ABC Family becomes Freeform in January 2016

[Trini]

Wait, what? Looks like they got tired of being the "family" network.

 

ABC Family Becomes Freeform in January 2016:

 

 

ABC Family President Tom Ascheim announced today that ABC Family will be renamed and rebranded as Freeform in January 2016. This evolution builds on ABC Family's existing strategy of super serving "Becomers" - a life stage that spans people who are 14-34. The name, look, feel and attitude of the network will capture the nature of the Becomer audience and the modern way this audience generates and consumes media.

 

"Freeform evokes the spirit and adventure of our audience," says Ascheim. "Freeform will deliver new, exciting original content as well as all the favorite shows our viewers already love on ABC Family."...

 

The network remains committed to the critically acclaimed original series and programming stunts that have become pop-culture phenomena and made it so successful with the Becomer audience. "Pretty Little Liars," "The Fosters," "Young and Hungry" and "Baby Daddy" will all return in early 2016 for their winter premieres alongside the world premieres of new original series "Shadowhunters" and "Recovery Road." Freeform will also continue the programming trajectory announced this April and will double the networks original programing over the next four years. New series pick-ups and series returns will also be announced later this month.

 

TV Insider article about the change.

[bmoore4026]

Will The 700 Club and that abomination Pat Robertson still be on?

[WendyCR72]

Will The 700 Club and that abomination Pat Robertson still be on?

 

Yeah, Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Line answered that there and said it was still part of the deal.

[bmoore4026]

Yeah, Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Line answered that there and said it was still part of the deal.

 

Bit like herpes, that show, ain't it?

[WendyCR72]

Bit like herpes, that show, ain't it?

 

Never watched it, never will, and I'm grateful for being ignorant about it.  :-)

[methodwriter85]

I really think it's interesting how ABCFamily (Soon to be FreeForm) kinda of toppled the WB/The CW hold on the teen demo, starting with the success of Secret Life, which overshadowed the milder success that Gossip Girl had.

 

It's been interesting to see how these two networks have competed with each other, and how the CW basically morphed into the SciFi channel as a result of the fact that ABC Family teen dramas were taking off better than theirs was.

 

I think whoever set up the network's programming during the late 2000's/early 2010's understood that Pretty White People With Problems wasn't going to work with the younger Millennials, who grew up with biracial friends and had gay friends/friends being raised by same-sex parents, etc etc. The CW really clung hard to that mold, to the detriment of the network, which wound up launching exactly two teen dramas that fell into that mold that actually lasted long enough for syndication- Gossip Girl and 90210. (I don't include Vampire Diaries because of the supernatural element.)

[Just Here]

Some additional background on the re-branding...
 
Variety posted this article on 3 December 2014: Disney’s ABC Family Cable Network Mulling Reboot
 

ABC Family might look for new graphics, new programs and even a new name in 2015 as part of a proposed reboot that would make it more appealing to its millennial audience, according to a person with knowledge of the Walt Disney property’s plans.

A network spokeswoman declined to offer specifics on what might be up for consideration or change. “We are looking at the network to determine what needs to be rebooted to make sure it’s in line with current millennial sensibilities,”said Jori Arancio, a spokeswoman for ABC Family.

 

 

Though, it looks like this name change may have been in the works since at least July 2014. Disney registered the lapsed FreeformTV.com domain on 13 July 2014. That domain currently redirects to ABC Family's website.
 
Excerpts from the WHOIS look up:

DOMAIN NAME: FREEFORMTV.COM
REGISTRY DOMAIN ID: 1866713964_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
REGISTRAR WHOIS SERVER: WHOIS.CORPORATEDOMAINS.COM
REGISTRAR URL: WWW.CSCPROTECTSBRANDS.COM
UPDATED DATE: 2015-10-07T00:22:31Z
CREATION DATE: 2014-07-13T18:18:17Z

REGISTRANT ORGANIZATION: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
REGISTRANT STREET: 500 SOUTH BUENA STREET
REGISTRANT CITY: BURBANK
REGISTRANT STATE/PROVINCE: CA
REGISTRANT POSTAL CODE: 91521

[GHScorpiosRule]

This evolution builds on ABC Family's existing strategy of super serving "Becomers"

 

 

I'm sorry, but the who, now?

[NewDigs]

Oh. Spare me.

We are renewing our focus on an especially vibrant and important part of the consuming public, whom we have named Becomers and are committing to this life stage, rather than to a generation," Ascheim says. "Becomers are exploring and establishing who they are becoming — personally, professionally and romantically — they live in that magical and messy place between their first kiss and their first kid."

Edited October 8, 2015 by NewDigs

[stormy]

That explanation is so weird, I may never be able to watch ABC Family (or whatever) ever again.

[methodwriter85]

Oh. Spare me.

We are renewing our focus on an especially vibrant and important part of the consuming public, whom we have named Becomers and are committing to this life stage, rather than to a generation," Ascheim says. "Becomers are exploring and establishing who they are becoming — personally, professionally and romantically — they live in that magical and messy place between their first kiss and their first kid."

 

Or in other words, the 18-34 demo, plus high school.

 

I do think ABC Family wants to move out of the teenaged demo and hit that late 20's/early 30's demo, especially because a lot of people in that age group are putting off kids and the like so we're more "free" or something.

[Wax Lion]

Weren't the ABC Family execs previously talking about creating "older" programming that, basically, aged with their audience? (See the horrible Kevin from Work) Interesting that the seemed to have decided to go in the other direction.

