Legend
03-17-2009, 11:37 PM
The U.S. cable Sci Fi Channel is about to change its name. Starting in July, it will be known as Syfy.
After 16 years of having one of TV's most recognizable brand names, Sci Fi's corporate overlords at NBC-Universal decided it was time for a rethink.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new handle is part of a network- wide rebranding campaign that's been in the works since early last year.
Syfy's president, Dave Howe, suggested that the term "Sci Fi" was too generic, and could not be trademarked. In a statement, Syfy's brain trust said the rebranding campaign "seeks to distinguish the channel and its programming from cable competitors."
Ironically, there already is a company called SyFi Global, which specializes in information technology.
Will Sci Fi's name change to Syfy mean that Canada's equivalent channel, Space: The Imagination Station, home of the annual Spacey Awards, will rebrand itself as . . . Kevin?
In the spirit of Syfy, then, here are some other possible new names for cable channels.
These are only suggestions, mind. Actual rebrandings, when they happen, will be much more lame. (Slice, anyone?)
The difference is: It took this regular TV watcher all of 25 minutes to come up with these names. And, unlike most consultancy firms, I didn't charge six figures for the service.
* CNN? Why not . . . King! (Sadly, KING is already taken: It's the call letters of NBC's Seattle affiliate.) When Larry retires, perhaps CNN could then change its name to "Anderson!" Or, better yet, "AC 24/7."
* Discovery, another familiar, successful, prestigious, easily recognized brand name - it must go! - could be renamed Brain.
* The Family Channel could rebrand itself as OMG!
* Animal Planet should rename itself Birds&Bees.
* The NHL Network, "The Home of Hockey," should change its name to April. Because, as any hockey fan knows, that's when the real season begins.
* AMC, itself a rebranded name - it used to be called American Movie Classics, remember - should go back to being called American Movie Classics. AMC sounds like a car company, and not a very successful one at that.
* The Cartoon Network should rename itself ToonTime. (Teletoon is already taken.) Or, better yet, D'Oh! For all those Simpsons reruns, you know.
* BBC America might become Britz.
* Comedy Central should change its name to Laughs! Or, better yet, LAFFS!
* ESPN could be renamed The Steroids Channel. TSC, sadly, is already taken.
* The History Channel and its Canadian equivalent, History Television, could be renamed Obit Central - except that they are now both heavily into docu- reality shows like Sandhogs and Ice Road Truckers. How about . . . Stoked!
* MTV should change its name to Reality! or, better yet, Awesome!, since the music channel long ago stopped showing actual music videos and turned instead to pseudo-reality shows like The Hills and Real World.
* The Disney Channel could rename itself WALT. Its sister channel, for younger viewers, could be renamed WALT Jr. Or, better yet, TYKES! (It rhymes with 'yikes', but in a good way.)
* TNT could rename itself Blowed Up Real Good.
* TVtropolis could become TeeVee.
* Speed TV could always rename itself Vroom!
* Food Network should become Eat!
* The Outdoor Life Network could always rename itself Mark Burnett Productions.
* And A&E really needs to rename itself CSI: Miami.
http://www.canada.com/Channel+rebranding+itself+Syfy+What+next/1398760/story.html
After 16 years of having one of TV's most recognizable brand names, Sci Fi's corporate overlords at NBC-Universal decided it was time for a rethink.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new handle is part of a network- wide rebranding campaign that's been in the works since early last year.
Syfy's president, Dave Howe, suggested that the term "Sci Fi" was too generic, and could not be trademarked. In a statement, Syfy's brain trust said the rebranding campaign "seeks to distinguish the channel and its programming from cable competitors."
Ironically, there already is a company called SyFi Global, which specializes in information technology.
Will Sci Fi's name change to Syfy mean that Canada's equivalent channel, Space: The Imagination Station, home of the annual Spacey Awards, will rebrand itself as . . . Kevin?
In the spirit of Syfy, then, here are some other possible new names for cable channels.
These are only suggestions, mind. Actual rebrandings, when they happen, will be much more lame. (Slice, anyone?)
The difference is: It took this regular TV watcher all of 25 minutes to come up with these names. And, unlike most consultancy firms, I didn't charge six figures for the service.
* CNN? Why not . . . King! (Sadly, KING is already taken: It's the call letters of NBC's Seattle affiliate.) When Larry retires, perhaps CNN could then change its name to "Anderson!" Or, better yet, "AC 24/7."
* Discovery, another familiar, successful, prestigious, easily recognized brand name - it must go! - could be renamed Brain.
* The Family Channel could rebrand itself as OMG!
* Animal Planet should rename itself Birds&Bees.
* The NHL Network, "The Home of Hockey," should change its name to April. Because, as any hockey fan knows, that's when the real season begins.
* AMC, itself a rebranded name - it used to be called American Movie Classics, remember - should go back to being called American Movie Classics. AMC sounds like a car company, and not a very successful one at that.
* The Cartoon Network should rename itself ToonTime. (Teletoon is already taken.) Or, better yet, D'Oh! For all those Simpsons reruns, you know.
* BBC America might become Britz.
* Comedy Central should change its name to Laughs! Or, better yet, LAFFS!
* ESPN could be renamed The Steroids Channel. TSC, sadly, is already taken.
* The History Channel and its Canadian equivalent, History Television, could be renamed Obit Central - except that they are now both heavily into docu- reality shows like Sandhogs and Ice Road Truckers. How about . . . Stoked!
* MTV should change its name to Reality! or, better yet, Awesome!, since the music channel long ago stopped showing actual music videos and turned instead to pseudo-reality shows like The Hills and Real World.
* The Disney Channel could rename itself WALT. Its sister channel, for younger viewers, could be renamed WALT Jr. Or, better yet, TYKES! (It rhymes with 'yikes', but in a good way.)
* TNT could rename itself Blowed Up Real Good.
* TVtropolis could become TeeVee.
* Speed TV could always rename itself Vroom!
* Food Network should become Eat!
* The Outdoor Life Network could always rename itself Mark Burnett Productions.
* And A&E really needs to rename itself CSI: Miami.
http://www.canada.com/Channel+rebranding+itself+Syfy+What+next/1398760/story.html