1979 "Proud as a Peacock" logo. This thin-plumed, candycorn-colored peacock was different than the one found on the "Proud N." The old "Abstract N" still appears at the bottom.

"Proud as a Peacock" was the advertising campaign used by the NBC television and radio networks from 1979 to 1981. The campaign was used to promote NBC's programming and to introduce the "Proud N", a logo that would be used until 1986. This article is about the television network. ...

The campaign

By 1979, NBC was deeply mired in third place in the Nielsen ratings. Fred Silverman, who joined the network a year earlier, could not bring the same ratings success he had as programming whiz at ABC and CBS, resulting in a string of programs, such as Supertrain, that were derided by critics and/or tuned out by viewers. This article is about the television network. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... Silverman, Time, 1977 Fred Silverman (born September 13, 1937 in New York City) is an American television executive and producer. ... The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American television network. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... Supertrain was a television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7, 1979, to May 5, 1979. ...

In an attempt to present a positive image in the face of this failure, Silverman and NBC developed an ad campaign called "Proud as a Peacock." The campaign featured a revised version of the famous NBC Peacock logo, billed as the "Proud N," along with a catchy, high-energy jingle (written for NBC by Joey Levine from Crushing Enterprises) that promotes a network ready to shed its losing reputation and project an image of excitement in its programming (see lyrics below). Peacock re-directs here; for alternate uses see Peacock (disambiguation). ... NBC has used numerous logos at various times; this article shows all of its television logos, including the peacock design (originally for color broadcasts only) that led to it being nicknamed the Peacock network and eventually became its logo. ... A jingle is a memorable slogan, set to an engaging melody, mainly broadcast on radio and sometimes on television commercials. ...

1980 "Proud as a Peacock" logo

The 1979-80 season "Proud" campaign promos were produced in New York for NBC's radio and television networks, and customized versions were produced for the network's affiliates. The campaign was introduced in the Summer of 1979, in time to promote the network's Fall 1979 lineup, and was used again in the 1980-81 season with a revised jingle, "We're Proud!" New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Despite the network's effort at "puttin' on a whole new face," NBC's difficulties continued unabated:

• Successes such as Little House on the Prairie and Diff'rent Strokes and the miniseries Shogun were countered by a flood of failed new programming (such as Pink Lady and Jeff), which led to near-daily schedule changes.
• As a result, NBC continued to lag in last place behind CBS and ABC, producing only three Nielsen Top 20 shows in both the 1979-80 and 1980-81 seasons.
• In addition, to add injury to insult, NBC was forced to cancel plans to cover the 1980 Summer Olympics in the wake of the United States’ boycott of the Moscow Games, resulting in many millions of dollars lost in rights fees, facility/equipment investments, and potential ad revenue.[1] The loss of the Olympics combined with several failed shows nearly doomed the network.

The continued failures led to ridicule of the "Proud" campaign both outside the network and inside (see below). Silverman would leave NBC in the summer of 1981; that fall, the network would adopt a slightly new campaign, "Our Pride Is Showing," with little difference in ratings. For other uses, see Little House on the Prairie (disambiguation). ... Diffrent Strokes is an American sitcom that aired on the NBC television network from 1978 to 1985, and on ABC from 1985 to 1986. ... This page is about the TV miniseries. ... Pink Lady, known unofficially as Pink Lady and Jeff [1], was a television show that aired for six weeks on NBC in 1980. ... When TV viewers or entertainment professionals in the United States mention ratings they are often referring to Nielsen Ratings, a system developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the audience size and composition of television programming. ... Badge, released in the USSR The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. ... The American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow was a part of a package of actions to protest against the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow (Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronounciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 878. ...

Lyrics (1979-1980 Campaign)

Puttin' on a whole new face
Dressin' up with lots of style
Puttin' on a special look
Breakin' out a great big smile
Gonna spread our wings and reach right up to the stars
No one is prouder than we are
Add a touch of mystery
Take a look at all that's new
Share a taste of victory
Feelin' some nostalgia too
Gonna spread our wings and be the best you can see
No one is prouder than we are
Goin' up to set some trips
Gonna laugh and dance and sing
Visit with some dear old friends
Gonna topple everything
Gonna spread our wings and show off all that we've got
NBC - Proud as a peacock!

