In 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.
“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 always a sneaking suspicion that the name was holding the network back.
“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,” said TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network.
Mr. Brooks said that when people who say they don’t like science fiction enjoy a film like “Star Wars,” they don’t think it’s science fiction; they think it’s a good movie.
“We spent a lot of time in the ’90s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it’s called Sci Fi,” Mr. Brooks said. “It’s somewhat cooler and better than the name ‘Science Fiction.’ But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.”
Mr. Howe said going to Syfy will make a difference.
“It gives us a unique word and it gives us the opportunities to imbue it with the values and the perception that we want it to have,” he said.
Dave Howe
In terms of television, the new brand better reflects that the channel has programs that are not about the typical sci-fi themes of space, aliens and the future.
“We really do want to own the imagination space,” Mr. Howe said. “We want to get the credit for the range of content that we already have on our air and that we’ll be doing more of in the future.”
Mr. Howe said Sci Fi looks at its branding every couple of years. He added that when new executives join the network, they usually ask if it has ever thought about changing the name.
The network worked with the branding consultancy Landor Associates and went through about 300 possibilities before selecting Syfy.
“When we tested this new name, the thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you’d text it,” Mr. Howe said. “It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise.”
The network plans to make the changeover July 7, when it will launch the new series “Warehouse 13.”
The series, about a secret government facility in South Dakota where all mysterious relics and supernatural souvenirs are housed, is emblematic of the channel’s programming direction.
“It is a dramedy and it is set in the here and now. It’s a kind of an Indiana Jones meets ‘Moonlighting’ meets ‘The X-Files,’” Mr. Howe said. “This is a very accessible, relatable, fun show.”
The network will begin briefing cable operators about the transition this week and plans a trade ad campaign in April as part of the upfront. The new campaign will use the slogan “Imagine Greater,” which Mr. Howe thinks will resonate with both consumers and media buyers.
“It’s a call to action,” he said. “Look at the everyday and how you can turn it to the extraordinary. It’s an aspirational, optimistic message about enhancing people’s lives.”
Mr. Howe said the international Sci Fi channels will transition to the new name over the next six to 12 months.
Web site SciFi.com also will make the change to Syfy.com.
Sci Fi has been working to branch out from being simply a linear cable network to become a hub of businesses operating in the imagination under the Sci Fi Ventures banner.
“We need an umbrella brand we can attach to new businesses: Sci Fi games, Sci Fi kids. It does no use to attach ‘Sci Fi’ because there’s hundreds of sci-fi Web sites and sci-fi publications. So it’s changing your name without changing your name,” Mr. Howe said.
Sci Fi also will be unveiling some of its programming and development plans at its upfront.
But one key venture it won’t discuss is its work with Trion Worldwide to create content designed from the beginning to work on multiple platforms. Mr. Howe said the network is close to announcing a title and description of the project, which will launch as both a subscription-based, massively multiplayer online game and a television series.
A writer has been assigned to the project. The idea is to have the show completely synchronized so that when events happen in the show, they are reflected in the game, and vice versa.
“Because it’s a server-based game, as the storylines evolve in the TV series, so the game echoes that,” Mr. Howe said. “It’s a completely, uniquely interactive 24-7 immersive entertainment experience.”
He’s seen some “amazing demos” from Trion of the graphics and how the world will be built out.
“What that launches, it truly is the next evolution in dynamic storytelling,” Mr. Howe said.
_________________ If it's got wings, i can crash it!
So they're turning Sci-Fi into G4. Bringing in the young crowd only, and alienating anyone over 40. Is that about right?
Also proof that we are regressing to this unintelligent text speak crap. It's bad enough people can't read, write, or even spell worth a fuck, now we're changing the name of a network that's doing JUST FINE to an unintelligent, lazy text speak name. This is an insult to Science Fiction, and an insult to the English language.
This is going on my rant come April, along with lots of other things. Just wait, it's gonna be good!! _________________ John R. Gibson
Host/Writer/Creator Video Masters TV
"The whole planet Houston?" -General Zod
"Am I supposed to conduct with my penis?" -Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
"What does God need with a starship?" - Star Trek V
Syfy lol. Oh well, it's not like they live up to their name anymore anyway. Just look at their horrid original movies which have nothing to do with science fiction. _________________
Now picture the network airing more crap totally unrelated to Sci-Fi.
