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Worldvision Enterprises, Inc.
Logo descriptions and editions by Jason Jones, Sean Beard, ClosingLogoLover, and DaBigLogoCollector
Logo captures and editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Eric S., V of Doom, and snelfu
Video captures courtesy of TVLOGOS708090, Eric S., mcydodge919, JohnnyL80, and SeanElGatoTelevision
Background: Worldvision Enterprises was a television program and home video distributor established in 1973 as the successor of ABC Films after the former company spun-off because it was against the FCC regulations for a television network to distribute its programs under its own name. They primarily licensed programs from others, rather than producing their own content. When Worldvision was in operation for 10 years, the company had offices in very important cities around the world such as: NY, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Mexico City, and Rome. In 1979, Worldvision was sold to Taft Broadcasting (later renamed as "Great American" in 1987 and "Citicasters" in 1993), and was later sold to Aaron Spelling in 1988 and became part of Spelling, Inc. The transaction was completed on March 11, 1989. In 1997, the production arm of Worldvision Enterprises was incorporated into Republic Pictures, and in 1999, the Spelling Entertainment Group merged with Viacom (now "CBS Corporation"), and folded the distribution arm of Worldvision into Paramount Domestic Television (now "CBS Television Distribution"). Currently, most of the Worldvision Enterprises library (the exceptions: most of the Hanna-Barbera library is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment through Turner Broadcasting, Let's Make a Deal is now owned by FremantleMedia, and the TV movies produced by Fries Entertainment co-produced by Worldvision are owned by MGM Holdings Inc.) is owned by CBS Corporation through CBS Television Distribution and Spelling Television Inc.
1st Logo
(1973-1976)
Nicknames: "Radar Globe", "Radar W", "Worldvision W Globe"
Logo: On a yellow background, we see a black oval-shaped globe with longitudinal and latitudinal lines wiping in upward. At the same time, a navy blue "W" is wiping in downward. The "W" is stylized such that it blends with the spherical shape. The company name "WORLDVISION ENTERPRISES INC." in the style you see here appears below the globe.
Trivia: Their slogan was "The World's Leading Distributor for Independent Television Producers".
Variants:
FX/SFX: The globe drawing. Kinda simple, but decent.
Cheesy Factor: The lines on the globe don't keep the same distance, that makes the design kinda ugly.
Music/Sounds: None. The in-credit is the end-title theme from Let's Make a Deal.
Availability: Rare. The in-credit scroll version was still intact on Let's Make a Deal when GSN last aired it. The still variant was recently sighted on the 1975 TV movie Hey, I'm Alive on Encore Drama.
Scare Factor: Minimal, unless tape hiss gets to you.
2nd Logo
(1974-1988)
Nicknames: "Radar Globe II", "Radar W II", "Worldvision W Globe II"
Logo: Same as before, but with a red background and a white logo and text. A print stamp for "World Vision International" appears below the company name from this point onward.
Trivia:
Bylines: When Taft Broadcasting acquired Worldvision, these bylines would appear under the company name:
Variants:
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Same as above, but isn't as bad as some logos of the era.
Music/Sounds: Same as above.
Music/Sounds Variants:
Availability: Rare. It appears on The Streets of San Francisco on Me-TV. The B&W version was last seen on few B&W episodes of Combat! on ALN (now Youtoo), and the color version is seen on the final season of Combat!, as well on current prints of classic TV movies and mini-series like Holocaust, followed by the CBS Television Distribution logo. The in-credit was last seen on GSN reruns of Let's Make a Deal. Check old tapes to find this on Hanna-Barbera shows as well. The first version (no byline) was recently sighted on A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story and Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style on Encore Drama. The version with the electric piano tune was used only on Grizzly Adams and related TV specials.
Scare Factor: Same as the 1st logo.
3rd Logo
(1988-1999)
Nicknames: "Radar Globe III", "Radar W III", "Worldvision W Globe III", "WHOOSH Globe (of Doom)"
Logo: It's only a warp speed variant of the home video counterpart, except the Worldvision text emerges from the front and both layer themselves into position as the background fades to black. The radar globe then shines and the same "WVI" print stamp (in much smaller type) fades onto the bottom of the screen.
Trivia:
Bylines: When introduced in 1988, there was no byline present (like the chyroned version of the previous logo it replaced). After Great American Broadcasting (the former Taft Broadcasting Co.) sold Worldvision to Aaron Spelling the same year, these bylines would appear beginning in 1989:
Variants:
FX/SFX: The sped-up zoom-out, the layering FX on the company name, and the shining radar globe at the end of the sequence. Also, there was a quick shining wipe at the Worldvision text.
