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After nearly 17 years on the air, SCI FI Channel in the United States is changing its name. So what will the new moniker be? What word will help it stand out in the competitive cable market, as a channel that is about more than space ships and time travel? Is it something to do with "Imagination?" Or "Fantasy?" Or "Possibility?" Nope. The channel is rebranding itself as: Syfy Channel. The New York Times reports that the network will roll out its new name in its advertiser upfronts tomorrow, and officially make the switch on July 7. Gone too is the Saturn logo. New is the tagline "Imagine Greater." The network's genre-leading Web site, SciFi.com, will also make the switch. The main reason for the change, according to Bonnie Hammer, former head of the network and now president of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions, and her successor David Howe, is that the name "SCI FI" was too limiting. “If you ask people their default perceptions of Sci Fi, they list space, aliens and the future,” Howe said. “That didn’t capture the full landscape of fantasy entertainment: the paranormal, the supernatural, action and adventure, superheroes” -- areas of programming that have becoming increasingly important as the network has found ratings success with shows like Ghost Hunters, ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling, and Destination Truth. But network chiefs hope that keeping the phonetically altered "Syfy" will also help them keep the fanboys and girls who are looking for traditional science fiction. SCI FI had 95.2 million subscriber households and an estimated ad revenue of $423.9 million in 2008, according to media research company SNL Kagan, the Times said. Science fiction news site SyFy Portal recently rebranded itself as Airlock Alpha, possibly a precursor to the network's acquisition of the "Syfy" name. The change does allow the network to own the copyright on its own name -- which it couldn't do with a word as generic and widely used as "sci-fi." "We couldn’t own Sci Fi; it’s a genre," Hammer said. "But we can own Syfy." “If I were texting, this is how I would spell it," Howe said. (Thanks to Mike and Morjana for the tip!) NEXT: Read the network's press release on Page 2 Syfy IS SCI FI CHANNEL’S NEW BRAND IDENTITY LAUNCHING ON AIR AND ON LINE JULY 7TH BRAND EVOLUTION REFLECTS BROADER RANGE OF IMAGINATION-BASED ENTERTAINMENT CREATES OWNABLE AND EXTENDABLE BRAND FOR THE FUTURE IMAGINE GREATER TO BECOME NEW TAGLINE New York, NY – March 16, 2009 – Building upon sixteen years of water cooler programming and soaring ratings growth following its most-watched year ever, SCI FI Channel is evolving into Syfy on air and on-line beginning July 7th, it was announced today by Dave Howe, President, SCI FI. By changing the name to Syfy, which remains phonetically identical, the new brand broadens perceptions and embraces a wider and more diverse range of imagination-based entertainment including fantasy, paranormal, reality, mystery, action and adventure, as well as science fiction. It also positions the brand for future growth by creating an ownable trademark that can travel easily with consumers across new media and non-linear digital platforms, new international channels and extend into new business ventures. Imagine Greater will become the new brand message and tagline, inviting both consumers and advertisers into a new era of unlimited imagination, exceptional experiences and greater entertainment. Syfy more clearly captures the mainstream appeal of the world’s biggest entertainment category, and reflects the network’s ongoing strategy to create programming that’s more accessible and relatable to new audiences. Syfy will continue to celebrate the traditional roots of the genre, while opening the brand aperture to accommodate a broader range of imagination-based entertainment. “While continuing to embrace our legacy and our core audience, we needed to cultivate a distinct point of view with a name that we could own that invites more people in and reflects our broader range of programming,” said Mr. Howe in making the announcement. “Syfy allows us to build on our 16 year heritage of success with a new brand built on the power that fuels our genre: the Imagination. Syfy ushers in a new era of unlimited imagination, exceptional experiences and greater entertainment that paves the way for us to truly become a global lifestyle brand.” Syfy -- unlike the generic entertainment category “sci-fi” – firmly establishes a uniquely ownable trademark that is portable across all non-linear digital platforms and beyond, from Hulu to iTunes. Syfy also creates an umbrella brand name that can extend into new adjacent businesses under the Syfy Ventures banner, such as Syfy Games, Syfy Films and Syfy Kids. Additionally, as the Channel’s footprint expands rapidly around the globe, aiming to reach more than 50 international channels by the end of next year, Syfy meets the need of a globally relevant, trademarkable brand that stands for something unique to the brand in each territory. The new brand evolution will launch on air and on-line July 7th, in tandem with the premiere of the new scripted drama, Warehouse 13, and the return of breakout summer series Eureka. An aggressive trade marketing campaign will kick off this spring. Scifi.com will assume the URL Syfy.com at that time. SCI FI Channel is a television network that fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com ) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 95 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

SCI FI Channel is changing its name

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