Thoughts on ABS-CBN and GMA’s Need for Simpler On-Screen Logos

Identifying a particular station through an on-screen graphic has been common practice around the world.

Many of the world’s famous television stations feature iconic logos that has stood the test of time. In the United States, there is the NBC ‘peacock’ and the CBS ‘eye’ logo, in Japan NHK has the ‘three eggs’ logo, and in the United Kingdom there is the BBC ‘three squares’ logo.

In the case of NBC’s ‘peacock’ and CBS’ ‘eye’, the logos are so easily identifiable that there is no need to add the name of the network within it. But the same cannot be said for the Philippines’ two top television stations; namely ABS-CBN and GMA.

ABS-CBN is forever identified by the three RGB (red, green and blue) circles and a black bar that masquerades as an antenna. The iconic logo, with a few minor changes, has been in place since 1967.

The network began to implement this logo as a digital on-screen graphic around the mid-1990s. With the exception of the 50th anniversary logo in 2003, ABS-CBN has kept this logo in place ever since.

Since 2011, however, ABS-CBN utilizes the full primary logo complete with the network’s name below the logo on its programs. It is hard to see from a distance, but when carefully magnified, the name of the network can be spotted.

Meanwhile, GMA’s ‘rainbow heart’ logo was first used in 2002, replacing the ‘Rainbow Satellite’ logo that had been in place since 1992. Last week, GMA unveiled its 2018 station ID, but the ‘rainbow heart’ logo, for whatever reason, was kept intact with only a few alterations.

Much like ABS-CBN, GMA started using its logo as an on-screen graphic during the mid-1990s. Yet despite their penchant for celebrating anniversaries every June, GMA has not used a special anniversary logo as an on-screen graphic; in fact, during its 50th anniversary in 2000, GMA kept the ‘Rainbow Satellite’ logo despite celebrating such an occasion.

So what if ABS-CBN and GMA only use the respective ‘three circles and a bar’ and the ‘rainbow heart’ instead of the full logo on its on-screen graphics? Will viewers be able to easily identify which network they are watching?

The answer is a definite yes. In many ways, ABS-CBN’s ‘three circles and a bar’ and GMA’s ‘rainbow heart’ are both famous and legendary, and can stand out on its own without the need of a network name.

Still, it will be up to the braintrust of both networks to see if a simpler on-screen graphic can be helpful to the audience and easier to the eyes. For now, though, the focus is on the preparation for the digital age, but once the conversion is complete, perhaps this topic should be revisited soon.

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Revisiting GMA’s Iconic Rainbow Logo

It has been over 26 years since the rainbow became the symbol of GMA Network.

Nowadays, the rainbow motif is seen on GMA’s current ‘Kapuso’ logo, which was unveiled in 2002. However, as the network struggles to keep up with ABS-CBN’s superior programming, perhaps a revisit to the original rainbow logo will remember many of the network’s good times.

The rainbow made its debut in 1990, while still using the 1979 version of the GMA Radio Television Arts logo. By that point, the ‘Tower of Power’ in the network’s Timog headquarters helped GMA reach into a larger audience, but bigger plans lay ahead.

Just in time for GMA’s 42nd corporate anniversary in 1992, the network unveiled what is now known as the ‘Rainbow Satellite’ logo. The era saw GMA expand its operations by constructing regional relay stations across the country (later known as GMA Regional Network Group), and it also began to broadcast in other international countries (later known as GMA Pinoy TV).

For its 45th anniversary in 1995, GMA simplified the ‘Rainbow Satellite’ logo by removing the corporate slogan ‘Where You Belong’ along with the ‘Rainbow Satellite’ marking. The era saw GMA unveil a UHF channel in Citynet 27, while expanding into film production via what is now GMA Films.

The final version of the original ‘Rainbow Satellite’ logo was unveiled in 1998, sans the satellite that capped the rainbow. The logo was the first to adorn the newly-built GMA Network Center, which was opened in time for GMA’s 50th anniversary in 2000, as well as the last to use the ‘Where You Belong’ slogan.

In order to aggressively compete with ABS-CBN, GMA unveiled its current ‘Kapuso’ logo in 2002, with the heart adorned in rainbow accents. Though GMA found early success with the new look thanks to popular fantaseryes such as ‘Mulawin’ and the original ‘Encantadia’, financial difficulties prevented the network from gaining further ground.

Indeed, it is those financial difficulties which continue to haunt GMA to this day. It’s a shame, because even though they have tried their best to equal ABS-CBN’s diverse ventures, GMA still falls short, and for CEO Felipe Gozon, that is not a good thing.

Perhaps a return to a modified version of the ‘Rainbow Satellite’ logo along with an alternative set of programs could change everything. Still, it will be a huge challenge for GMA to even become at par with ABS-CBN, which is not easy.