Notable Localized Versions

1979-1980

• WSB-TV (now an ABC affiliate) in Atlanta - "Channel 2, Proud as a Peacock"
• WMAQ-TV in Chicago - "Channel 5, Proud as a Peacock"
• WKYC in Cleveland - "Channel 3, Proud as a Peacock"
• WAPI in Birmingham - "13, Proud as a Peacock!"
• KSBW in Salinas, CA - "KSBW TV-8, Proud as a Peacock!"
• WBBH-TV in Fort Myers - "20, Proud as a Peacock!"
• KNBC-TV in Los Angeles - "Channel 4, Proud as a Peacock
• WNBC-TV in New York City - Same as KNBC-TV
• WMC-TV in Memphis - "Channel 5, Proud as a Peacock!"
• KYW-TV (now a CBS O&O station) in Philadelphia - Same as WKYC
• WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, OH - "21, Proud as a Peacock!"
• WAFF-TV in Huntsville, AL/Decatur, AL - "48, Proud as a Peacock!"
• WLBT in Jackson, MS - "TV-3, Proud as a Peacock!"
• A batch of localized Proud as a Peacock IDs for KSBW, WBBH, WMC, and WFMJ

WSB-TV is the ABC affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Atlanta redirects here. ... WMAQ redirects here. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... WKYC-TV is Clevelands affiliate for NBC and is owned by Gannett. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... 13 WVTM Birmingham Known as NBC 13 WVTM 13 signed on in 1949. ... Nickname: Location in Jefferson County in the state of Alabama Coordinates: , Country State Counties Jefferson, Shelby Incorporated December 19, 1871 Government  - Type Mayor - Council  - Mayor Bernard Kincaid (Current) Larry Langford (Mayor-Elect) Area  - City 151. ... KSBW is a television station in the United States and is the NBC affiliate for the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz, CA market, with studios in Salinas. ... Salinas is the county seat of Monterey County, California. ... WBBH is the NBC-affiliated television station for Southwest Florida. ... Fort Myers is the home of county seat[3] and commercial center of Lee County, Florida. ... KNBC, NBC4, is the NBC-owned and operated station in Los Angeles and the networks West Coast flagship. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... WNBC-TV, NBC4 is the flagship TV station of the NBC television network, with studios located in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... KNBC, NBC4, is the NBC-owned and operated station in Los Angeles and the networks West Coast flagship. ... WMC-TV (Channel 5) is the NBC affiliate for the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. ... For other uses, see Memphis (disambiguation). ... KYW-TV, channel 3, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the CBS Corporation and affiliated with the CBS Television Network. ... This article refers to the largest city of Pennsylvania. ... WKYC-TV is Clevelands affiliate for NBC and is owned by Gannett. ... WFMJ-TV, Channel 21 is the NBC affiliate in Youngstown, Ohio. ... Youngstown is a city located in Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio, on the Mahoning River, 67 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio. ... WAFF is the NBC television affiliate for Huntsville, Alabama. ... Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County, Alabama. ... Decatur is a city located in Morgan County, Alabama on the shore of the Tennessee River. ... WLBT, channel 3, is a Jackson, Mississippi television station and NBC affiliate. ... Jackson is the capital and largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. ...

1980-1981

• WNDU-TV in South Bend, IN: "Channel 16, Proud as a Peacock!" (also used to launch the 5:00 news at the time)
• WESH-TV in Orlando: "Channel 2, Proud as a Peacock!"
• WRC-TV in Washington, DC: "Channel 4, Proud as a Peacock!"
• WKYC-TV in Cleveland: "Channel 3, Proud as a Peacock!"
• KTVE in El Dorado, AR/Monroe, LA: "Channel 10, Proud as a Peacock!"
• KHAS-TV in Hastings, NE/Kearney, NE/Grand Island, NE: "Channel 5, Proud as a Peacock!"
• KRON-TV in San Francisco, CA - "The Bay's 4, Proud as a Peacock!"

WNDU-TV (channel 16) is a television station in South Bend, Indiana. ... South Bend is a city located in St. ... WESH, WESH 2 is a television station serving the Orlando metropolitan area. ... For other uses, see Orlando (disambiguation). ... WRC-TVs studios and tower (1962) WRC-TV NBC4 is a television station in Washington, D.C. NBC owned and operated, the station broadcasts its analog signal on channel 4 and its digital television signal on channel 48. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... WKYC-TV Channel 3 is the NBC affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... KTVE, Channel 10, is the NBC affiliate for the El Dorado, Arkansas/Monroe, Louisiana DMA. The station is licensed to El Dorado, but its main studio is located in West Monroe, Louisiana. ... El Dorado is a city located in Union County, Arkansas. ... Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. ... KHAS-TV 5 is the NBC station in Hastings, Nebraska, USA, which is in the Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney market. ... Hastings is a city located in Adams County, Nebraska. ... Kearney is a city located in Buffalo County, Nebraska. ... Grain elevator along the Union Pacific Railroad in downtown Grand Island Grand Island is a city located in Hall County, Nebraska. ... KRON-TV (Channel 4) is the MyNetworkTV affiliate for the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This article is about the city in California. ...

