In several countries, television networks name themselves after a number in order to claim that number on the remote control and be listed by that number in programme guides. This is the case in Sweden, where all the major domestic commercial entertainment channels are named after a sequential channel number, and have succesfully claimed that button on the remote control. Last year, they went double-digit with the launch of TV10.
One exception to this rule has been the dominating commercial broadcaster, the TV4 Group, which has named its channels after its primary channel TV4. With this naming strategy came a beutifully consistent, friendly and distinguishable set of logos. Many can be credited to Barbro Ohlson-Smith, who has her own agency, but used to be graphics director for the network. Recently, TV4 has revised their naming strategy and followed suit with numeric names and independent identities for their broad entertainment channels. It started with its youth channel TV400 which took the lowest available number and became TV11 in January.
The plan now continues with their second channel, which until now has been called TV4 Plus. Yesterday, April 26, it was announced that it would be renamed Sjuan ("the Seven") with a new look. The renaming makes sense, as until now TV4 Plus has been the seventh channel in all but name. It is the seventh most watched channel, many newspapers list it as the seventh channel (between TV6 and TV8) and most people have it on number 7 on their electronic programme guide.
The number 7 is however contested, as reported in February, there is another channel which has failed to claim the rights to the name "TV7" and is now known as TNT7. Another channel which claimed number 7 was the immigrant channel Canal 7, which changed its name to Kanal Global on March 16.
As for the new logo, it keeps the circle and the light blue colour from TV4 Plus' logo, creating a new take on the "circle 7" concept.
When TV4 Plus started in 2003 it was a channel for sports, gambling and hobbies, but it has over time developed into a broad entertainment channel for a female audience. The renaming will take place after the summer.
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| Current TV4 Plus logo, used since 2007. |
The previous logo for TV4 Plus was launched on February 5, 2007 and created by Ohlson-Smith.
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