• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, June 29, 2009

Modestly distributed Sportsman Channel has jettisoned its 6-year-old logo as part of a network re-branding initiative. Gone is a red logo that resembled a sign in front of a tackle shop. In is an emblem with three "coins," each representing a program genre featured on the network: hunting, shooting and fishing.

The network has also dropped the "The" from its moniker and is going with just "Sportsman Channel." Also new is the tagline: "You Know You're a Sportsman."

The channel is in some 17 million homes and competes with -- among others -- the Outdoor Channel, which underwent a re-branding of its own in 2007.

Each "coin" bears a different color and image to signal the program area: antlers for hunting, a target for shooting, for example.

Sportsman is owned by InterMedia Outdoors, which also owns a stable of outdoor enthusiast publications (Guns & Ammo and Fly Fisherman among them) and purchased the network in 2007.

As part of the re-branding, InterMedia is running a campaign in its 15 magazines, as well as other print media.

Willy Burkhardt, president of the network, said of the "coins": "We can animate them, stretch them into 3-D, have them interact with the programming ..."