WQED, Pittsburgh’s PBS station, is set to replace its long-standing “three rivers” logo. The new branding features a modernized logo where the “Q” is reimagined as a speech bubble. This updated look began appearing on WQED’s social media platforms in November 2024, although the station's website and TV broadcasts still retain the older design.
WQED Multimedia, the station's owner, has not yet commented publicly on the change. The new logo replaces the previous geometric sans serif lettering and Q-like icon with a custom glyph within a speech bubble shape. The remaining letters are presented in a bolder, cleaner sans serif font.
The previous logo, featuring three stylized waves representing Pittsburgh's rivers, had inconsistencies in its design. It was also prone to being misread as "QWQED". The new design boasts more consistent strokes and improved visibility thanks to the bolder typeface. The station has long used the "Q" as a key brand element, and the new design maintains this focus.
The updated design's sharp points, while reminiscent of some geometric sans serifs, are forgivable, as they help distinguish the “Q” within the design. The rollout plans for the new logo remain unclear, including whether the station's FM radio counterpart will also adopt the change. The speech bubble concept is arguably even more relevant to a radio station as an audio-only medium, while for television, the bubble might represent ideas and information exchange.
Other TV stations have utilized speech bubble imagery in their logos, including the former HLN and WCIU in Chicago. Interestingly, some prominent PBS stations, such as WGBH in Boston (rebranded as "GBH" in 2020) and WNET in New York City (using "Thirteen"), have adopted different branding strategies.