Buying the New Yorker 1976 - page 49

Nostalgia:


In 1976 NBC changed its logo. This was a big deal. I remember this because NBC spent a lot of money explaining how this was a big deal.

To sum up -- the last logo was a peacock. The reason that NBC chose a peacock was because it had made the jump to color television. As everything was broadcast in color in 1976, NBC decided that "Hooray! We're in color!" as a branding theme had run its course.

So a new logo.

Unfortunately there were a few snags:

1. The period from 1976 to 1980 saw NBC in last place in the ratings. (The 75-76 season that this ad is appearing smack in the middle of was particularly dismal).
   
2. The new "N" logo was distressingly similar to the logo of Nebraska Public Television, naturally leading to a lawsuit.
   

By 1979 the "N" was recast with the peacock superimposed on it, and in 1986 the "N" was removed and the peacock was once again the logo, as it has remained to this day.

You will be astonished to learn that there is a page on Wikipedia about the history of NBC logos.