Geeks Need Not Apply: Sci Fi becomes Syfy
Over in the US, the Sci Fi Channel, is changing its name. And Ron has quite a lot to say on the matter...
To call March 16, 2009, a day that will live in infamy is a bit too much hyperbole, even for someone as full of nerd rage as I am at the moment.
However, it can be officially called the day that NBC joined Fox in a backhanded quest to purge science fiction from its airwaves. When you own a network called The Sci Fi Channel (or Sci Fi), that's kind of difficult. So what do you do? You change the name to Syfy in an attempt to 'own your brand' or some stupid corpspeak.
Let's ignore the fact that the new name is horrible and they apparently don't even own exclusivity on their shitty new brand.
Starting July 7, that's going to be the official name of what used to be the Sci Fi Channel. And that noise you just heard was me officially losing my mind.
I always knew NBC Universal had a problem with Sci Fi. You'd have to be a moron to think otherwise given how they have treated the network over the years. One particularly galling statement from the press release, which I'll quote, stuck out.
This is from Tim Brooks, one of Sci Fi Channel's supposed founding lights (even though he's one of the people who ruined the network in 1998 when Barry Diller bought it and not one of the real founders back from 1992 when it launched) and a 'television historian'.
“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.”
And girls don't watch science fiction, huh? Who do you think watches Supernatural? That's paranormal-based and falls under the broad umbrella of science fiction. Who do you think watched Moonlight? That's about vampires, so it is under the broad umbrella of science fiction that the Sci Fi Channel used to cover. Or Dr. Who? Or Battlestar Galactica?
Listen, I understand completely how fans of science fiction are perceived. We live in our parents' basements, have never seen a girl naked, and only leave our chat rooms and World Of Warcraft accounts to go work in the video store, movie theater, or computer repair shop. I know that perception isn't true, and you know that perception isn't true, but I don't mind ignoring the casual disdain so long as the network doesn't go around screwing up the programming again.
If you don't think a rebranding of the network now is going to lead to sweeping changes later, you're fooling yourself. Professional wrestling (and please don't get me started on the World Wrestling Entertainment product they show, as Vincent Kennedy McMahon has taken a huge dump over two things I used to love in ECW and the Sci Fi Channel) is only the beginning.
I could ignore wrestling. I could even forgive reality programs like Ghost Hunters and Who Wants to Be A Superhero? because that was at least paranormal in nature. I can ignore a lot. I can forgive a lot.
What I can't forgive is yet another blatant attempt to kill off science fiction by deliberately tanking the network dedicated to science fiction in an attempt to turn one of the few unique channels on TV into the same collection of Law & Order reruns.
Here's another eye-catching head-scratcher.
“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.”
Your science fiction network is starting to improve in all the key demographics. This press release is filled with information that network execs should be crowing over; they're talking about how they've had their best year ever in the worst economic climate since the late 70s and they aren't relating it to the fact that, you know, they had NEW SCI FI ON FUCKING TV.
Double digit growth in the middle of a recession and they're decided to change things?! Improving ratings in every demographic (especially women) means it's time to start needlessly alienating your core audience and turning off viewers by changing the branding your network has had for sixteen years? Is this what they teach you at business school? Is this why the economy went into the toilet, because every MBA program in the country teaches executives how to be human cyanide tablets in power ties? Take the one asset you have that's growing and bury it in shit to smother it?
Maybe they're changing things because of the recession. Maybe the brand was too expensive to maintain. I mean, the name Sci Fi does have five letters, and everyone is cutting expenses. So you cut one letter completely, and can't afford the rent on the the more expensive vowel, so they downgraded to the cheaper option. Chop out a space to use space more efficiently and viola, you've saved dozens of dollars a year in typesetting, logo making, and billboard rental space.
The new name is at least pronounced the same, but not for long. That'll be the next thing to go once they sufficiently alienate the network's core audience with bad game shows and general disrespect.
At that point, NBC Universal can declare the experiment a failure and network executives will have free reign to destroy what's left of the network, rebrand it completely (they're going to spin off the more popular letters from the old Sci Fi name into a new channel called “cii,” I'd wager), and drive the legions of basement-dwelling virgins into the arms of NBC's horror channel Chiller.
Then once that network starts growing, you can change the name to Chlr to make it more hip and text friendly, then start showing reruns of Monk and Saturday Night Live! Genius! Someone get me a tailored Italian suit, brain damage, and a mountain of cocaine, I'm going to become a TV executive!
Source: TV Week
US correspondent Ron Hogan is convinced this hate-filled rant has shortened his lifespan by several years and ruined any chance he might have had at TV success. So it goes. Find more by Ron at his blog, Subtle Bluntness, and daily at Shaktronics and PopFi.
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I'm a woman, and I love Science Fiction. What bugs me about SciFi right now, is that they don't air ENOUGH science fiction!