[UYI]

Yeah, Matt Webb Mitovich of TV Line answered that there and said it was still part of the deal.

 

That's Pat Robertson for you. Even as this ever evolving network has gone from drifting away to eradicating its religious roots, PR has continued to hold The 700 Club over the network's heads. Although apparently his insistence that the word "Family" being included in the network's name via contract has just been debunked. Per ABC Family's Wikipedia page:

 

 

It should be noted that the channel's programming content standards had changed several years earlier after the sale of the channel by Pat Robertson and International Family Entertainment, and the channel had even aired some acquired series and movies that contain profanity, violence and sexual content or dialogue after the sale to News Corporation, only running them somewhat more so since being purchased by The Walt Disney Company as it chose to refocus the channel more towards a teen and young adult audience to reduce programming redundancy with its existing family-oriented cable network Disney Channel. The persistent insistence was though that the channel was contractually required to keep the word "Family" in its name (a situation that would have required any of its succeeding owners to negotiate out of such a clause or create an entirely new network over Fox/ABC Family's channel space, effectively cancelling all of the channel's existing carriage contracts, without any obligation by cable and satellite providers to put the replacement service in the channel slot vacated by Fox Family); in fact, it is the perception based on its name alone in audience testing conducted by the network that revealed some infrequent viewers thought the channel was aimed specifically at families was what resulted in Disney–ABC's decision to rebrand ABC Family as Freeform, with network president Ascheim refuting the longstanding claim regarding the inclusion of "Family" in the name as an urban legend in announcing the rebrand as Robertson never included such a contractual clause.

 

Too bad, honestly. I was kind of looking forward to a will by Robertson that stated they would have to keep "Family" in the name forever, or start a new network from scratch, effectively controlling them from beyond the grave. A Magnificent Evil Bastard move, of a sort. That could still happen over airing The 700 Club, though, should it continue after his death.

 

And for the record, Freeform marks the sixth name of the network, going from CBN, to the CBN Family Channel (a transitional title, really), to the Family Channel (my favorite incarnation, personally--a lot of kids shows I liked, plus Punky Brewster and The Waltons!), to Fox Family Channel, to ABC Family, and now finally to Freeform. Whew!

[NewDigs]

Or in other words, the 18-34 demo, plus high school.

 

I do think ABC Family wants to move out of the teenaged demo and hit that late 20's/early 30's demo, especially because a lot of people in that age group are putting off kids and the like so we're more "free" or something.

And I'm sure that the demographic of "from first kiss to first kid" really loves seeing million dollar-plus properties on Next Step Realty at 4:00 in the afternoon.

I wonder what age they think fits the "first kiss" part of their mission statement.

[Kromm]

ABC Family was a stupid name because it didn't accurately represent their product.

 

Freeform is a stupid name simply because its a stupid name.

[BabyVegas]

 

And I'm sure that the demographic of "from first kiss to first kid" really loves seeing million dollar-plus properties on Next Step Realty at 4:00 in the afternoon.

Yeah, I watched that show for about 20 minutes because I wanted to feel better about real estate prices in my area, but those agents were so dumb that all I could think was "you're making money because the NYC real estate market basically just prints money, not because you're any good at your job."

 

Freeform is a stupid name simply because its a stupid name.

You're not wrong. Although my personal opinion is that I'm not going to watch or not watch a network because of the name. If you have a show I'm interested in watching I'm gonna watch. 

[bad things are bad]

We are renewing our focus on an especially vibrant and important part of the consuming public, whom we have named Becomers

 

Christ on a focus-grouped cracker. "Becomers"?

 

And children as consumers. Definitely a Christian message there. 

 

I think i'm becomering sick. 

[Trini]

Another press release about the change and premiere dates:

ABC FAMILY TO BECOME FREEFORM ON JANUARY 12

Name Change Coincides with the Winter Season Premieres of Returning Favorites "Pretty Little Liars," "The Fosters," "Young & Hungry," "Baby Daddy" and the World Premieres of New Series "Shadowhunters" and "Recovery Road"

BURBANK, CA (December 10, 2015) - Today ABC Family announced that the network will officially be renamed Freeform on Tuesday, January 12, the same day as the season premiere of its #1 hit series, "Pretty Little Liars," and the world premiere of its new original series, "Shadowhunters."

[Writing Wrongs]

It's a stupid name, but I do love me some Pretty Little Liars, so I'll keep watching. 

[iMonrey]

 

Christ on a focus-grouped cracker. "Becomers"?

 

Yeah - who else is thinking of that episode from Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

[ennui]

By the time one is 34 years old, shouldn't they have "become" something? I mean, no one lives forever. As John Wayne would say, "we're burning daylight."

[Moose135]

By the time one is 34 years old, shouldn't they have "become" something?

I don't know - I'm 55 and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up...

[dalek]

By the time one is 34 years old, shouldn't they have "become" something?

 

 

I am reminded of the line from Lily Tomlin's The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe:

 

"I always knew I wanted to be somebody.  I realize now I should have been more specific." 

[TVJunkie93]

Here's a video breakdown of the upcoming transition:

 

[methodwriter85]

It's going to be really interesting to see what happens now that the signature show Pretty Little Liars is going off the air. There really doesn't seem to be anything that might be as big of a hit.

[maraleia]

I'm also worried that they will cancel The Fosters which would remove four queer people from the airwaves in one fell swoop.