The "We're LOUD!" Parody

The moves (and failures) of NBC under Fred Silverman’s management generated a feeling of frustration and embarrassment among many of the network’s employees; they were not as proud of the network as the "Proud" campaign suggested, and a few inside staffers composed an alternative jingle to express their disappointment.

"We're Loud - Proud as a Peacock" was a radio-style parody of NBC's 1980-81 "We're Proud" campaign, recorded by the same production studio NBC employed for "We're Proud" and using the same voice cast used for the original "Proud as a Peacock" campaign. "We're Loud" voiced the disappointment that many of NBC's employees felt under Silverman's leadership. The jingle was widely circulated to network staff and even sent out to some local affiliates on cassettes as jokes at Christmas time.

The joke ended, however, when Don Imus, morning drive-time host at WNBC, NBC Radio's New York City flagship, played the parody on the air. Angered by Imus' move, Silverman ordered a search-and-destroy mission to purge the network of any remaining copy of the parody. However, many copies of the parody remained, albeit ones that were of poor audio quality and not fit for broadcast. Good copies of the parody can still be found on the WNBC Radio 66 Tribute page as well as the "TV Party" nostalgia site. John Donald Don Imus, Jr. ... For broadcast stations that previously used the WNBC call sign, see WNBC (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

The "We're LOUD!" Lyrics

We're LOUD! -- ah huh -- say it again,
NBC
We're LOUD!
We're in last place,
LOUD!
We're gonna fall right on our face
LOUD!
Since Freddy came our ratings always stayed the same
An 18 rating, a 14 share,
Bet ya wonder if we care
NO!
We're just proud to be NBC,
We're LOUD!
We're livin in the past,
LOUD!
The bottom's droppin' out real fast
(LOUD!)
Of our boring shows, just watch us jam 'em up your nose
We don't care, it's all there, NBC is always there,
We're not just proud, weeee're also LOUD!
We're LOUD!
We're louder than the rest
So LOUD!
It doesn't matter we're not the best
LOUD!
We're gonna screw around and run this network in the ground
The peacock's dead, so thank you, Fred
Yeah! -- THANKS A WHOLE LOT!!
NBC, Proud as a Peacock!

Meaning of the phrase

"Proud as a peacock" is a saying that is used to mean a vain or self-centered person. The phrase comes from the plumage of the male peafowl (females are peahens). When a male is courting, he spreads his tail feathers, sometimes five feet in length, out in a fan pattern to attract a female. Thus, someone who is "proud as a peacock" is similarly "strutting his stuff."

Other Usage and Parodies

• Even though the slogan was first used during a dark time at NBC, "Proud as a Peacock" has had lasting use as a descriptive of the network, both in the news media's coverage of the network and in press releases. The following headlines are examples:
  • "(Dick) Ebersol Proud as a Peacock over NBC and the Games", from a July 2005 New York Times article
  • "NBC proud as a peacock to be back with the NFL", from a September 2006 Boston Globe article
  • "Proud as a Peacock: NBC Leads in 2006 TCA Awards" from a 2006 Television Critics Association press release
• Seven Network's ATN-7 in Sydney, Australia used a variation of "Proud as a Peacock" in 1981, called "Channel 7's Proud in Sydney (We're Proud)."
• "Weird Al" Yankovic made a parody of the campaign for MTV in the mid-1980s, called "Proud as a Moon Man."

The Seven Network is an Australian television network, owned by the Seven Media Group. ... ATN-7 is the Sydney flagship television station of the Seven Network in Australia. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article is about the musician. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ...

External links

• The original (30-second version) "Proud as a Peacock" jingle from 1979

The Our Pride Is Showing logo After the less-than-successful Proud as a Peacock slogan from 1979 to 1981, NBCs program executive Fred Silverman was ousted and replaced by Brandon Tartikoff . ...

See also

• National Broadcasting Company
• List of NBC slogans
• NBC Logos