GBH/Station IDs

1st ID (1955-1956)
Nicknames : "The Sticks"

Logo : The logo consists of the the following text near the bottom center of the screen:

WGBH-TV                                                                                                                                                              BOSTON                                                                                                                                                                CHANNEL2

In the background are lines in various sizes and angles. The names of cities receiving the station are above the logo in the left-center of the screen.

FX/SFX : Unknown

Music : Unknown, but there may be an announcer

Availability : Extinct, the only remains of this logo can be found on a Logopedia page.

Editor's Note : This is the first known identity produced by WGBH, and at the time it had a unique design.

2nd ID (1979-1982)
Nicknames: "The 2 II", "Shiny 2", "Silver 2", "Cute 2"

Logo: On a black background, we see a gradient layer of the silver outline of the "2" from before, with a flash of light on its top. To the left of the 2 is "WGBH TV" and to the right of it is "BOSTON" is written in baskerville's font (which is a cute logo design unlike WGBH Boston). After a couple seconds, the logo fades to the 3rd logo.

FX/SFX : The logo fading in, then to the 3rd logo.

Music/Sounds : A female announcer says "This is Channel 2, WGBH-TV Boston."

Availability : Extinct. It was only used as a station ID.

Editor's Note : None.

3rd ID (1982-1989)
Nicknames : "The 2 II", "2 City", "Cheesy 2"

Logo : Over a shot of the Boston skyline at night, a white colored "2" (with the extrusions filled and the "2" being a cutout) zooms back to the center of the screen. To the left of the "2" is the text "WGBH TV" and to the right of the "2" is the word "BOSTON." The "2" flashes similar to the 3rd logo turning the background black, the "2" white, and the outline orange.

FX/SFX : The logo zooming out. The logo flashing. The logo and background changing.

Music/Sounds : A mellow synth theme with a synthesized whoosh as the logo zooms out. There is a "ping" as the logo flashes and a drumbeat afterwards. Throughout the logo, an announcer (William Pierce) says "This is viewer supported television from Boston. WGBH TV."

Availability : Extinct. Was only used as a station ID. Appeared before programs on WGBH.

Editor's Note : None.

4th ID (1989-Early 1990s)
Nicknames : "The 2 IV", "3D 2", "Cute 2 II"

Logo : We fade into what appears to be space. The background is entirely black with the exception of a dark blue glowing semicircle that looks like Earth. The "2" from the previous logo zooms out, but it is gold shaded instead of orange. As it stops zooming back,pink- red, green, and bluecomets come in from the top left of the screen and go through the cut-out "2" as they streak off to the right. "W G B H T V B O S T O N" appears below in a grey- white generic font. The animation loops a few more times before the logo ends.

FX/SFX : CGI animation.

Music/Sounds : An excerpt of "Shadowdance" by "Shadowfax".

Availability : Extinct. Appeared on Return of the Art Maker, which is long gone from TV and never made an official home media release. Also used as a station ID at the time.

Editor's Note : None.

5th ID (1989-Early 1990s)
Nicknames: "The 2 V", "CGI 2", "Gold 2"

Logo: On a black background, a gold colored "2" (in the same design as before but in 3D) zooms and tilts back until it disappears.

Mystery Variant: A reversed version might have been used as a sign on. We're not sure of this yet, as this needs validity.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct. Was only used as a sign off ID (and possibly a sign on ID).

Editor's Note: None.

6th ID (January 22, 2001-November 24, 2013?)
Nicknames: "Eerie Outline I", "Sleepless in Boston"

Logo: On a black background, a brief flash shows us uncolored pipes. Suddenly, golden  beams fly through them, as the camera pans around, following it. The camera then pans and zooms outward, revealing the now-completed WGBH logo in a neon format as it flashes bright like the 1977 WGBH logo. The WGBH logo goes dim as a neon number "2" [the channel number] lights up in a bluish-white  color for about 3 seconds and goes out.

Variants:
 * Also seen with affiliate stations in a black typeface on the bottom of the WGBH logo.
 * A short version of the WGBH logo exists.

SFX/FX: The flashing and the WGBH logo appearing and the 2 appearing.

Music and Sounds: A slightly extended version of the infamous WGBH synth theme. When the WGBH logo flashes, Jim Birdsall, who has done work for CNBC and NBC stations KING and KGW in Seattle and Portland, says "WGBH Boston". Finally, a humming sound is heard when the "2" appears.

Availability: Probably extinct. Was only seen as a local station ID. You would've had to go to Boston (or, more generally, the Greater Boston area) to see this WGBH logo in person.

Editor's Note : None.