TVGN (the former TV Guide Network) is being renamed Pop and positioning itself as "a network that celebrates the fun of being a fan," channel president of entertainment and media Brad Schwartz said.
Over the years, TVGN has evolved from being a scrolled guide to an entertainment channel that's now owned by CBS and Lionsgate, with an increasing amount of original programming. It no longer has any ties to TV Guide magazine and more than 80 million of its 83-million subscriber base doesn't get the guide scroll any more, so it was time for a new name and a fresh focus, Schwartz said.
The name Pop, he said, is meant to evoke whatever it is that makes a special talent stand out. "It's all things that pop," Schwartz said. The new brand will gradually be worked in and the renaming will be completed by early 2015, he said.
Rock This Boat: New Kids On The Block, about fans of the boy band who go on rock cruises, and The Story Behind, about the making of iconic TV series, will be part of the new lineup. Schwartz said a new development slate is coming out soon.
Under the Lionsgate/CBS partnership, TVGN has had five consecutive quarter-over-quarter viewing increases, officials say, and in 2014 primetime ratings are up 24% over 2013 while total day is up 14%.
