A's new logo
CTV announced yesterday that its “A channel” network, which is a collection of broadcast stations mainly in Ontario, would be renamed simply “A” and would feature a new look and new logo (right), as well as a new website: atv.ca.
The website address demonstrates the main problem with this new name: It’s just a stupid letter. Like CBC’s Bold and Documentary networks (sorry, “bold” and “documentary”) and Canwest’s “E!” entertainment network, their names are confusing, and their website addresses non-intuitive.
But the biggest problem is that “A” is ungoogleable. You simply can’t own a letter in Google. So if people want to find “A” online, they have to guess what its real name is. ATV? A Channel? A Network? Two of those won’t work either in Google.
So people will just keep calling it A Channel to avoid confusion. Which makes the name change kind of pointless.
Can’t wait to here to all the usual jokes (most likely from south of the border) about the stereotypical Canadian accent influencing the network brand… “what’s dat you say ‘boot a noo name for de A channel, eh?”
Yeah, they should call it EH channel!
How is it confusing for a channel that airs documentaries to be called ‘documentary’?
Interesting that they’re using the atv.ca URL because ATV was also a sub-brand of CTV a while back. I believe the Halifax-based affiliated branded itself as ATV, for Atlantic Television.
Perhaps “confusing” is the wrong word here. My issue isn’t with the word “documentary” but the removal of the word “channel,” indicating that it’s a television network. Unless people specify that on their own, it can lead to confusion. “I work for Documentary” sounds grammatically incorrect.
ATV is a station in Halifax, one that is quite watched in the Maritimes (they always brag about being “number 1” in the last ratings… ). And altough ATV is associated with CTV, you actually get both signal on your TV in the Maritimes. Most of the time (like prime time evening shows), programs are the same but news and other stuff are different.
And as far as I know, their website was atv.ca…
ah! Now I get it!!! They are simply using ATV’s website, as it seems they took over the Atlantic station : “CTV’s former Atlantic Satellite Network (ASN) has been rebranded as ‘A’ and folded into the group of channels formally known as A-Channel in advance of the programming change that will see the full ‘A’ line up delivered to Atlantic Canada this September. ”
ATV was the best station in the Maritimes as far as news… I’m glad I’m not living there anymore, I wouldn’t be excited about my local station being taken over by a network based…3 provinces away! So much for local news I guess :(
Actually, Julie, you’re wrong. ATV was a group of stations in Atlantic Canada that often aired CTV programming. In 1997 it was purchased by CTV, becoming ATV CTV, then in 2005 the ATV branding was dropped and it became CTV Atlantic. ASN does not have its own news programming, it simply airs the CTV news programs. ASN’s only original programming is Breakfast Television. ASN has done nothing but gain resources in becoming Atlantic Canada’s /A\ affiliate.
Also, CTV is based in Ontario as well, so why is that any different than /A\ coming to Atlantic Canada? This is a great time for Canada. This is the fourth television entity to broadcast from coast to coast. CTV, CBC and Global being the other three.
Oh, and ATV.ca (along with ASN.ca) hasn’t directed to anything but a dead webpage on the CTV site for years, so no loss there either.
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