TV CHANNEL NAMES BECOMING SHORTER

[LKellerIII]

Broadcast TV channel names sometimes get longer. Channel 11 in the SF Bay Area has dropped all references to their channel position, and insists on being called "NBC Bay Area."

 

[Sammi Brie]

It has to do with cable guide positions and also the omnipresence of things like Twitter where characters come at a premium.

 

[dtuba]

It started in the 60s when we were TCB with BTO, we had no time to waste back then and time grows shorter with each of the following decades

ICWYDT. Thanks Homer.

 

[ixnay]

Electric Light Orchestra - ELO (beginning with "Hold On Tight" through "Twilight" and "Rock 'N' Roll is King", then reverting to the spelled out name with their final U.S. hit, "Calling America", all per the Whitburn book, 2004 ed.)

Sorry, couldn't resist. [where's the smiling blush emoticon?]

ixnay

 

[TexasTom]

I think the "letters" thing is mostly an American and Canadian quirk. It's been NBC, CBS, ABC, VOA, CBC, SRC, CTV, etc. for decades. It's probably why call letters are still part of many stations' branding, especially older ones.

Not just American. Someone has already posted a long list of European channels that use letters.

And it's nothing new. As a kid in Germany between 1972 and 1974, I remember that the primary two German networks were ARD and ZDF.

 

[landtuna]

It's not only TV channel names being shortened. Some of you are doing it on this forum by removing the first letter of a station's call and using just the remaining three letters. I seem to note it is more pervasive when referring to 'W' calls than 'K'.

And just think of common abbreviations for whole phrases as used on the Internet:

IIRC, BTW, AFAIK, YMMV etc.

I wouldn't call any of this dumbing down. More like a modern form of shorthand.

 

[Markxxx]

OMG!!!!

 

[BlueWanderer]

Wouldn't just going by letters cause major copyright issues for channels wanting to expand their brand beyond the US but still use the same name? I ask this because I find it strange that at least two totally different TBS stations can co-exist in this world. One is Turner Broadcasting System (US) while the other is Tokyo Broadcasting System (Japan).

I guess it doesn't matter as much as it does for other businesses and organizations. For example, the lawsuit between a pro wrestling company and a wildlife conservation organization over the initials "WWF".

 

[spencerkarter85]

Nick at Nite's TV Land = TV Land
Noggin = NickJr.
Gospel Music Channel = GMC
The Sci-Fi Channel= Sci-Fi = Syfy
Country Music Television= CMT
The Disney Channel= Disney Channel
Black Entertainment Television= BET
BET On Jazz= BETJ= Centric
CourtTV= TruTV
Prevue Guide= Prevue Channel= Prevue= TV Guide Channel= TV Guide Network
CBN Cable= CBN Family Chanel= The Family Channel= FOX Family= ABC Family
Video Hits One= VH1

 

[Mario500]

I wonder why some TV programming services are no longer promoted with the word "the" in their names (Disney Channel and Travel Channel are a couple of examples)?

 

[1069_KIFR]

The shortest name I can think of......
E!

Entertainment Television

 

[PirateJohnny]

Discovery, formerly The Discovery Channel has added..... Velocity. I caught some shows on that this weekend. If channels are dropping the "The" from their name, will TLC soon become LC?

 

[1069_KIFR]

No, TLC is Tender Loving Care.

 

[PirateJohnny]

I thought TLC was The Learning Channel.

 

[searadiofreak]

No TLC is not The Learning Channel. It should be TUTYNHO channel. "The Unbelievable Things You Never Heard About Channel".

 

[sfradio]

Discovery, formerly The Discovery Channel has added..... Velocity. I caught some shows on that this weekend. If channels are dropping the "The" from their name, will TLC soon become LC?

That is another one, Velocity was Discovery HD Theater

I thought TLC was The Learning Channel.

I think they are now The Living Channel