rkolsen 1679 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Since this really isn't a WNBC Issue or strictly Network news I figure that this would be the appropriate forum. The New York Times is reporting that Comcast is currently seeking approval from the New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission to replace the signage that currently has 24 feet high initials of G E on which are on top of the north and south sides of 30 Rockefeller Center. Their proposal is to replace it with the Comcast logo which would include a 12 foot high LED lettering spelling out COMCAST with a 10 foot high peacock centered above it on the towers north and south facades. Comcast is also proposing to add a 17 foot peacock on the towers western facade which the Times reports would be facing Comcast's Philadelphia's headquarters. In addition they also submitted plans to add an entrance and new marquee on the tower's Avenue of America side to promote The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Over all the total square footage of the new signs combined is expected to be less than the current GE signs. Personally I have no issue with Comcast wanting to change the signage on top of 30 Rock given the fact that their condominium like space (a total of 1.6 million square feet) was purchased from GE in 2013 for a total of $1.4 billion. There were news articles which said at the time that Comcast bought out the rest of NBC including the building but GE executives were upset that they would loose their name at the top of the building and that Jeff Immelt wanted to keep some offices their as a place to "hang out" in a prestigious building. However my issue with this is related to them essentially placing their new contemporary logo on top of this building where it would not match the Art Deco building aesthetics. It would be one thing if they were to place the logo on either the Comcast Center or the upcoming Comcast Innovation and Technology Center in Philadelphia which have contemporary looks to match their contemporary logo. Instead I think they should just go with the placing the peacock on each side because comcast doesn't necessarily have a lot of offices their and it should reflect the primary tenant NBC which has been there since the tower opened in 1933. One potential complication would be the numerous television stations in New York that have live skycams from the Empire State Building showing the Manhattan skyline with their competitors logo front and center. Here's a rendering of the sign, personally I think the peacock should be colored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevieboy247 42 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I can't say I'm surprised, I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B2r4a6n 102 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 The west side of the building will have only a peacock on that side (hopefully that will be colored in) They also want to put in a Tonight Show marque over the entrance on Ave. of the Americas which is next to radio city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry 719 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 They had better rethink this move until they pick a new font. The Comcast logo sucks. The government should fine companies with logos this ugly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1945 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I always thought this was their best logo. ........but this was before they became what they are now. Nevertheless, I wished they kept this logo. I was never a fan of the new logo when it first came out, and not a fan of their name now, as its too clean-looking for my taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skbl17 188 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I don't think Comcast can place their logo on Comcast Center because they lease ~89% of the building (Liberty Property owns the building); the owner would have to approve of this first. Besides, if all goes well, Comcast will be constructing a taller skyscraper nearby within the next few years. With regards to 30 Rock, I don't like Comcast's logo (or the company's business practices) that much, and personally I would not approve of this move. That being said, unless Comcast came to an agreement with GE or the City of New York about 30 Rock when they acquired NBC forbidding Comcast from removing the logo for a set period of time, I feel that this should go ahead for one reason, and one reason only: 30 Rock, last I checked, was private property. If Comcast owns 30 Rock outright, and there's no agreement regarding logo placement on the building, as stipulated above, why stop them? Sure, it may look a bit tacky, but it doesn't harm local business owners, visitors, or residents, so there's no reason to prevent them from placing their logo on a building they own. Now, if nearby residents and businesses can prove that the building has a] historic value that cannot be compromised by this move and/or b] a health risk that would ensue if Comcast does this, then I could see this move being stopped or adjusted by Comcast to make it more appealing. I find that unlikely though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVIntheDesert 183 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 What if (in that slight possibility, but not likely given who's heading the Commission right now) the FCC blocks the merger with Time Warner Cable? It will look odd to have the name of a company on the skyline of a city that they don't serve. Wouldn't just the Peacock do justice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1679 Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 The west side of the building will have only a peacock on that side (hopefully that will be colored in) They also want to put in a Tonight Show marque over the entrance on Ave. of the Americas which is next to radio city. In the planning commission document used the term marquees for 1250 Avenue of Americas and according to Google StreetView the only other marquees are on 49th and 50th Streets. But the New York Times only stated that the 1250 marquee to be changed which I assume is where the audience entrance is. I do hope it that the peacock is filled in because otherwise it would look silly. They had better rethink this move until they pick a new font. The Comcast logo sucks. The government should fine companies with logos this ugly! I agree that they should use another font or have designed their own for their exclusive use but I think the layout should stay the same. Ideally the font should be centered better between the M and C. At least they didn't use Rock which they use internally. I don't think Comcast can place their logo on Comcast Center because they lease ~89% of the building (Liberty Property owns the building); the owner would have to approve of this first. Besides' date=' if all goes well, Comcast will be constructing a taller skyscraper nearby within the next few years. With regards to 30 Rock, I don't like Comcast's logo (or the company's business practices) that much, and personally I would not approve of this move. That being said, unless Comcast came to an agreement with GE or the City of New York about 30 Rock when they acquired NBC forbidding Comcast from removing the logo for a set period of time, I feel that this should go ahead for one reason, and one reason only: 30 Rock, last I checked, was private property. If Comcast owns 30 Rock outright, and there's no agreement regarding logo placement on the building, as stipulated above, why stop them? Sure, it may look a bit tacky, but it doesn't harm local business owners, visitors, or residents, so there's no reason to prevent them from placing their logo on a building they own. Now, if nearby residents and businesses can prove that the building has a] historic value that cannot be compromised by this move and/or b] a health risk that would ensue if Comcast does this, then I could see this move being stopped or adjusted by Comcast to make it more appealing. I find that unlikely though. Rockefeller Center is owned by Tishman Speyer however in 30 Rockefeller Plaza NBCUniversal owns floors 1-30 and 50-59 and Tishman Speyer 31-49 the arrangement is described as NBC owning a condominium. So NBC owns the majority of the building, I don't know what happened to floors 60-70 but I'm assuming they are engineering floors spaced through out the building so I guess if a engineering floor is on physical floor 9 the physical floor 10 could be labeled floor 9. Comcast owns the naming rights but per this article neon signage and signage on top of buildings in general since the 1960s has been banned and the ones that have it at the top have been grandfathered in. They also state that because it's a historic property it will have a little more scrutiny and that ideally the logo should match buildings style which is why I support either using the peacock exclusively or putting NBC on it in the style that RCA was placed on the building. . As for the Comcast Innovation and Technology Center it is to be co owned by Comcast and Liberty Property Trust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry 719 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I don't think Comcast can place their logo on Comcast Center because they lease ~89% of the building (Liberty Property owns the building); the owner would have to approve of this first. Besides, if all goes well, Comcast will be constructing a taller skyscraper nearby within the next few years. It is common for owners of skyscrapers to allow one or more anchor tenants to erect signs.The former Standard Oil/BP building in Cleveland now has a Huntington National Bank sign hanging on it. I'm sure GE's sign was placed there because they leased the building (through NBC). Didn't it replace an RCA sign (which GE bought)? The other part of this is that landlords want to keep tenants happy. If a good tenant wants to put his sign up on the building, no landlord is going to say no unless the sign is pretty ugly. Although I hate it, it's not ugly enough to say no to. What if (in that slight possibility, but not likely given who's heading the Commission right now) the FCC blocks the merger with Time Warner Cable? It will look odd to have the name of a company on the skyline of a city that they don't serve. Wouldn't just the Peacock do justice? NBC was owned by GE, which had their sign on the building. The new sign will still be the owner of NBC, which is Comcast. I agree that they should use another font or have designed their own for their exclusive use but I think the layout should stay the same. Ideally the font should be centered better between the M and C. At least they didn't use Rock which they use internally. I personally think they should just use the font NBC has been using for the last 20 years or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1679 Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 ... I personally think they should just use the font NBC has been using for the last 20 years or so. I've seen the entertainment division use a different font for NBC recently. Where it the letters are a bit more narrow and the learning a bit wider. However