Things are changing at the “SciFi Channel“. The network is officially changing its name to “Syfy” on July 7, 2009.
Syfy? Seriously? Unfortunately, it’s not April 1st so this must be a factual announcement.
The change was defended by network president Dave Howe in a statement.
“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…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,” he said.
Apparently, I am not the only one who isn’t convinced.
Fans from coast to coast have been blasting the change throughout most of the day.
“Sounds like the name of a water bottling company,” wrote one.
“Sounds like some kind of mop, blender, or gossip magazine,” wrote another.
And this was the most frequent negative interpretation: “Sounds like slang for syphilis,” a viewer wrote, with fans agreeing “siffy” seems a more appropriate pronunciation for the network’s new name than “sci fi.”
Sci Fi’s own message boards were no friendlier.
“Just change the name to USA2 and be done with it already,” one member wrote.
More praise for the move? “What the frak are they thinking?” asked Wired. “Dumbest rebranding ever,” declared Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Network officials were ready for a certain amount of criticism regarding the name. “Our core audience will use it an opportunity to question our motives,” said network president Dave Howe on Friday, “they always do.”
So what do you think? Is “Syfy” a winner or an epic failure?
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