Cheesy Factor: The synthesized jingle could easily have been created in the early-to-mid-1970s. It sounds like it was made by a classic analog synth like a Moog or an ARP. At the time the jingle was made, digital and FM synthesis was all the rage and analog was considered by the mainstream music industry to be out-of-date and obsolete (this was just before the underground analog revival when acid house made it cool again).
Music/Sounds: Begins with a loud "WHOOSH", and then a 3-note synthesized tune with "air" plays in the background. This was a shortened version of the Worldvision Home Video jingle from 1985.
Music/Sounds Variants:
Availability: Common. It's currently seen on Little House on the Prairie on Hallmark Channel and last aired on TV Land, SOAPnet reruns of Beverly Hills, 90210, and Tales from the Darkside on Syfy and Chiller. Also seen on the mini-series The Stand on Syfy and Chiller and on most B&W prints of Combat! on Me-TV. Seen recently on a print of Universal Soldier on Encore Action. Also seen on The Fugitive (1963 TV Series) and TV broadcasts of Carolco films, such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Surprisingly, it recently appeared on Trifecta's print of Basic Instinct before the Trifecta logo. The filmed variant was spotted on early video releases of Twin Peaks by Warner Home Video.
Scare Factor: Medium, bordering on high. The animation and the "WHOOSH" combined with the eerie synth and globe design may scare some. The high and low tone variants might catch you off guard if you were expecting the normal variants.
Logo captures and editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Eric S., V of Doom, and snelfu
Video captures courtesy of TVLOGOS708090, Eric S., mcydodge919, JohnnyL80, and SeanElGatoTelevision
Background: Worldvision Enterprises was a television program and home video distributor established in 1973 as the successor of ABC Films after the former company spun-off because it was against the FCC regulations for a television network to distribute its programs under its own name. They primarily licensed programs from others, rather than producing their own content. When Worldvision was in operation for 10 years, the company had offices in very important cities around the world such as: NY, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Toronto, Rio de Janeiro, Munich, Mexico City, and Rome. In 1979, Worldvision was sold to Taft Broadcasting (later renamed as "Great American" in 1987 and "Citicasters" in 1993), and was later sold to Aaron Spelling in 1988 and became part of Spelling, Inc. The transaction was completed on March 11, 1989. In 1997, the production arm of Worldvision Enterprises was incorporated into Republic Pictures, and in 1999, the Spelling Entertainment Group merged with Viacom (now "CBS Corporation"), and folded the distribution arm of Worldvision into Paramount Domestic Television (now "CBS Television Distribution"). Currently, most of the Worldvision Enterprises library (the exceptions: most of the Hanna-Barbera library is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment through Turner Broadcasting, Let's Make a Deal is now owned by FremantleMedia, and the TV movies produced by Fries Entertainment co-produced by Worldvision are owned by MGM Holdings Inc.) is owned by CBS Corporation through CBS Television Distribution and Spelling Television Inc.
1st Logo
(1973-1976)
Nicknames: "Radar Globe", "Radar W", "Worldvision W Globe"
Logo: On a yellow background, we see a black oval-shaped globe with longitudinal and latitudinal lines wiping in upward. At the same time, a navy blue "W" is wiping in downward. The "W" is stylized such that it blends with the spherical shape. The company name "WORLDVISION ENTERPRISES INC." in the style you see here appears below the globe.
Trivia: Their slogan was "The World's Leading Distributor for Independent Television Producers".
Variants:
- A special superimposed in-credit variant with no animation was created to replace the ABC Films ID, with "A" placed above and "PRESENTATION" placed below.
- On the 1975 TV movie Hey, I'm Alive, the logo is a still shot on an orange background.
- Based on film quality, one variant of this logo appears in Naples yellow.
FX/SFX: The globe drawing. Kinda simple, but decent.
Cheesy Factor: The lines on the globe don't keep the same distance, that makes the design kinda ugly.
Music/Sounds: None. The in-credit is the end-title theme from Let's Make a Deal.
Availability: Rare. The in-credit scroll version was still intact on Let's Make a Deal when GSN last aired it. The still variant was recently sighted on the 1975 TV movie Hey, I'm Alive on Encore Drama.
Scare Factor: Minimal, unless tape hiss gets to you.
2nd Logo
(1974-1988)
Nicknames: "Radar Globe II", "Radar W II", "Worldvision W Globe II"
Logo: Same as before, but with a red background and a white logo and text. A print stamp for "World Vision International" appears below the company name from this point onward.