I do love the NBC News font, particularly the way the W appears. I figure it's a proprietary font but I could never find any information on it or it's name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbs2newengland 71 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I think I read about the font on a post here years back that said it was a modified version of Futura and it was an NBC proprietary font. I find it weird when I see a Comcast commercial running on Fox or CBS O&O and the seeing the peacock logo faintly on the bottom of the screen. Also if I worked at the retail service depots, I still find it weird if I wore shirt with the peacock. If you are field reporter or a camera man or a sales rep at the network is one thing, but a service tech at the "pipeline" side of the company is still something I can't fathom 3 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry 719 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I think I read about the font on a post here years back that said it was a modified version of Futura and it was an NBC proprietary font. I find it weird when I see a Comcast commercial running on Fox or CBS O&O and the seeing the peacock logo faintly on the bottom of the screen. Also if I worked at the retail service depots, I still find it weird if I wore shirt with the peacock. If you are field reporter or a camera man or a sales rep at the network is one thing, but a service tech at the "pipeline" side of the company is still something I can't fathom 3 years later. Whatever it is, it is based on ITC Kabel, a font which was probably most popular in the 1970's and 1980's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabel_(typeface) Here's a video that uses that font in bold: Here's a sample of the font (in bold) in use in a discount store ad in 1974 (flip through a few pages and you'll get the idea). You can see the W in the upper left hand corner of Page 20. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z38iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BKoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2106%2C1364187 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weeters 1812 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Didn't it replace an RCA sign (which GE bought)? It did! It seems it's kind of hard to find a photo of this, so here's something from the TVNT Archives. I kind of wish they'd make it orange/red, just as a nod to the two signs that have been there in the past. I've also heard a few people say they should just put "NBC" up there in a way that matches the original "RCA" lettering below. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1679 Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 It did! It seems it's kind of hard to find a photo of this, so here's something from the TVNT Archives. I kind of wish they'd make it orange/red, just as a nod to the two signs that have been there in the past. I've also heard a few people say they should just put "NBC" up there in a way that matches the original "RCA" lettering below. Oh well. One issue is the artists rendering of the logo's style guide - meaning it shouldn't be lit up in white lights. Maybe it will change. I completely understand that sentiment because at the end of the day it isn't Comcast or GE that is based out of the building - it is and will always be NBC. Corporate ownership may change but through all the new owners one thing is for certain 30 Rock is NBC's and the two never will separate. Even though Comcast is a certainly a better matched owner for NBC than GE ever was and I believe they are in it for the long term. This is a bit of an aside about 30 Rock and why it should be NBC's name/ logo up there. As I stated earlier comcast will not be based out of this building - it is predominantly and ultimately NBC and it's subsidiaries building. NBC has been in the building since it's inception in 1933 and I highly doubt they would ever leave the building so it's the perfect reasoning for those three letters on each side of the building. Second the building is "world famous" how many people outside of us know where ABC and CBS are based - not many. It would take major renovations (which they have done/ are doing floor by floor and each studio goes offline, an act of god or was to get NBC out of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Here's better image even though it's watermarked: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry 719 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 This is a bit of an aside about 30 Rock and why it should be NBC's name/ logo up there. As I stated earlier comcast will not be based out of this building - it is predominantly and ultimately NBC and it's subsidiaries building. NBC has been in the building since it's inception in 1933 and I highly doubt they would ever leave the building so it's the perfect reasoning for those three letters on each side of the building. Second the building is "world famous" how many people outside of us know where ABC and CBS are based - not many. It would take major renovations (which they have done/ are doing floor by floor and each studio goes offline, an act of god or was to get NBC out of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. CBS is at 51 W. 52nd St., and it used to be known as "Black Rock"; with studios on West 57th (hence the name of the show). ABC used to be at 1330 Avenue of the Americas, but who knows where they are now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1945 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 CBS is at 51 W. 52nd St., and it used to be known as "Black Rock"; with studios on West 57th (hence the name of the show). ABC used to be at 1330 Avenue of the Americas, but who knows where they are now. ABC is at 77 W. 66th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry 719 Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 ABC is at 77 W. 66th. wanna bet they got the address changed to match the radio (and TV) station's dial position? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1679 Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 wanna bet they got the address changed to match the radio (and TV) station's dial position? I assume since they own the buildings on the block they could choose anything that's in range. But I never realized that.CBS is at 51 W. 52nd St., and it used to be known as "Black Rock"; with studios on West 57th (hence the name of the show). ABC used to be at 1330 Avenue of the Americas, but who knows where they are now. My only reason is that neither of those buildings are what I'd call marquee venues - meaning ones that they layperson would know of or want to visit for touristy activities. Think of the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center ie places that are tourist traps, granite 30 Rock doesn't get the numbers of the Empire State but it holds it's own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanewsguy 509 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Why can't they just replace it with a peacock like on the NBC Tower in Chicago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1945 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I'm not sure if it was mentioned but the NYC Landmarks Preservation Committee greenlighted the signage change. No timeline on when they'll formally change the sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohnnyV 1 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Just for everyone's information because there seems to be some confusion about the ownership of 30 Rock, neither Comcast, RCA or General Electric ever own it outright, it was originally developed and owned by the Rockefeller family until 2000 when they sold it to Jerry I. Speyer (Now Tishman-Speyer) for $1.85 Billion Dollars which is approximately $2.6 Billion in 2014 dollars, However it should be noted that since then the floors in the complex have been split up and sold individually, Comcast/NBC owns Floors 1st to 30th and 51st Floors, Tishman-Speyer owns the 31st thru 49th Floors, General Electric owns the 52nd and 53rd Floors, the Rockefeller Family 56th thru 59th Floors. The Rockefellers however announced they will be moving out of Suite 5600 which consists of those three floors to smaller and more modest digs at 10 Rockefeller Plaza starting in 2015, now whether the Rockefeller Trust will leave it empty, sell it to Comcast to Tishman-Speyer or just lease it out long term to another company is not known. As many of you already know General Electric lists its headquarters as being in Fairfield, Connecticut which is where the majority of their businesses operations are headquartered but the true headquarters for the company executives including current GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt and former GE Chairman Jack Welsh is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, that's why Immelt went ape-sh*t when Comcast filed with the City of New York for permission to removed the neon GE logo and replace it with COMCAST and the NBC Peacock logo because he (Immelt) and General Electric feel that 30 Rockefeller Plaza should be identified only with them and not with Comcast or NBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4225 Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Tough (poop) for Immelt. GE no longer has ANY vested interest in NBCUni, they only occupy two floors of the building, and I'd be shocked if Comcast didn't get the blessing of Tishman-Speyer to request the name and signage change when they presented it to the city for approval. There is nothing Immelt can do here except sulk and act like a crybaby. Which he apparently is doing. Besides, the vast majority of people refer to the building as "30 Rock" or "30 Rockefeller Center." And then there are people who probably still call it the "RCA Building." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkolsen 1679 Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Tough (poop) for Immelt. GE no longer has ANY vested interest in NBCUni, they only occupy two floors of the building, and I'd be shocked if Comcast didn't get the blessing of Tishman-Speyer to request the name and signage change when they presented it to the city for approval. There is nothing Immelt can do here except sulk and act like a crybaby. Which he apparently is doing. Besides, the vast majority of people refer to the building as "30 Rock" or "30 Rockefeller Center." And then there are people who probably still call it the "RCA Building." Someone said the GE executives likened 30 Rock as a trophy property. A fancy address where little work is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabceyewitness 767 Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 30 Rock is now officially the Comcast Building and the NBC Peacock and Comcast logo light up the NYC skyline starting tonight. http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/30-rock-renamed-comcast-building/266481 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caliwxdude 252 Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 This thread is missing something. Much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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