SyFy Portal

Infobox Website
name = SYFY PORTAL

url = http://www.syfyportal.com/
commercial = Yes
type = Science-fiction/fantasy entertainment news
registration = None
owner = The SyUniverse Group Inc.
location_city = Tampa, Florida
location_country = USA
author = Michael Hinman
launch date = Aug. 13, 1998

SyFy Portal is an entertainment news website focusing on science-fiction, fantasy and comic book television series and films.

History

It premiered Aug. 13, 1998 by Florida-based print journalist Michael Hinman as "Syfyman's World," concentrating specifically on ' and ' on GeoCities, but quickly expanded its horizons within weeks under the new moniker of "SyFy World." Hinman has said the name for the site, which is a variant spelling of "sci-fi" was inspired by the name from the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He has said that he originally want to call the site Psi Phi World, but that name had already been taken.

The site quickly become popular because of its inclusion of spoilers of television shows (which Hinman has had to be cautioned to not include in headlines), mainly that of "Earth: Final Conflict" revealing plot details of episodes before they were aired in first-run syndication.

Many fans were introduced to the site in early 1999 when SyFy World launched its first ever SyFy Genre Awards, a fan-oriented online awards system allowing users to vote for their favorite actors and television shows once a day for 30 days. Hinman described it as a marketing move to help get people in the habit of going to the Web site each day.

By 2000, SyFy World had left GeoCities and became a part of Trek Nation, the parent network of TrekToday, a popular "Star Trek" website. [cite web|url=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/syfyportal/message/305|title=Announcement|publisher=SyFy World|date=2000-01-08|accessdate=2007-01-07] However, by early 2001, Hinman and the owner of another website, Star Trek Portal, announced a merger of the two sites that became SyFy Portal. [cite web|url=http://lists.topica.com/lists/BBKN/read/message.html?sort=&mid=1603129913|title=SyFy Portal To Live After A Fashion|publisher=Bring Back Kirk campaign|date=2001-05-29|accessdate=2007-01-06]

Boubel left the site in 2002 making Hinman the sole owner. [cite web|url=http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue268/news.html|title=SyFy Portal Returns|publisher=SciFi Wire|date=2002-06-10|accessdate=2007-01-06] Hinman then formed The SyUniverse Group, which put together a volunteer staff of programmers, graphic designers and writers to support SyFy Portal as well as future website expansions. The new staff, including lead designer Bryant Griffin, redesigned the site as well as the logo, producing the popular "Star Wars"-inspired logo of today. The SyUniverse Group was incorporated in Florida in March 2007. [cite web|url=http://syfyportal.com/community/index.php?topic=6447.0|title=SyUniverse Group ... Inc.|publisher=SyFy Portal SyBoards|date=2007-03-15|accessdate=2007-03-29]

Hinman continues on as owner and site coordinator. Other key staff members include Nicholas Chase as the site's lead programmer and Wayne Hall as the site's news editor.

Coverage

In recent years, SyFy Portal has focused most of its editorial attention on SciFi Channel's reimagination of "Battlestar Galactica" as well as the NBC hit "Heroes" and the ABC series "Lost".

SyFy Portal also has a history with the family of late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, including a series of interviews with Eugene W. Roddenberry Jr., the son of the late creator and actress wife Majel Barrett. The site also regularly interviews David Weddle, a co-producer on "Battlestar Galactica" as well as series musical writer Bear McCreary.

Other exclusive interview subjects included "Star Trek" director and actor Jonathan Frakes, one-time "Star Trek" movie scribe Erik Jendresen, "Torchwood" star John Barrowman, "Star Trek" activist Bjo Trimble, "" actor Dominic Keating, actress Virginia Hey and writer Damian Kindler among others.

SyFy Portal has been known to take a position on specific television series, promoting the new "Battlestar Galactica" series before the first actor was even cast and calling for the end of "Star Trek: Enterprise" after its third season (it would later be renewed for a fourth).

yFy Radio

On April 2, 2008, SyFy Portal launched its first online radio show through BlogTalkRadio called SyFy Radio. It is hosted by Michael Hinman and has scheduled guests that include Webmasters from competing sites as well as David Weddle from Battlestar Galactica, George Takei and Eugene W. Roddenberry Jr. [cite web|url=http://www.syfyportal.com/news424875.html|title=SyFy Radio To Launch April 2|publisher=SyFy Portal|date=2008-03-27|accessdate=2008-03-29]

References