Trivia:
- This logo was used on '70s-'80s prints of old TV shows originally aired on ABC among others. Also was the top distributor of most Hanna-Barbera TV shows from post-1979 when Taft acquired Worldvision.
- The print stamp on the bottom of this and the later Worldvision logos reads "Not affiliated with World Vision International, a religious and charitable organization". This was added after the charitable organization sued Worldvision Enterprises over use of the name in 1974, one of the reasons the first logo was replaced. The two parties settled, and Worldvision Enterprises was allowed to keep its name, provided that the aforementioned stamp was used in its logo.
Bylines: When Taft Broadcasting acquired Worldvision, these bylines would appear under the company name:
- 1979-1982: "A TAFT BROADCASTING COMPANY"
- 1981-1987: "A TAFT COMPANY"
- 1987-1988: (Bylineless; just a tiny "WVI" print stamp (Great American Broadcasting era)).
Variants:
- A special superimposed in-credit variant with no animation was created to replace the ABC Films ID, with or without "A" placed above and "PRESENTATION" placed below with the print included. This was also used on co-produced TV movies.
- A variant of the first bylineless version exists, in which the radar lines are visible through the "W". This version has been sighted on A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story and Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style on Encore Drama.
- Another variant exists of the first, bylineless version, in which the "WVI" print stamp is smaller. This stamp has been sighted on the "translucent W" variant, on the aforementioned Encore Drama print of Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style.
- There is also a B&W variant.
- On the syndicated version of The Newlywed Game from 1977-1980, the text says "SYNDICATED BY WORLDVISION ENTERPRISES, INC.".
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Same as above, but isn't as bad as some logos of the era.
Music/Sounds: Same as above.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On the 1982 made-for-TV movie The Capture of Grizzly Addams, the logo had an ascending four-note jazzy Fender-Rhodes electric piano theme, which was the inspiration for the jingle to the 1988 Worldvision logo.
- On '80s international prints of classic H-B shows, it used a "spoofed" variant of this logo with the H-B "Box" logo theme.
Availability: Rare. It appears on The Streets of San Francisco on Me-TV. The B&W version was last seen on few B&W episodes of Combat! on ALN (now Youtoo), and the color version is seen on the final season of Combat!, as well on current prints of classic TV movies and mini-series like Holocaust, followed by the CBS Television Distribution logo. The in-credit was last seen on GSN reruns of Let's Make a Deal. Check old tapes to find this on Hanna-Barbera shows as well. The first version (no byline) was recently sighted on A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story and Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style on Encore Drama. The version with the electric piano tune was used only on Grizzly Adams and related TV specials.
Scare Factor: Same as the 1st logo.
3rd Logo
(1988-1999)
Nicknames: "Radar Globe III", "Radar W III", "Worldvision W Globe III", "WHOOSH Globe (of Doom)"
Logo: It's only a warp speed variant of the home video counterpart, except the Worldvision text emerges from the front and both layer themselves into position as the background fades to black. The radar globe then shines and the same "WVI" print stamp (in much smaller type) fades onto the bottom of the screen.
Trivia:
- This logo was used on 1990s prints of pre-1973 ABC shows, but also applied to the Hanna-Barbera (until the cartoon studio's sale to Turner Broadcasting), Republic Pictures Television (after 1996), Carolco Pictures (the company distributed their films to TV as part of a syndication package) and Spelling Television libraries. Also appeared on some first-run syndicated programs, such as Judge Judy.
- This logo is based on the 1985 Worldvision Home Video logo.
Bylines: When introduced in 1988, there was no byline present (like the chyroned version of the previous logo it replaced). After Great American Broadcasting (the former Taft Broadcasting Co.) sold Worldvision to Aaron Spelling the same year, these bylines would appear beginning in 1989:
- 1988-1989: (Bylineless; just the "WVI" print stamp)
- 1989-1994: "A UNIT OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT INC." Trademark symbol appears by the "Radar W" logo in 1991.
- 1994-1995: "A UNIT OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT INC., A BLOCKBUSTER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"
- 1995-1996: "A UNIT OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INC., A BLOCKBUSTER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"
- 1996-1999: "A SUBSIDIARY OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INC."
Variants:
- There is a filmed variation of this logo.
- When Blockbuster Entertainment bought Spelling, their movie ticket logo unfolded below Worldvision's logo (it was briefly placed next to the globe after the Blockbuster purchase of Spelling), underneath Spelling's byline (itself having the "A Blockbuster Entertainment Company" byline underneath it).
- There is also a still variant of this logo.
- There is also a B&W variant.
