Explore the iconic CBC logo – its design, history, and visual identity.
Key information about CBC: origin, designer, industry, and logo introduction year.
| Website | cbc.ca |
| Country | Canada |
| Industry | Media |
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The CBC logo is an iconic radiating symbol designed by Burton Kramer in 1974, representing Canada’s national public broadcaster with geometric forms that symbolize connectivity and nationwide reach.
The design centers on the letter “C” for Canada, with segments expanding outward in a dynamic pattern. Originally rendered in red radiating to orange and yellow against a dark blue background, the logo was nicknamed “The Exploding Pizza” by Canadians who watched it kaleidoscopically animate at the start of broadcasts. Kramer won a national competition with this design, which needed to embody all aspects of broadcasting while serving as a strong visual symbol adaptable for various uses and effective for on-air animation.
The current version, refined in 1992, uses a simplified 13-component structure with a solid red circle at the center, down from the original 28 components. The red (#d8232a) symbolizes energy and action, while the black (#1a1919) provides professional grounding. This evolution balanced the need for modernization with maintaining one of Canada’s most recognizable cultural symbols across television, radio, and digital platforms.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, established November 2, 1936, is Canada’s oldest continuously operating broadcasting network. In 1958, CBC extended its television signal nationwide, and by 1966 began colour broadcasts, offering full-colour service by 1974. The “butterfly” logo was introduced to highlight this transition from black-and-white to colour, similar to NBC’s iconic peacock.
The 1970s marked significant advancement for CBC, including continuous colour broadcasting and plans to use satellite technology. In 1974, CBC launched a competition for a new logo and corporate identity. Burton Kramer’s winning design centered on the letter “C,” expanding outward to reflect CBC’s national and international roles. The original “Exploding Pizza” featured a red center radiating in shades of orange and yellow, set against dark blue or encircled in blue, with variations allowing red-on-white or white-on-black presentations. Helvetica Medium accompanied the mark in both English and French.
In 1986, leading up to CBC’s 50th anniversary, designers Hubert Tison and Robert Innes refined the logo to simplify the design and create a consistent contemporary identity. They standardized its use in a single blue associated with professionalism. The logo was updated again in 1992, reducing components from 28 to 13 and replacing the central “C” with a solid circle. Red returned to symbolize energy, and this version remains in use today, though Kramer expressed disappointment with the changes, feeling they lacked distinct representation of Canada.
The CBC logo originally employed Helvetica Medium for accompanying text in both English and French, reflecting 1970s modernist design principles valuing clarity and international recognition. The sans-serif typeface provided neutral professionalism that allowed the dynamic radiating symbol to dominate brand applications. Contemporary CBC applications continue using Helvetica or similar neo-grotesque sans-serifs, maintaining typographic consistency across decades while the symbol itself underwent simplification. This restrained approach lets the iconic red and black gem become the primary visual identifier across all media platforms.
Q: Who designed the CBC logo? A: Burton Kramer designed the iconic radiating CBC logo in 1974 after winning a national competition to create a new corporate identity for Canada’s public broadcaster.
Q: Why is the CBC logo called “The Exploding Pizza”? A: The nickname came from the original 1974 design featuring red, orange, and yellow segments radiating outward, which resembled exploding pizza toppings, especially during the kaleidoscopic on-air animation.
Q: When was the current CBC logo design introduced? A: The current simplified version was introduced in 1992, reducing the design from 28 to 13 components and replacing the central “C” with a solid red circle for better reproduction at small sizes.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation logo represents a media brand from Canada. Learn more on the official CBC website.
