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MSNBC.com becomes NBCNews.com


Jess

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Microsoft and NBCUniversal have officially dissolved their joint venture. NBC now owns 100% of msnbc.com. Its first move as sole owner? A site rename. MSNBC.com is now NBCNews.com, as of about an hour ago.

 

The breakup is no surprise - they've been discussing this for months. Neither is the name change. MSNBC has become more and more ideological, but the content on MSNBC.com continued to be straight news. With the new name, it's hoping to distance the web brand from the TV brand.

 

MSNBC.com redirects to NBCNews.com - and quite a bit of content remains on the old address and servers, including the article that discusses the change. They're keeping the domain, though - next year, MSNBC.com will be a site for the TV channel specifically.

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Not a bad idea, but it makes very little sense that they're not rebranding the news channel as well. Microsoft/MSN has had no involvement whatsoever with MSNBC-TV for years now, so I don't understand why they would keep that name long-term.

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Guys, read the OP. They're differentiating between the strict news op (.com) and the television net that tends to editorialize. The name of the TV net is now regardless of the former joint venture with MS.

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Guys, read the OP. They're differentiating between the strict news op (.com) and the television net that tends to editorialize. The name of the TV net is now regardless of the former joint venture with MS.

 

Yes, I'm very aware of that and think it's a smart move. What I don't understand is why the MS branding will continue on the cable channel as well when it has no connection to Microsoft.

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Yes, I'm very aware of that and think it's a smart move. What I don't understand is why the MS branding will continue on the cable channel as well when it has no connection to Microsoft.

Because, basically, it kind of stuck and the network has an identity now. I think people know what "MSNBC" is these days - a politically oriented commentary channel - and aren't as apt to confuse it with a microsoft thing. There were undoubtedly people going "I'm not reading MSNBC because LIBERALS!!!!!" when the website was getting about as far away from the cable channel's content as possible. That was causing problems for Microsoft as well as NBC, because they could only use MSNBC.com content on their portal, and that site/channel confusion was apparently giving them problems as well.

 

But as far as a rename for the channel goes... well, "NBC News" or any variant of that is off limits given the skittishness NBC has often displayed about confusing MSNBC TV with NBC News. I doubt there's anything better out there that would contain "NBC" in the name.

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How about rebranding the MSNBC channel, the Universal News Network (UNN). It plays nicely off of CNN (I wonder is Ted Turner would sue?) and stays within the NBCUni branding realm (remember there is Universal Sports Network - which is picking up steam as a basic channel and will be premiering or has premiered in 1080i).Plus, with this new type of branding, they would be able to claim "Universal" news coverage and could have a really sweet logo.

 

But as far as a rename for the channel goes... well, "NBC News" or any variant of that is off limits given the skittishness NBC has often displayed about confusing MSNBC TV with NBC News. I doubt there's anything better out there that would contain "NBC" in the name.

 

Look, currently, MSNBC not only has the "NBC" title in the name but also uses the peacock in their branding. The new branding would not. I realize NBC may get mad and ultimately lose viewers because they are confusing the NBC News with the news channel, but it's their own damn fault! Follow my suggestion and few people will get confused.

 

I realize that this is only a on-air change. The guts of UNN would be still be at 30Rock and reporters and personalities would still be getting paychecks signed by NBCUni. Superficial as it is, I think the rebranding of MSNBC to the Universal News Network would continue to allow NBCUni to air a Liberally slanted channel, retain a similar feeling brand in their portfolio, and allow enough separation between NBC and UNN where viewers wouldn't confuse the two channels, ultimately allowing some, if not several viewers, to separate their hatred of the Universal News Network from the even-keeled reporting at NBC News and just watch NBC News.

 

Thought?

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How about rebranding the MSNBC channel, the Universal News Network (UNN). It plays nicely off of CNN (I wonder is Ted Turner would sue?) and stays within the NBCUni branding realm (remember there is Universal Sports Network - which is picking up steam as a basic channel and will be premiering or has premiered in 1080i).Plus, with this new type of branding, they would be able to claim "Universal" news coverage and could have a really sweet logo.

 

How about the Liberal News Network (LNN)? :rofl!: (I'm sorry, I had to :p)

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How about the Liberal News Network (LNN)? :rofl!: (I'm sorry, I had to :p)

 

Thanks! :rolleyes: Then FOX News should rebrand Conservative News Network (CNN? Turner would have a field day!)

 

The key with branding is to name the channel something enticing but not overt. You want to gain your viewers and not completely repulse your non-viewers. The thing with Universal News Network is that is has could have global appeal and not be known as this strictly American mechanism. On the other hand, MSNBC is known to be American and has negative implications for NBC News. Wouldn't they want to rid themselves of that as best as possible? Yet the UNN branding keeps the channel within the NBCUni family. And the average viewer, besides us on TVNewsTalk :) , won't identify the glaring connection.

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You're not thinking outside the box enough. You gotta look at some of Kabletown's recent channel renaming/rebranding. SciFi became SyFy; Sleuth became Cloo.

 

If we follow the pattern, MSNBC would then have to become Nooz. Tagline: "It's not just news. It's Nooz."

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I get the connection between SciFi and 'SyFy'. Phonetics. But Sleuth to Cloo. WTH is a Cloo?

 

Comcast could take it in a entirely different direction and rebrand MSNBC as Comcast Cable News. With this variation they would be forcibly pushing themselves into everyone's home. Reminding them, even if they have Dish, DirecTV, TWC, whatever: "Hey, look at us! We are Comcast. Try us! Anytime you purposely or accidentally switch to this channel, you'll see our names and be forced to think about you telephone, internet, and television decisions!"

 

There are several ways to play this: keep what you have (MSNBC) and deal with the consequences, be coy (Universal News Network) but keep the network in brand and seperate the NBC audience from the UNN audience, act like a wiseacre (Nooz) and lose all respect in the news community, constantly remind people you are there (Comcast Cable News) maybe get yanked from the channel line-up but make your brand widely known, be entirely boring (The 24 Hour News Channel) and trample over CNN's (warn) niche, washout and start over (NBC News Network); viable yes, but you coveted audience is now watching Current TV.

 

I am sure there are several more options I haven't stated, but there are far reaching advantages and disadvantages, especially in regard to the Liberal viewing community.

:)

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I'm going to guess that NBCUni has already spent a lot of money branding MSNBC as the "Lean Forward" station, and they really don't want to flush that down the drain with yet *another* name change. They were skittish about that even before they decided on buying out MSNBC.com. (Previous discussions were to just rename the Microsoft/NBC joint venture website as NBCNews.com, which would have explicitly codified each of the properties having the absolute wrong name.) Also, I'm going to guess that because of NBC News' desire to keep its brand unassociated with the cabler, if NBCUni were to decide on a name change, the word "news" would not appear (or even from the En Bee Sea Yoonaverzel dickshunairy spelling, like "nooz").

 

On further reflection, given that before the talks became of Microsoft selling its stake in the website the discussion was of Microsoft and NBC relanching the co-owned site as NBCNews.com, it shows that by last year the two companies thought that MSNBC was worth more to NBC than Microsoft. The higher profile MSNBC cable network has appeared to have 'tainted' the brand to Microsoft and NBC News, both of whom have reasons to not look like they're partisan or political.

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