FX/SFX: The sped-up zoom-out, the layering FX on the company name, and the shining radar globe at the end of the sequence. Also, there was a quick shining wipe at the Worldvision text.
Cheesy Factor: The synthesized jingle could easily have been created in the early-to-mid-1970s. It sounds like it was made by a classic analog synth like a Moog or an ARP. At the time the jingle was made, digital and FM synthesis was all the rage and analog was considered by the mainstream music industry to be out-of-date and obsolete (this was just before the underground analog revival when acid house made it cool again).
Music/Sounds: Begins with a loud "WHOOSH", and then a 3-note synthesized tune with "air" plays in the background. This was a shortened version of the Worldvision Home Video jingle from 1985.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- The 1991 logo has two variants of this jingle which exist: one has the theme in a lower pitch and the other has a higher-pitched theme. These are seen on some episodes of syndicated prints of Little House on the Prairie.
- Sometimes, the closing theme was used (like on some parts of The Stand) or it's silent.
Availability: Common. It's currently seen on Little House on the Prairie on Hallmark Channel and last aired on TV Land, SOAPnet reruns of Beverly Hills, 90210, and Tales from the Darkside on Syfy and Chiller. Also seen on the mini-series The Stand on Syfy and Chiller and on most B&W prints of Combat! on Me-TV. Seen recently on a print of Universal Soldier on Encore Action. Also seen on The Fugitive (1963 TV Series) and TV broadcasts of Carolco films, such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Surprisingly, it recently appeared on Trifecta's print of Basic Instinct before the Trifecta logo. The filmed variant was spotted on early video releases of Twin Peaks by Warner Home Video.
Scare Factor: Medium, bordering on high. The animation and the "WHOOSH" combined with the eerie synth and globe design may scare some. The high and low tone variants might catch you off guard if you were expecting the normal variants.
Shadeed329 |
Latest page update: made by Shadeed329
, Mar 17 2013, 9:03 AM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by Shadeed329
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Keyword tags:
ABC Film Syndication
ABC Films
CBS Corporation
CBS Paramount Television
CBS Television Distribution
National Amusements Inc.
Republic Entertainment Inc.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures Television
Spelling Television Inc.
Worldvision Enterprises Inc.
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Shadeed329 | Filmed version!? | 10 | Apr 14 2013, 9:05 PM EDT by sz79 | ||
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Thread started: Jan 30 2009, 8:06 PM EST
Watch
Okay now I'm confused! What's this about a filmed version of the 1988-1999 Worldvision logo and what shows carried it?? I thought it's just one simple version and that's all!
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| ClosingLogoLover | Does the "Clean" 1973 Worldvision Logo Exist? | 5 | Jun 19 2011, 3:54 PM EDT by Shadeed329 | ||
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Thread started: Dec 1 2010, 7:36 PM EST
Watch
Hi, does the "clean" looking 1973-1974 Worldvision logo (yellow background w/ blue logo and text - no disclaimer) even exist? I remember seeing a still of it here, but it got removed in the latest revision of this page. This is not to be confused with the "ugly" gold background version.
What pre-1974 prints of shows had this version? Think of programs like: *The Rebel *The Adventures of Jim Bowie *Milton the Monster *George of the Jungle *Dark Shadows (1966) *Combat! (final season) *Ben Casey *The Fugitive (1963) (final season - or did Worldvision distribute this series after 1979, when its then-parent Taft Broadcasting had also acquired most of the assets of Quinn Martin Productions, the company who made the series?) *The Mod Squad Thank you, Ben |
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| TheSneakyLizard | About the third logo.... | 2 | Apr 6 2013, 6:49 AM EDT by Logophile | ||
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Thread started: Mar 31 2012, 11:17 PM EDT
Watch
I saw this logo pop up after the end credits in Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Did they have television rights to this movie when they were still active back in the day? I'm only wondering....
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| gohan56782 | 2nd logo on wacky races | 0 | Feb 11 2013, 1:39 PM EST by gohan56782 | ||
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Thread started: Feb 11 2013, 1:39 PM EST
Watch
Strangely, I've seen the second logo on my wacky races DVD. It appears after the zooming HB logo
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| ClosingLogoLover | Who Did the Animation for the WHOOSH Globe Logo? | 0 | Sep 24 2011, 5:29 PM EDT by ClosingLogoLover | ||
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Thread started: Sep 24 2011, 5:29 PM EDT
Watch
The same question can be said for the Home Video version that came out in late 1985.
Does anyone know who did the animation for the Worldvision "WHOOSH Globe" logo? ~Ben |
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