Viacom-owned TNN lost a second attempt in court Thursday to proceed with
plans to change the channel's name to Spike TV.
A panel of Appellate Division judges in New York City upheld an injunction
granted to filmmaker Spike Lee last week to keep the channel from being renamed
Spike TV.
TNN had been seeking to freeze the injunction.
The network, part of the MTV Networks group, plans to appeal the
decision.
"We intend to appeal vigorously and still expect to be vindicated
ultimately," TNN said in a statement. "We firmly believe we have an absolute
right to use the common word 'spike' as the name of our network."
In the meantime, TNN is still morphing into "the first network for men" as
planned.
A new block of adult animation, including Gary the Rat with Kelsey
Grammar and Stripperella with Pamela Anderson, was slated to debut on
schedule Thursday. For now, the shows are airing on The New TNN for men.
Lee alleges TNN is trying to profit off his name and likeness and does not
want to be associated with the channel.
