Jump to content

WGBH Boston to Rebrand as "GBH"


bostonmediaguy

Recommended Posts

On September 1, public media powerhouse WGBH will rebrand its various platforms under the "GBH" umbrella, citing the fact that fewer people access via broadcast. More information on the rebrand, and the new logo, is available on their website: https://www.wgbh.org/beyondbroadcast.

 

I'm curious what others think about this as it's not limited to public broadcasters. What do you think about dropping the "W" (or "K")?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, bostonmediaguy said:

On September 1, public media powerhouse WGBH will rebrand its various platforms under the "GBH" umbrella, citing the fact that fewer people access via broadcast. More information on the rebrand, and the new logo, is available on their website: https://www.wgbh.org/beyondbroadcast.

 

I'm curious what others think about this as it's not limited to public broadcasters. What do you think about dropping the "W" (or "K")?

 

 Probably the most important news - according to the FAQ, this isn't going anywhere.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, bostonmediaguy said:

On September 1, public media powerhouse WGBH will rebrand its various platforms under the "GBH" umbrella, citing the fact that fewer people access via broadcast. 

 

IWhat do you think about dropping the "W" (or "K")?

I'm sure the folks at the station know what they're doing, and it makes sense as the age of digital and streaming continues to strengthen.

While television and radio as a whole are not dying off right now, it's best for media companies to expand their reach to internet platforms in this age. Their continued success really depends on digital content now.

 

13 minutes ago, swillh2k2 said:

this isn't going anywhere.

 

Oh thank God. Even anyone who doesn't live in Beantown know what that logo is (creepy-ass sting and all) and it's way too iconic to retire. I'll even go as far to say keeping it around longer is a smart idea. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, scrabbleship said:

Didn't they go through a period in the 1990s and 2000s where the main channel 2 went by "'GBH 2" and WGBX went by "'GBH 44"? 

WGBX was also known at one point as GBH Select. Any word if 44 will become GBX on Tuesday? And would WGBY in Springfield also change to GBY?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Action Newsroom said:

I'm sure the folks at the station know what they're doing, and it makes sense as the age of digital and streaming continues to strengthen.

While television and radio as a whole are not dying off right now, it's best for media companies to expand their reach to internet platforms in this age. Their continued success really depends on digital content now.

 

Oh thank God. Even anyone who doesn't live in Beantown know what that logo is (creepy-ass sting and all) and it's way too iconic to retire. I'll even go as far to say keeping it around longer is a smart idea. 

 

Um, I see this on PBS all the time!

 

2 hours ago, bostonmediaguy said:

On September 1, public media powerhouse WGBH will rebrand its various platforms under the "GBH" umbrella, citing the fact that fewer people access via broadcast. More information on the rebrand, and the new logo, is available on their website: https://www.wgbh.org/beyondbroadcast.

 

I'm curious what others think about this as it's not limited to public broadcasters. What do you think about dropping the "W" (or "K")?

 

I wonder if this will replicate across their syndicated radio holdings. Or is this simply across Boston? I would think that the tagline to GBH should be Greater Boston and the educational foundation renamed Greater Boston Holdings, as a nod.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, scrabbleship said:

Didn't they go through a period in the 1990s and 2000s where the main channel 2 went by "'GBH 2" and WGBX went by "'GBH 44"? 

 

They did--updated branding included--and it didn't work and they went back to the original logo pretty quickly.

 

There's literally no reason to mess with the WGBH brand OR the mark. It is the most recognizable brand in public television and one of the most iconic symbols in media. This reeks of WGBH paying an ad agency six figures to find a solution for a problem that didn't exist - and that solution is the equivalent of PVI getting rid of Move Closer. It's just not necessary.

 

3 hours ago, bostonmediaguy said:

More information on the rebrand, and the new logo, is available on their website: https://www.wgbh.org/beyondbroadcast.

 

 

If you have to answer a dozen theoretical questions as to why you changed your brand - as that above URL does - you shouldn't have changed your brand.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, hmaxhanson said:

WGBX was also known at one point as GBH Select. Any word if 44 will become GBX on Tuesday? And would WGBY in Springfield also change to GBY?

 

WGBX: No idea. Probably a return to 'GBH 44 as it's been on and off the last 25 years. That they walked away from that in the mid-2010's was a bit odd in itself.

 

WGBY: WGBH washed their hands of all but the WGBY license last year by signing control of the station to the Five College Consortium that owns WFCR radio. As it was, they usually did their own thing less picking up a variation of the WGBH wordmark for the 2010s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought this might be of interest to some here...

 

The nonprofit WGBH Educational Foundation is rebranding its radio and television properties, eliminating the "W" (a relic of analog, they say) and going with just plain-ol' "GBH". The iconic drop-shadow logo has been updated with a new color scheme and font for the digital age, while the identifying audio sting we all know and love will remain. 

 

Along with its radio services in the Boston and Cape Cod areas, the rebranding will also stretch to the organization's two flagship television outlets in Boston, WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV. It will not be applied to WGBY-TV in Springfield.

 

https://www.wgbh.org/foundation/press/wgbh-rebrands-to-gbh

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose "Boston Public Media" was already taken, because that seems like the logical rebrand instead of dropping a "W" from the call letters.

 

Here in Kansas City, KCPT underwent a similar transformation, de-emphasizing call letters and branding itself as "Kansas City PBS." The organization is a TV station, a radio station and a digital magazine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also to note a couple months back for WGBY in Springfield...they consolidated with the public radio operation out there and everything is now branded New England Public Media with its own logo, so they won't be known as 'GBY'. Surprising with this rebranding they didn't take the new PBS blue branding color or font, but WGBHEF is one of the few PBS outlets that can brand on their own merits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Big Rollo Smokes said:

I thought this might be of interest to some here...

 

The nonprofit WGBH Educational Foundation is rebranding its radio and television properties, eliminating the "W" (a relic of analog, they say) and going with just plain-ol' "GBH". The iconic drop-shadow logo has been updated with a new color scheme and font for the digital age, while the identifying audio sting we all know and love will remain. 

 

Along with its radio services in the Boston and Cape Cod areas, the rebranding will also stretch to the organization's three television outlets, WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV in Boston, and WGBY-TV in Springfield.

 

https://www.wgbh.org/foundation/press/wgbh-rebrands-to-gbh

 

 

 

 

Feels like they're really overthinking this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, C Block said:

 

Feels like they're really overthinking this.


"Hi! We produce two-thirds of the programming seen on PBS television affiliates across the country and it will always be one of our main revenue streams, but you're streaming video on your television now and just not calling it television anymore...so F@*& television! Welcome to our new DIGITAL MEDIA age where we, too, will unsuccessfully wage a battle with Google and Facebook for ad dollars!"

Gag.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using TVNewsTalk you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.