SciFi Channel co-founder Mitch Rubenstein spoke out on the name change to Syfy (see “SciFi Becomes Syfy”), with a “Say It’s Not So” post on Hollywood.com (which he owns with fellow SciFi founder Laurie Silvers).  In the post, Rubenstein recounts a meeting with a group of science fiction writers, before the launch of the network, in which the name was discussed.  The discussion went back and forth between SF and SciFi, until Isaac Asimov, who was on the channel’s board of advisors, spoke.  “Then Isaac started to speak and said that the name had to be Sci Fi Channel and not the SF Channel in order to draw a wide, diverse audience and be successful,” Rubenstein recalled.  “To be in a financial position to acquire and produce the best programming.”

Rubenstein argues that Asimov would have believed the latest name change is “just plain dumb.”

Meanwhile, SciFi Channel execs have revealed to SciFi Wire that Syfy was the best of three options that were considered.  SFC and Beyond were rejected as names for the network.