Why is the Sci Fi channel changing their name to Syfy?
Dave Howe, the president of the Sci Fi Channel, knows that many people will be upset. “Warehouse 13” “epitomizes the new Syfy,” says the channel’s president. “Warehouse 13” “epitomizes the new Syfy,” says the channel’s president. On Tuesday, the Sci Fi Channel changes its name to Syfy — pronounced “sigh-fie,” the same as the current name — a moniker that’s attracted its share of mockery since its announcement three months ago. The idea is to expand Sci Fi’s audience, but some members of that audience have expressed their displeasure. “Perhaps the most ill-advised branding move since New Coke,” wrote CNet’s “Digital City” blogger Dan Ackerman. Even some of Sci Fi’s own SciFi.com commenters were dismissive. “This is a terrible idea,” Grateful Josh wrote. “You mean the announcement wasn’t an April Fool’s joke?” Sue Lee asked, adding that the channel should have changed its name to “FRAK,” a common expletive on Sci Fi’s popular “Battlestar Ga
some universe, the name “Syfy” is less geeky than the name “Sci Fi.” Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, is betting it’s this one. To that end, the 16-year-old network—owned by NBC Universal—plans to announce that Syfy is its new name March 16 at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. Syfy logo “What we love about this is we hopefully get the best of both worlds,” Mr. Howe said. “We’ll get the heritage and the track record of success, and we’ll build off of that to build a broader, more open and accessible and relatable and human-friendly brand.” Sci Fi is coming off the best year in its history. In primetime it ranked 13th in total viewers among ad-supported cable networks in 2008. It’s a top-10 network in both adults 18 to 49 (up 4%) and adults 25 to 54 (up 6%). During its fourth-quarter earnings call, parent General Electric said Sci Fi racked up a double-digit increase in operating earnings despite the beginnings of the recession. Nevertheless, there was alway
Dave Howe, the president of the Sci Fi Channel, knows that many people will be upset. “Warehouse 13” “epitomizes the new Syfy,” says the channel’s president. “Warehouse 13” “epitomizes the new Syfy,” says the channel’s president. On Tuesday, the Sci Fi Channel changes its name to Syfy — pronounced “sigh-fie,” the same as the current name — a moniker that’s attracted its share of mockery since its announcement three months ago. The idea is to expand Sci Fi’s audience, but some members of that audience have expressed their displeasure. “Perhaps the most ill-advised branding move since New Coke,” wrote CNet’s “Digital City” blogger Dan Ackerman. Even some of Sci Fi’s own SciFi.com commenters were dismissive. “This is a terrible idea,” Grateful Josh wrote. “You mean the announcement wasn’t an April Fool’s joke?” Sue Lee asked, adding that the channel should have changed its name to “FRAK,” a common expletive on Sci Fi’s popular “Battlestar Ga
some universe, the name “Syfy” is less geeky than the name “Sci Fi.” Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, is betting it’s this one. To that end, the 16-year-old network—owned by NBC Universal—plans to announce that Syfy is its new name March 16 at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. Syfy logo “What we love about this is we hopefully get the best of both worlds,” Mr. Howe said. “We’ll get the heritage and the track record of success, and we’ll build off of that to build a broader, more open and accessible and relatable and human-friendly brand.” Sci Fi is coming off the best year in its history. In primetime it ranked 13th in total viewers among ad-supported cable networks in 2008. It’s a top-10 network in both adults 18 to 49 (up 4%) and adults 25 to 54 (up 6%). During its fourth-quarter earnings call, parent General Electric said Sci Fi racked up a double-digit increase in operating earnings despite the beginnings of the recession. Nevertheless, there was alway
NEW YORK — The Sci Fi Channel is now Syfy. The rebranding — same pronunciation, new spelling — marks the NBC Universal network’s effort to broaden its programming beyond the science fiction genre, and the network officially kicked off the new phase of its life here Tuesday. “The new Syfy brand embraces the new media landscape,” said president David Howe Tuesday in unveiling the Syfy Imagination Park in Rockefeller Center.
