CBS Logo PNG
The CBS logo is a concise, mystical expression of the brand’s essence and philosophy, a sign of the transition to visual content. The CBS abbreviation and symbol on the company’s logo are recognizable and indicate to users who the brand’s owners are.
CBS began in 1927 as United Independent Broadcasters, a fragile radio network created by talent agent Arthur Judson. It soon faced financial trouble. That same year, the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting Company joined, giving the network its on-air name, Columbia Broadcasting System.
In 1927, cigar manufacturer Samuel Paley bought airtime on WCAU to promote La Palina. Sales surged. His son William S. Paley saw the potential of radio advertising and, in 1928, acquired a controlling stake, becoming president on September 26. In 1929, “Phonographic” was dropped from the name.
Paley moved its headquarters to New York and expanded rapidly. Within two years, CBS signed 49 affiliates. Unlike NBC, owned by RCA, CBS paid stations for airtime and retained control over programming. By the early 1930s, the network had grown to about 90 stations.
During the 1930s, CBS recruited talent from NBC, including Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. At the same time, the news gained weight. Edward R. Murrow built a European team whose wartime broadcasts from London in 1940–1941 shaped CBS’s reputation.
In 1948, CBS Records introduced the 33⅓ rpm LP, challenging RCA’s 45 rpm format and triggering a format rivalry.
From 1955 to 1975, CBS led US television ratings with shows like “I Love Lucy” and “The Ed Sullivan Show,” as well as news anchored by Walter Cronkite.
In 1995, Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired CBS for $5.4 billion. In 1999, the company merged with Viacom. After a 2006 split, the firms reunited in 2019 as ViacomCBS, later renamed Paramount Global.
Meaning and History
William Golden is considered the author of the famous CBS emblem. However, few know that the designer borrowed the idea from Belgian artist René Magritte. This refers to the surrealist painting “The False Mirror,” which depicts an eye with clouds instead of the iris. The original CBS logo also featured a blue sky with clouds inside the eye. Kurt Weiss drew it under William’s direction. But this version has not survived to the present day: the head of the radio and television company, Frank Stanton, personally removed the sky landscape, and since then, the icon has been black-and-white. At the same time, officials claim the emblem was inspired by symbols on Amish barns, which were meant to ward off evil spirits.
The unofficial nickname “Eye Network” was given to the company because its logo depicts a human eye. It appeared in 1951, replacing the old brand names with inscriptions.
What is CBS?
CBS is the abbreviated name for Columbia Broadcasting System, an American radio and television network that is part of the namesake corporation. It is also one of the three largest broadcasting stations in the United States.
1927 – 1931
The beginning of the Columbia Broadcasting System’s history is considered 1927. However, the radio network under this name appeared in 1929. Before that, there was the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting Company, which was renamed and relaunched after it filed for bankruptcy. So, the logo presented here dates not to 1927 but to the network’s rebrand after it returned to the air. It depicts a classic vintage radio microphone inside a massive structure designed to improve sound quality. It stands on an improvised table as a double horizontal line. For symmetry, another such double strip is drawn at the top. Between them stretches a zigzag line, resembling a growing linear graph.
Above the image is the word “Columbia,” and below is the phrase “BROADCASTING SYSTEM INC.,” divided into two lines. All elements, including the letters, are black. A Serif font is used for the inscription. The spacing between the glyphs is so narrow that the letters “C” and “o” are connected, as in handwriting.
1931 – 1935
The number of stations in the network grew rapidly, prompting its owners to consider rebranding. Thus, a new CBS logo appeared. It also features a round retro microphone for voice recording, but now only its top part is visible without the stem. The design consists of white concentric circles with black outlines of varying widths and four star-shaped triangles. Geometric shapes are placed inside a black ring, on which the phrase “THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM” is written in bold grotesque. The spacing between the letters has become even smaller, so closely spaced glyphs are now separated only by black outlines. The letters themselves are white.
1935 – 1938
In 1935, the radio network adopted the logo abbreviation “CBS” instead of the long letters. Three black letters are attached to the top of a black ring, arranged in an arc-shaped tilt. The font looks asymmetrical because the letter “B” has only one small rectangular serif, and the letters “C” and “S” have no serifs at all. Artists have detailed the interior of the old radio microphone and serrated the triangular lines to make it clear that these are springs.
1938 – 1941
In 1938, CBS bought a recording company and changed its logo. Instead of a round microphone, designers depicted an abstract triangular shape with a circle at its center. The frame around the triangle creates an optical illusion. Due to the distortion of depth perception, it is unclear which edges protrude and which are on the side. At the top is an inverted trapezoid with black “CBS” letters written in a print font.
1941
In 1941, the artists changed the microphone’s appearance. It still has a retro design, but its shape is no longer round; it is now vertically elongated. Only a black frame ring, in which the logo is placed, reminds one of a circle. The right side of the microphone consists of 24 square dots arranged in 3 rows of 8 each. The left side looks like a deformed diamond. Above is a thin horizontal line emphasizing the black “CBS” abbreviation. The inscription font is bold, grotesque Helvetica Condensed. Below is the microphone’s leg, shaped as a wide, hook-shaped line.
1941 – 1951
One radio and television network emblem contains “CBS,” an abbreviation for the Columbia Broadcasting System. Designers used a winding semi-circular font and a simple black-and-white palette.
1946 – 1965
In 1946, the company introduced another logo abbreviation, “CBS.” Light from a spotlight falls from the upper right corner, illuminating the inscription. Thanks to the artistic combination of light and shadow, it appears three-dimensional.
1951 – today
CBS creative director William Golden introduced the modern version of the logo on October 20, 1951. The idea of drawing an eye came to him quite accidentally when he was driving through southeastern Pennsylvania and saw unique polygonal barns belonging to the Shaker religious community. The buildings depicted hexagonal signs meant to protect against evil spirits.
The artist combined occult drawings with a Pennsylvanian hexadecimal symbol to create a new CBS logo. In 1952, he suggested replacing the mystical eye with another “identifier,” but the company president was categorically against the redesign.
Font and Colors
The current CBS logo is known as Eyemark. It depicts an object resembling a human eye. The figure consists of three geometric elements: a large black circle that serves as the background; a pointed white ellipse; and a small black circle with a pupil. This symbolized television broadcasting and modern media technologies, marking the transition from audio to visual content.
The graphic logo is often supplemented with the abbreviation “CBS” and the name of a specific division. Moreover, each version has its font. For example, “CBS News” has long, thin serifs; “CBS Sports” is grotesque; and the word “Radio” is set in an unusual designer font.
The color palette also varies. Monochrome combinations of white with black, or shades of blue, predominate. Sometimes, emblems feature a gradient and a combination of several bright colors.
FAQ
What is the CBS Logo?
The logo consists of three geometric elements shaped like an eye: two black circles (a small central one and a large outer one) and a white oval with pointed ends. The sign is called Eyemark. It was created in 1951 by William Golden.
Who Founded CBS?
William S. Paley founded CBS after receiving it from his wife’s brothers, Isaac and Leon Levy. He also became the company’s head, buying another 16 radio stations. This event occurred in 1928.
What Does CBS Mean?
CBS stands for Columbia Broadcasting System. The abbreviated name of the American radio and television network has been used since 1974.
Who Founded CBS in 1927?
In 1927, the CBS company was founded by Arthur Judson. About three months later, he sold the radio station to the Levy brothers – Isaac and Leon. They, in turn, handed it over to William S. Paley, who expanded and developed the broadcasting network.