Comments on: Sci Fi Channel becomes Syfy

By: Andrew Douglas

Andrew Douglas — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:21:17 +0000

Fantasy is also a genre name that is if anything more narrow than science fiction — in this case it’s about magic, myth, spells, etc. To devotees of these genres the names are important. Many authors prefer the overall name “speculative fiction” to allow for stories that have neither science/technology nor fantasy content.

The network has a good case for wanting to get away from the sci-fi niche, but I bemoan the rise of trash reality programming on the network that has resulted from the move, like the current spate of paranormal “investigation” shows, at the expense of good science fiction.

By: Mark Lightfoot

Mark Lightfoot — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:00:38 +0000

what an utter load of rubbish. 2 years to get to SyFy. What next? WyFy? HyFy? MyMyOhMy…

By: Elian Gonzalez

Elian Gonzalez — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:26:58 +0000

Oh man, such nonsense. What they did was pay a lot for marketing “research” to tell them what they wanted to hear: you need to change your name because people will remember your brand.

Utter rubbish but a boon to those consultants who have made tidy profits bamboozling their clients (be it cable networks, local channel broadcasters and other businesses) into thinking it’s what they have to do to survive. To whit: remember when it was just ABC, NBC and CBS. Anyone remember their taglines from the the 50s, 60s and 70s? You can’t because there were none. Now they all have it but no one identifies the network as such. Yet there they are.

By: Yona

Yona — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:55:09 +0000

SyFy doesn’t have the same brand recognition as SciFi. Denis mentioned calling it The Fantasy Channel, which has a ring to it, but also sounds like an ‘adult’ channel. I kinda like some of the old zombie movies and oddball TV shows that appear on Sci Fi. The name change isn’t going to lose my attention or that of fans, but I think it will be hard to grab the attention of channel surfers who actually enjoy science fiction.

By: Denis

Denis — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:40:21 +0000

This name was a strange choice….but the content is the bigger problem

the SciFi channel has had weak programming for many years – lots of B and C movies, along with Twilight Zone and Star Trek reruns. I’d rather see it called The Fantasy Channel, which gives it permission to bring lots of different types of content..

By: Anne-Marie Normandeau

Anne-Marie Normandeau — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:22:50 +0000

A two-years exercise to go from Sci Fi to SyFy? Remember these two names are pronounced the same!

Also, taking a cursory look at their Web site, they have created a bit of a mess in their communications. You have SyFy, followed by SCI FI UK (and other countries), Sci Fi Wire and Sci Fi magazine. While it is not rare to see gradual brand implementation, this hodgepodge sits right on the home page and dilutes the impact of the change.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:52:39 +0000

I agree with you guys in that they want to do a broader format that’s not specifically sci-fi and this way they can do it without looking like total sellouts (Like MTV keeping their name long after they stopped playing music videos).

Expect more and more non-sci fi to creep into their programming after the name change.

By: Ralph Whitbeck

Ralph Whitbeck — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:46:15 +0000

@Larry – With Versus they had to change and they had to change fast. I remember picking on them too at the time. They had just landed the NHL contract and hockey has nothing to do with the outdoors. At least that made plenty of sense.

By: Larry Roth

Larry Roth — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:36:07 +0000

What they are not saying and what I think is interesting is they are changing the name to open the door for perhaps a broader format. Personally, I like the niche cable channels and I tend to stop watching them when they move away from their niche.

This reminds me a little of when The Outdoor Life Network changed their name to Versus. Maybe by being OLN they were too niche and changing to Versus allowed for additional programming like mixed martial arts and hockey. It seems they increased their market share after the change, but I don’t remember seeing any studies noting whether or not they alienated their old audience.

I think the change will be OK if the programming stays the same. Then, they will only alienate their characters. ;)

By: Ralph Whitbeck

Ralph Whitbeck — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:20:08 +0000

@Wolfman-k – I totally agree the name change isn’t going to stop me from seeing the content that I’ve grown to love. For instance I can’t wait till Battlestar Galactica: The Plan and Caprica come out. Plus it’s the only station that currently runs Star Trek: TNG reruns.

But will the name change succeed in its mission? Will it trick viewers opposed to Sci Fi with a name that sounds exactly the same? Will its reputation from the change sustain through? It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.