ABC Family is dropping 'ABC' and 'Family'

ABC Family has been a bit of an anachronism for years now.

The network was founded by evangelist Pat Robertson, was once known as the Family Channel and still airs the religious 700 Club each weeknight. But its wholesome brand — it's now owned by Disney, after all — is at odds with its millennial-themed programming, including Pretty Little Liars and The Fosters, which tackle contemporary topics such as teen pregnancy and LGBT themes.

So in January, the network will drop its moniker and rebrand itself as Freeform. The name is meant to signal to its target audience of 14-to-34-year-olds, a group it has dubbed the "becomers" who are seeking their own identities, that they can participate in the network.

Network president Tom Ascheim says the change was sparked by research showing that while current fans understood the network's programming, non-viewers too often associated ABC Family with "family-friendly" and "wholesome" attributes, which discouraged many of them from watching.

"There was enough difference in perception between people who already like us and people who don't know us," Ascheim says, so, "the name change will harmonize who our audience is, what our label means and what we stand for."  He insists that ABC Family, a sort of generational bridge between the tween-targeted Disney Channel and ABC, is "not trying to hide the connection" with Disney and ABC. But the new name will do just that. "The goal is to keep people who already love us happy while enticing new people" to watch.

The millennials it has targeted for years, some now approaching 40, are slowly aging out of the network's target, so it's set its sights on a slightly younger group. But it's still performing well among women ages 18 to 34, ranking second behind MTV (and essentially tied with VH1) in the three months ended Sept. 27.

Adds marketing chief Nigel Cox-Hagan: "We're focusing our commitment to our core audience, and an age group that's always driven our success, as their sensibilities and tastes evolve."

The name change follows the network's annual highly-rated programming stunt, 25 Days of Christmas, and coincides with winter premieres of its top series.