CBS Eye Turns 60; Network Plans to Mark Anniversary

The CBS Eye turns 60 Thursday. And it's still not showing its age.

While various network logos have evolved over the years, including NBC's peacock, CBS' Eye has undergone just a few, small tweaks. It premiered during the network's station breaks on Oct. 20, 1951. CBS announced that it will mark the anniversary of the logo on the air, CBS.com and CBSNews.com. Thursday's prime time will start with an on-air spot showcasing the various CBS logos throughout the years. At the top of the two subsequent hours, the original logo and the date it first aired will be shown.

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In addition, CBS.com will replace its homepage's current logo with the original. Users can see a brief explanation of its significance, and they'll be directed to a Charles Osgood story about its creation and history. CBSNews.com will also run the story.

CBS Corp. head Les  Moonves called it "a major source of pride for all of us" in a statement Wednesday. "It is a corporate logo that is known and respected all around the world, and continues to be a fitting symbol of CBS's proud history and ongoing leadership," he said.

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In 1951, then-CBS President Frank Stanton asked creative director Bill Golden to design an on-air symbol. Golden was inspired while driving through Pennsylvania Dutch country, noticing the hex symbols resembling the human eye on Shaker barns. As the image became widely recognized, Stanton adorned cameras, curtains, buildings, jewelry and rate cards with it.

As decades passed, design mavens lauded the logo. In March, Time magazine did a story about the evolution of corporate logos, showing how Starbucks, Nike, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pepsi, among others, changed, while CBS hardly did at all. Similar encomiums were offered in a 1998 New York Times Magazine piece about the century's "greatest design hits" and a 2008 issue of Fortune magazine.