Proud as a Peacock

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 (then known for singing "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" in 1974 and in the 1960s, sang lead vocals on bubblegum pop sound music from Crushing Enterprises) that promotes a network ready to shed its losing reputation and project an image of excitement in its programming.

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), which led to near-daily schedule changes.

NBC was also 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.

Silverman would leave NBC in the summer of 1981; that fall the network adopted a slightly new campaign ("Our Pride Is Showing") with little difference in ratings.

(By the mid-1980s, NBC's fortunes finally began to turn around, due to changes made by Silverman's replacement, Brandon Tartikoff, and his boss, former producer Grant Tinker; they were responsible for such now-legendary programs as The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Miami Vice, The Golden Girls, and Cheers, among many others.)