KTLA marks 75 years with a logo inspired by its iconic ‘5’

Los Angeles‘ KTLA celebrated its 75th anniversary Jan. 22, 2022, and has been marking the occasion on air with a special logo and bug that tacks a “7” onto its longtime “5” logo and gives its a stylistic twist.

The Nexstar owned CW affiliate has used its current distinctive “5” numeral as its logo, in slightly different forms, since around 1981.

The design features separates “upper” and “lower” parts of the logo into two pieces, with the top horizontal stroke gaining a slight “tail” to suggest the vertical stroke normally found on the left side of a “5” but, in this case, doesn’t fully exist.

The lower part of the “5” is formed by a circular element with a “notch” that resembles a sideways “P” forming the rest of the suggestion of the numeral’s shape.

For the station’s 75th anniversary, the station tacked on a “7” that has a similar top stroke to the “5” (albeit in mirror image) and a diagonal line with curved corners in all but the lower left.

The negative space left by the numbers all intersect in the center of the “75,” creating the suggestion of intertwining highways and exit ramps, perhaps a nod to the city’s large stretches of freeways.

KTLA is rotating between its normal “5” bug with the “75” version, which typically features the word “years” below it to help distinguish that it’s not an alternate channel number.

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The station continues to run its custom drawn, tightly kerned and completely connected “KTLA” atop of both looks, including the bolder “LA” letters to emphasize its hometown.

KTLA was previously owned by Tribune, which heavily invested in a news heavy schedule, similar to its sister station WGN in Chicago. KTLA, in fact, uses the tagline “LA’s Very Own,” a take on WGN’s “Chicago’s Very Own” slogan.