The only other people I know who watch that channel are: other women!
Ok - I know it's a sliver of consolation for the idiotic name change - and more ridiculous reason why :cP
But how about credit where it's due for a recent brilliant channel naming...the Dave channel, rather than go the route of the +1 crowd has veered off into their own punny goodness lane with a repeat channel called.... Dave ja vu! How good is that!? :cD
Sci-Fi, no matter what its name will still produce utter pap. They scored getting the franchise for 'Flash Gordon' and made what essentially could have been a fantatic series based into a dull, stupid cheap looking piece or rubbish that tossed out any association with either the comic or even the 'Queen' film. Even watching the black and white show with rockets with sparklers stuck up there bum was better than what Sci-Fi produced...grrr
Ron, you may have shortened your lifespan, but you are completely correct.
To me this looks like a decision of MANAGEMENT desperately trying to look like they are actually doing ... something.
I don't even watch the channel but...SyFy? Really...?
I'm personally offended by their description of the geek, and how they assume women don't watch. I'm a chick, I love fashion, make-up, shopping and Bill frakking Adama.
Sci-Fi's output is basically rubbish! A change of name must've cost a few hundred thousand dollars but it's cheaper than buying in better content.
Say it out loud. It's the same bloody thing. Yeah, it's a way to bring people to the channel, but It doesn't mean their giving up on the genre.
I can only say that the Sci-fi channel has been on a creative downslide for a long time. Cancelling shows that are doing well both creatively and in the ratings (SG1 and BSG for example), putting out their shite Saturday movies, and 'reality' programming. What happened to the great mini-series events like Taken and Dune? Why the hell don't they re-run classsics like they used too? Who the hell has been fucking up my Sci-Fi network? Syfy? Are you kidding me? WTF?!!!!!
WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THIS???? I love how they say that they air stuff meant for geeks and not enough stuff for chicks. Come on, I'm no girl, but it seems that everything on all the channels are meant for chicks and that is why I rarely watch TV anymore. My other problem is that they claim that they air too much science fictional stuff. Last time I saw what was on SciFi it was wrestling and a shitload of crap that wasn't even SciFi worthy, these motherfucking hippocrites don't air enough science fiction if you ask me. My last rant is the new name, SyFy. Are you shitting me? Grand the fucking channel was renamed by some dumbass teen that couldn't even get thier fingers off a god damn cell phone. Now if you excuse me, I really am more pissed about this than those platinum dunes fuckers remaking "A Nightmare on Elm Street". I'm going to go rant some more to my friends and start a petition about this and shit
That damn channel has been driving me nuts for years now. Remember how, at the end of Farscape's third year, they made a BIG announcement that they were renewing it for a fourth AND a fifth year? And then remember when, as the fourth year's big cliffhanger finale was being filmed, they pulled the plug on that announced fifth year? Idiots. After BSG ends, what will they have besides their never-ending parade of shlocky movies and "reality" shows? Hell, they didn't even bother showing Doctor Who until everyone in the States who was even vaguely interested had already hunted down the episodes elsewhere.
The first instant I looked at it, I read it as "siffy", not "sai-fai". Now I can't get it out of my head. Anyway, what can you expect from the parent company that canceled FIREFLY, of all shows. Really, Fox hates scifi, AND they're chauvinistic pigs to think that "cute-syfy-ing" will bring more women to the table. As if we were that mindless, to be drawn in by bad re-branding. Ugh!
They need to change more than the name to make this channel good. There was a time when this station would rerun old Sci Fi shows like Bionic Woman and Star Trek. Now their schedule consists of mostly shows like Scare Tatics and Ghost Hunters. Are they Sci Fi? No. Are they Sy Fy? Noooo.
They did fans wrong but renewing Farscape and them changing their mind at the last minute and cancelling it. The Stargates are gone and Galactica is gone after this week. Why should I come back after that??
They need to actually make this channel about...Sci Fi.
And don't even get me started on this horrible Sci Fi original movies that litter the airwaves. They are a joke.
I wish they'd just fook oof, they don't even show the enhanced versions of Star Trek in the UK!
So long as they continue to make Saturday B-movie grade shows like Raptor Island, I will be happy. I love to laugh at their attempts to make a decent movie. Although Splinter was actually quite good.
If they are going to completely balls it up why not throw in a joke and call it 'SKI FE'.
Fuckin hell what the fuck are they thinking. This is just bad practice all around.
Did they ever think that so many people watched Sci fi this year becase they fucking caned every good sci fi show on their regualr networks and this was the only source of true sci fi besides the effin weekend programing on BBC America that we can get!
they need to leave Sci Fi channel the fuck alone and not turn it into another reality tv show american idol worshiping, be like everyone else, channels that wouldn't know about true telivision cult masterpieces if it bit them on the ass.
I'm a woman, and I love Science Fiction. What bugs me about SciFi right now, is that they don't air ENOUGH science fiction!
