WQED, Pittsburgh’s PBS station, is reportedly changing its logo. The station’s new look replaces the familiar "three rivers" design with a modernized interpretation of the "Q" as a speech bubble. This updated logo started appearing on WQED’s social media platforms in November 2024.
The new design features a custom-drawn glyph replacing the letter "Q," shaped like a speech bubble. The remaining letters are presented in a bold sans-serif font, a significant departure from the previous geometric sans-serif style with an accompanying "Q"-like icon. The old logo, representing the confluence of Pittsburgh's rivers, suffered from inconsistent wave thicknesses and potential confusion due to the repeating "Q."
The updated logo boasts more consistent strokes, and the speech bubble "Q" is more easily readable. The bolder typography enhances visibility. The station's continued emphasis on the letter "Q" as a key brand element is evident in the new design. While the pointed tail of the "Q" might seem at odds with the overall typeface, it helps distinguish the "Q" from other letters.
The rollout plan for the new logo remains unclear, as does the future of the FM radio station which previously shared the river logo. However, the speech bubble concept might be particularly relevant to a radio station, given its audio-only format. Although television is predominantly visual, audio remains crucial, and the speech bubble could also symbolize ideas and information exchange.
Other TV stations have utilized speech bubbles in their branding, including the former HLN and WCIU in Chicago. Meanwhile, other prominent PBS stations have adopted different branding strategies: WGBH in Boston rebranded as "GBH" in 2020, and WNET in New York City uses "Thirteen" across its platforms.