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19.3.17 0530
The 7 - Random - G4/TechTV Merger
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Excalibur05
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#1 Posted on 25.3.04 1208.12
Reposted on: 25.3.11 1208.40
Well, it's officially official...

Official G4 Statement (g4tv.com)

Apparently the TechTV people have been left with absolutely a bare minimum amount of information on what's going on. They were told to continue hiring, which is promising, but the G4 statement leaves quite a bit on the cutting room floor. There's no mention of Tech Live (so much for WWE's own Chris Leary), Fresh Gear, Call For Help or Unscrewed (which was the network's second highest rated show). All that was pretty disappointing.

I find it curious that they're keeping X-Play around with all of G4's content, but I'm happy because that and Screen Savers made up the bulk of my TechTV watching anyway.

Three other odd notes:

1) They say the new network will be headquartered in LA, despite the fact that it has almost universally been agreed on that TechTV has better studios. I guess the victor gets to pick the spot, but San Fransisco seems to be the more logical choice.

2) Apparently, despite the fact that TechTV seemed to be a more fiscally and professionally more successful venture than G4, the channel will be run by G4 execs under the G4 banner. The focus will apparently also still be on video games, which seems like a losing proposition.

3) Love him or hate him, Leo Laporte was basically the backbone of TechTV, but his current contract only has him working 2 days a week so that he can spend time with his family and on his other projects, something tells me that's not going to fly with Comcast.

All in all an interesting situation. I'll be watching it with equal parts interest and dread.

(edited by Excalibur05 on 25.3.04 1619)
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Battlezone
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#2 Posted on 25.3.04 1221.47
Reposted on: 25.3.11 1222.38
Isn't the X-Play/Unscrewed block one of the network's highest rated hours? Why would they get rid of half of that?

I can't see how merging these two networks could be THAT difficult. I mean, outside of the core shows, TechTV is basically showing BBC specials. I'd ditch Call for Help and Fresh Gear, since Screen Savers covers both those topics, but I'd definitely keep Unscrewed and Tech Live. Or at least keep Jessica Corbin around to do what she does best-stand around and look pretty.

As far as X-Play goes, I could see why they'd keep it around, as it sometimes tends to skew towards your average, casual gamer. It would fit in well with the other G4 shows that (I assume) are a little more for the hardcore player.
Alessandro
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#3 Posted on 25.3.04 1226.39
Reposted on: 25.3.11 1226.55
Keep Unscrewed, keep X-Play ... Junk everything else, as far as I'm concerned.

XPacArmy
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#4 Posted on 25.3.04 1544.06
Reposted on: 25.3.11 1545.59
I think I just also read Comcast just bought 100% of TechTV.
Excalibur05
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#5 Posted on 25.3.04 1620.40
Reposted on: 25.3.11 1625.39
    Originally posted by Battlezone
    Isn't the X-Play/Unscrewed block one of the network's highest rated hours? Why would they get rid of half of that?


The line of reasoning would seem to be that Unscrewed would be seen as "too adult" for Comcast/G4.
Teppan-Yaki
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#6 Posted on 25.3.04 1714.59
Reposted on: 25.3.11 1716.36
    Originally posted by Excalibur05
      Originally posted by Battlezone
      Isn't the X-Play/Unscrewed block one of the network's highest rated hours? Why would they get rid of half of that?


    The line of reasoning would seem to be that Unscrewed would be seen as "too adult" for Comcast/G4.


And "Game On" is not (other than being bad)?

Let's see what they do before we castigate them.
Torchslasher
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#7 Posted on 26.3.04 0035.19
Reposted on: 26.3.11 0035.26
Yeah, it seems that they had to note that both X-Play and Judgement Day would be surviving this merger. This topic is what many of us at the G4 boards were worrying about (man, JD fans like me are RABID).

I don't have much of a problem with this, as two of the shows on G4 I didn't like (Blister and Portal) have already been shitcanned. There will be casualties that I don't enjoy, but overall I have no big problem with this merger.

Keep G4TV.com the show alone though. I needs my Tina Wood fix.
EddieBurkett
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#8 Posted on 26.3.04 0117.13
Reposted on: 26.3.11 0117.40
Actually, it does mention that Fresh Gear will stick around.

I can see how Call for Help could be considered a redundant part of the Screensavers, but its nice to have a show specifically dedicated to helping people with problems.

Shouldn't G4 join TechTV, though? Games are a subset of Tech, not the other way around...

Right now (in my area at least) TechTV is offered as part of Comcast's extended basic, but G4 is only available to digital subscribers. On which tier will the new channel be offered? ( I get TechTV but not G4).
StaggerLee
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#9 Posted on 26.3.04 0140.49
Reposted on: 26.3.11 0141.28
AS long as I continue to see Morgan Webb, I dont care what shows they keep.
Excalibur05
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#10 Posted on 26.3.04 0159.44
Reposted on: 26.3.11 0200.53
    Originally posted by EddieBurkett
    I can see how Call for Help could be considered a redundant part of the Screensavers, but its nice to have a show specifically dedicated to helping people with problems.


The concept of the split between the two shows is that Call for Help is a "Basic Intro" to computing problems, thus they have people like Cat (who is "enthusiastic" about Tech but knows almost nothing) and Roger (who's a smart guy and very personable), Screensavers is the more "advanced tech tips" (the people who've been on the show have tended to know alot about ONE thing or another). There's always been some wishy washyness between the two shows, but I chalk that up to the callers who ask the wrong types of questions for the format.


    Shouldn't G4 join TechTV, though? Games are a subset of Tech, not the other way around...


Comcast owned G4 first. It's their baby. TechTV may be the more well known, well reguared, better performing network, but the way Comcast sees it they want their concept to be on top.


    Right now (in my area at least) TechTV is offered as part of Comcast's extended basic, but G4 is only available to digital subscribers. On which tier will the new channel be offered? ( I get TechTV but not G4).


One of the main reasons Comcast decided to buy TechTV was that it had a wider availabilty than G4. After the merger, the plan seems to be that they will use TechTV's install base for the new network, so in about 2 months you should be getting the new G4 where you currently get TechTV.

    Originally posted by StaggerLee
    AS long as I continue to see Morgan Webb, I dont care what shows they keep.


I'm with you. I'd love to see them keep the Screensavers/Unscrewed people (along with Leary because it's fun to make fun of the Voice of Jakked), but Morgan should be a top priority.
EddieBurkett
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#11 Posted on 26.3.04 0646.08
Reposted on: 26.3.11 0646.16
    Originally posted by Excalibur05
    One of the main reasons Comcast decided to buy TechTV was that it had a wider availabilty than G4. After the merger, the plan seems to be that they will use TechTV's install base for the new network, so in about 2 months you should be getting the new G4 where you currently get TechTV.


If Comcast owns G4, and if Comcast is my cable provider, if they wanted G4 to be more widely available, couldn't they just offer it on the non-digital plans? That seems a heck of a lot easier than buying another network. (although I suppose TechTV might be available to more non-Comcast providers than G4, so it makes sense from that perspective.)

My question about Tech being a subset of G4 was rhetorical. I understand that Comcast *won* and therefore gets to call the shots. I saw the InVasion. I know how this works. (There's a joke about having the TechTV people start showing up and inVading the G4 line-up leading up to battles to determine which shows stay on the air and which don't, but I don't know enough about G4 to make it. At least TechTV doesn't have anything similar to Buff Bagwell to make a bad first impression and destroy the brand.)

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