The only other people I know who watch that channel are: other women!
Ok - I know it's a sliver of consolation for the idiotic name change - and more ridiculous reason why :cP
But how about credit where it's due for a recent brilliant channel naming...the Dave channel, rather than go the route of the +1 crowd has veered off into their own punny goodness lane with a repeat channel called.... Dave ja vu! How good is that!? :cD
Sci-Fi, no matter what its name will still produce utter pap. They scored getting the franchise for 'Flash Gordon' and made what essentially could have been a fantatic series based into a dull, stupid cheap looking piece or rubbish that tossed out any association with either the comic or even the 'Queen' film. Even watching the black and white show with rockets with sparklers stuck up there bum was better than what Sci-Fi produced...grrr
Ron, you may have shortened your lifespan, but you are completely correct.
To me this looks like a decision of MANAGEMENT desperately trying to look like they are actually doing ... something.
I don't even watch the channel but...SyFy? Really...?
I'm personally offended by their description of the geek, and how they assume women don't watch. I'm a chick, I love fashion, make-up, shopping and Bill frakking Adama.
Sci-Fi's output is basically rubbish! A change of name must've cost a few hundred thousand dollars but it's cheaper than buying in better content.
Say it out loud. It's the same bloody thing. Yeah, it's a way to bring people to the channel, but It doesn't mean their giving up on the genre.
I can only say that the Sci-fi channel has been on a creative downslide for a long time. Cancelling shows that are doing well both creatively and in the ratings (SG1 and BSG for example), putting out their shite Saturday movies, and 'reality' programming. What happened to the great mini-series events like Taken and Dune? Why the hell don't they re-run classsics like they used too? Who the hell has been fucking up my Sci-Fi network? Syfy? Are you kidding me? WTF?!!!!!
WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THIS???? I love how they say that they air stuff meant for geeks and not enough stuff for chicks. Come on, I'm no girl, but it seems that everything on all the channels are meant for chicks and that is why I rarely watch TV anymore. My other problem is that they claim that they air too much science fictional stuff. Last time I saw what was on SciFi it was wrestling and a shitload of crap that wasn't even SciFi worthy, these motherfucking hippocrites don't air enough science fiction if you ask me. My last rant is the new name, SyFy. Are you shitting me? Grand the fucking channel was renamed by some dumbass teen that couldn't even get thier fingers off a god damn cell phone. Now if you excuse me, I really am more pissed about this than those platinum dunes fuckers remaking "A Nightmare on Elm Street". I'm going to go rant some more to my friends and start a petition about this and shit
That damn channel has been driving me nuts for years now. Remember how, at the end of Farscape's third year, they made a BIG announcement that they were renewing it for a fourth AND a fifth year? And then remember when, as the fourth year's big cliffhanger finale was being filmed, they pulled the plug on that announced fifth year? Idiots. After BSG ends, what will they have besides their never-ending parade of shlocky movies and "reality" shows? Hell, they didn't even bother showing Doctor Who until everyone in the States who was even vaguely interested had already hunted down the episodes elsewhere.
The first instant I looked at it, I read it as "siffy", not "sai-fai". Now I can't get it out of my head. Anyway, what can you expect from the parent company that canceled FIREFLY, of all shows. Really, Fox hates scifi, AND they're chauvinistic pigs to think that "cute-syfy-ing" will bring more women to the table. As if we were that mindless, to be drawn in by bad re-branding. Ugh!
They need to change more than the name to make this channel good. There was a time when this station would rerun old Sci Fi shows like Bionic Woman and Star Trek. Now their schedule consists of mostly shows like Scare Tatics and Ghost Hunters. Are they Sci Fi? No. Are they Sy Fy? Noooo.
They did fans wrong but renewing Farscape and them changing their mind at the last minute and cancelling it. The Stargates are gone and Galactica is gone after this week. Why should I come back after that??
They need to actually make this channel about...Sci Fi.
And don't even get me started on this horrible Sci Fi original movies that litter the airwaves. They are a joke.
I wish they'd just fook oof, they don't even show the enhanced versions of Star Trek in the UK!
So long as they continue to make Saturday B-movie grade shows like Raptor Island, I will be happy. I love to laugh at their attempts to make a decent movie. Although Splinter was actually quite good.
If they are going to completely balls it up why not throw in a joke and call it 'SKI FE'.
Fuckin hell what the fuck are they thinking. This is just bad practice all around.
Did they ever think that so many people watched Sci fi this year becase they fucking caned every good sci fi show on their regualr networks and this was the only source of true sci fi besides the effin weekend programing on BBC America that we can get!
they need to leave Sci Fi channel the fuck alone and not turn it into another reality tv show american idol worshiping, be like everyone else, channels that wouldn't know about true telivision cult masterpieces if it bit them on the ass.
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