "W" is fully revealed, which shines a bit and glows red. The text "GROUP W PRODUCTIONS", written in the same color and font as before, fades in below.
Variant: There is a short version of the logo that only plays the last half of the animation.
FX: The lasers forming the W.
Music/Sounds: A fast-paced warbling synth tune sounding like the WGBH logo, which ends in a single synth horn note. It may be silent in other cases (like on Bob Vila's Home Again), or uses the closing theme of the show.
Availability: Very rare; currently found on DVD releases of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Lions Gate Home Entertainment.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
- Low to medium; this logo may not be scary to most, but it may scare people with its synth music (like "yours truly").
- Low with the closing theme of the show.
- Minimal for the silent variant.
5th Logo
(1993-1995)
Nicknames: "CGI W", "Turning W", "CGI Red-Orange W"
Logo: On a black background, we see CGI red-orange wedges that flip into place and form the abstract red-orange Group W logo. The text "GROUP W PRODUCTIONS", in a dull yellow color and a plain sans serif font, fades in below.
Variants: Two other names used on this logo include "WESTINGHOUSE PRODUCTIONS" and "WESTINGHOUSE BROADCASTING INTERNATIONAL".
FX: The merging wedges.
Music/Sounds: This logo contains two very good variations of music; one is a three-note ascending chime tune (Group W version), or an excellent majestic orchestral/synth tune, which was similar to the now defunct USA Broadcasting music used on its owned television stations (WP and WBI versions).
Availability: Rare, near extinction; the Group W version can be seen on the 1993-1995 seasons of TMNT, the 1994 international prints of Speed Racer (whenever any network airs it) and as for WBI, it can be seen on the original 1967 version of Speed Racer shown internationally.
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
- None for the chimes music.
- Minimal for the orchestral theme; the WBI theme may unnerve some people, but not me; I think the music is cool.
VofDoom |
Latest page update: made by VofDoom
, Oct 27 2008, 7:49 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by VofDoom
14 words added 5 words deleted 3 images added 2 images deleted view changes - complete history) |
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Keyword tags:
CBS Corporation
CBS Television Distribution
Eyemark Entertainment
King World
National Amusements Inc.
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pja1981 | Group W Grid logo | 0 | Feb 7 2008, 3:30 PM EST by pja1981 | |
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Thread started: Feb 7 2008, 3:30 PM EST
Watch
The third Group W logo scared me when I was little. The W looks like vampire teeth, the background is black, and the music was too low for me.
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