Think G4, and go from there. _________________ John R. Gibson
Host/Writer/Creator Video Masters TV
"The whole planet Houston?" -General Zod
"Am I supposed to conduct with my penis?" -Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
"What does God need with a starship?" - Star Trek V
And the truth is the network is doing fine. Sure, they air crap we don't care about, but now they're making it worse.
I watch Ghost Hunters, that's about it, though. I miss the old format, when they aired old TV shows. Six Million Dollar Man, Incredible Hulk, etc etc.
Anyone want to guess why you don't see anything old on that network anymore? I'll give you a hint. It's the same reason they're changing the name to SYFY. _________________ John R. Gibson
Host/Writer/Creator Video Masters TV
"The whole planet Houston?" -General Zod
"Am I supposed to conduct with my penis?" -Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
"What does God need with a starship?" - Star Trek V
Did I miss something? I thought it was cool to be geeky nerdy now. Maybe that trend has passed and I just didn't realize it? Still, this news is so disappointing. I'd been watching less and less of it anyway due to the non-Sci-Fi stuff being aired on there (Wrestling? What?), but that pretty much seals it. I hope they at least continue to air the really horrible Sci-Fi original movies on there on weekends. I loves me some really bad horror/science-fiction movies. At least I have the Chiller channel and can watch Dead Zone repeats on Sleuth through my DirectTV... _________________ --
~Laura
I guess when they think Sci-Fi, they think of some 400 pound fat guy at his computer, arguing that Captain Kirk is better than Captain Picard (or vice versa). That's probably not the image the network wants.
What I wish they would do is create a channel for true Sci-Fi folks. Call it Classic Sci-Fi. That could work, you never know. _________________ John R. Gibson
Host/Writer/Creator Video Masters TV
"The whole planet Houston?" -General Zod
"Am I supposed to conduct with my penis?" -Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
"What does God need with a starship?" - Star Trek V
Yeah pretty much all I watch is Ghosthunters as well. Ghosthunters is carrying that network right now actually. But I agree, the network has gone down hill.
Although i'm a fan of wrestling, I never found myself watching wrestling on sci-fi lol. Thats just fucking insane. But I love ghost hunters and ghost hunters international. I agree that ghost hunters and international, along with wrestling, no matter how much we deny it, are the only things carrying that network right now. Without those, I'd expect sci-fi to be closing down, its the cable equivalent of mynetwork tv. Ouch _________________
I never watched Ghost Hunters. Doesn't seem like my kind of thing.
I do watch wrestling on there every week although it obviously has no business being on that channel.
Some of their other bigger shows seem pretty good as well. I've watched the first episode of Eureka back when it premiered and it seemed interesting. And lots of people have recommended that I watch Battle Star Galactica and Stargate SG-1 (all of which do actually belong on the channel). I'll probably get the DVDs for BSG one day. Not sure about Stargate.
But other than that, they have nothing of interest to me. _________________
That name blows. Oh well, Sci-Fi Channel was weak anyway. _________________ "One of God's own prototypes. Too weird to live, too rare to die." --Hunter S Thompson Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with a lot of pleasure." --Clarence Darrow
To add insult to injury, here's what television historian, Tim Brooks had to say about this.
Quote:
The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular ... We spent a lot of time in the ’90s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it’s called Sci Fi ... It’s somewhat cooler and better than the name ‘Science Fiction.’ But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.
That generalization alone is an insult to science fiction in general, and the network's audience in particular.
AtariGirl wrote:
Did I miss something? I thought it was cool to be geeky, and nerdy now.
I use to think that way, too. But apparently, the mainstream media tends to look down on science fiction the same way they look down on animation. To them, it doesn't have the same kind of 'sex appeal' as Britney Spears, or Brad Pitt. Even if they stared in a major science fiction blockbuster, that still wouldn't make the media sit up, and take notice. _________________ If it's got wings, i can crash it!
Ugh, never put Brad Pitt and sex appeal in the same sentence. He doesn't have any.
Britney kinda falls in the same category, and it'll only get worse when she hits 40. Imagine her on one of those MILF sites. There's a lovely image. _________________ John R. Gibson
Host/Writer/Creator Video Masters TV
"The whole planet Houston?" -General Zod
"Am I supposed to conduct with my penis?" -Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
"What does God need with a starship?" - Star Trek V
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Join! (free) 
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
