The Founder of “Sci Fi” Channel Talks Smack about New “SyFy”
Posted on 24 March 2009 by Manny
In an EXCLUSIVE letter to Hollywood.com, Mitch Rubenstein actually starts talking smack about the new “SyFy” name change from the “Sci Fi Channel.” For those who don’t know, Mitch Rubenstein is one of the original co-founders of the Sci Fi Channel, and one funny guy. Here’s just a snippet of the letter that he sent over to Hollywood.com (and all Sci Fi Fans).
The Early Days — Part 1
Before the Sci Fi Channel launched, Isaac Asimov (a member of the Sci Fi Channel’s Board of Advisors along with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry), Laurie and I presented the concept of a 24-hour cable TV network dedicated to science fiction to a packed room of SF writers at the Science Fiction Writers of America meeting.
The writers were not happy — and that’s an understatement. They said they wouldn’t watch it. They would oppose it unless we called it the SF Channel because calling it “Sci Fi Channel” was a put-down to the SF genre, as “sci-fi” is slang for SF and science fiction — and a huge mistake. And I said if we called it the SF Channel, people would think it’s about the city of San Francisco.
I was booed.
Wow that was really harsh! I, myself, don’t see much of a difference, since I’ve used/heard “Sci-Fi” my whole life. But who wants a channel all about San Fransisco?! I’m sure the market is out there. The letter goes into further details about the whole thing, so check it out and tell me what you think. Is SyFy really a necessary change?
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Tags | mitchrubensteinletter, scifichannel, scifinews, syfynamechange, Television news
