When Independent Television, formerly Pax TV, switched to its third name Ion Television at the beginning of 2007, it was stepping up its fight with a small San Pedro-based Internet media company.
Positive Ions Inc. had filed suit in July 2006 against Ion Media, the Florida-based parent company of the 60-station Ion Television network, after the company changed its name from Paxson Communications. The suit sought to block Ion Media from using the name, along with a demand for damages.
The two sides reached a settlement in the case earlier this month, two days into the trial, while Ion Media Chief Executive Brandon Burgess was on the stand in federal district court in Los Angeles. Terms of the settlement were confidential, but Ion Television won’t have a new name.
“We are going to continue to use the brand on air and online without change,” said Arthur Sando, a spokesman for Ion Media.
When Ion Media announced the plans for the name change, Burgess said in a press release: “The Ion Media Networks name highlights three aspects of our vision: our team’s positive energy for building superior value with our assets; our commitment to bringing quality media content to our communities; and our ability to enable multiple networks across our digital broadcast spectrum.”
Why would a small Internet company fight a national TV network over a name like Ion?
The lawsuit by Positive Ions stated the name change would “create confusion among relevant consumers, content providers, advertisers and investors.”
Positive Ions is an Internet media company founded in 1999 with over 100 related Web sites devoted to sports, music, and individual cities. Users can blog, upload videos to the site and purchase apparel or other items. The company reportedly generates $1.1 million in annual sales and employs 25 people. Positive Ions did not respond to requests for comment.
Pax TV began broadcasting in 1998 under the leadership of Lowell “Bud” Paxson, who had co-founded the Home Shopping Network. Paxson is a born-again Christian and declared the mission of Pax TV was programming without sex and violence. Pax changed its name to i:Independent Television in 2005.
The network was known primarily for broadcasting infomercials and reruns of feel-good programs such as “Touched by an Angel,” but the also showed some original programming including “Doc” starring Billy Ray Cyrus.
