WQED changes lives, logos

WQED-TV (13) and its affiliates yesterday unveiled a new logo and slogan, “WQED changes lives.” The new “Q” in the logo includes what appear to be three rivers or hills and is the product of a “rebranding process” that began in May 2006, according to a press release.

“In doing research for this changeover, time and again people told us how WQED helped make their lives better, how it provided information and resources to help them learn and, more importantly, to help them think,” said George L. Miles, Jr., president and chief executive officer of WQED, in a prepared statement. “We were told how we continue to stand out and inspire people in an otherwise vast wasteland of media choices. We came to the conclusion that WQED does in fact change lives for the better.”

The station is now offering 1,500 hours of local and national programming on its website, he said.

New theme music will also be heard during station promos, IDs and bumpers; it was written by composer and pianist Michael Moricz, a native of Moon Township who once worked as music director for “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

In addition to its flagship TV station, WQED operates classic music station WQED-FM (89.3) in Pittsburgh and WQEJ-FM (89.7) in Johnstown and publishes Pittsburgh magazine. The station also owns another former public TV outlet, WQEX-TV (16), which was once noncommercial but is now leased to a home-shopping channel run by NBC.

(Tip o’the PBRTV propeller-hat: The Burgh Blog.)