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All of TechTV Fired

So what happens to cable companies that currently have contracts with TechTV, will they just carry over with the G4 contract or will new contracts have to be written from scratch.
 
thank goodness they will keep the major content. those are some of the most educational shows on air today. they help the masses, honestly. well, i hope they follow through on the deal..

by the way, i hate robot wars also.
 
michaelrjohnson said:
i hate robot wars also.
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This is a little off topic but.... I always thought they should do a robot wars thing where people built huge car sized remote controlled machines that would rip each other apart, kinda a cross between robot wars, monster garage and one of those red-neck monster truck rally-type deals. There wouldn't really be any restrictions (maybe something like no projectile weapons or something), and would take place in a salt-flat desert type place, filmed with remote cameras and stuff (to prevent people from getting hurt as the gas-powered things blow up as they tear into each other). Now that would be an entertaining robot wars show. They could do it tournament style where the winner gets a BIG check, like a mill or something like that. The thing that makes the current show suck so bad is that they play up the combat to be so hard core, when it's really just a bunch of armor-plated rc cars running into each other and pushing each other into a tiny hole in the floor (i.e. the "pit of oblivion" which is like 8" deep). What do you all think? Is this a good show idea, or have I been in VA too long?
 
I was impressed by robot wars once. There was this little yellow wedge that went under this much bigger robot and quite literally, FLIPPED it probably 20 ft. in the air and out of the arena. It was pretty incredible, but I never saw anything that cool ever happen again.

That said, I do have to agree with the earlier posts. They aren't really that small though. They are like the size of a little kid's go-kart. What they need are some weapons that do damage. I can't believe how many times I've seen the toss over contraption just flip the car over onto its back where it can apparently still function. I've NEVER seen an ax thing do any real damage. Disks sometimes work, but malfunction too often. Where is the voltage arcing robot?? Where is the robot that tosses some really strong acid on the other robot?? I want to see creativity.
 
jared_kipe said:
I was impressed by robot wars once. There was this little yellow wedge that went under this much bigger robot and quite literally, FLIPPED it probably 20 ft. in the air and out of the arena. It was pretty incredible, but I never saw anything that cool ever happen again.

That said, I do have to agree with the earlier posts. They aren't really that small though. They are like the size of a little kid's go-kart. What they need are some weapons that do damage. I can't believe how many times I've seen the toss over contraption just flip the car over onto its back where it can apparently still function. I've NEVER seen an ax thing do any real damage. Disks sometimes work, but malfunction too often. Where is the voltage arcing robot?? Where is the robot that tosses some really strong acid on the other robot?? I want to see creativity.
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I can't really stand Robot Wars either. I did used to watch Battle Bots show that was on some other network. It was marginally better.

Of course I am just waiting for them to come out with Battle Boats. At least then we can see the ship sink :)

Robot Wars just isn't destructive enough for my taste.
 
Tech TV goes the way of Silicon Valley

Perhaps Apple Computer could have bought some ad time on this station,
and it could have survived and perhaps the PC heads might have considered
a Mac....but I guess that makes too much sense.
Isn't it interesting that you see more ads for diet pills, bags that take
air out for clothes packing, and Yoga than Apple Computers on cable TV?
 
PalmHarborTchr said:
Perhaps Apple Computer could have bought some ad time on this station,
and it could have survived and perhaps the PC heads might have considered
a Mac....but I guess that makes too much sense.
Isn't it interesting that you see more ads for diet pills, bags that take
air out for clothes packing, and Yoga than Apple Computers on cable TV?
Click to expand...

Simple answer for that: Cable advertising is WAY less expensive than free TV and so you are much more likely to find advertising for these rinky dink products than from major name brands.

Advertising on cable is hit or miss. Outside of shows like the Sopranos and Larry David's show (The name excapes me), you might, at most, have 125,000-250,000 people watching a show, expecially in niche programming like TechTV and The Food Channel. Even a really bad ABC show is pulling in 1-2 million people. You want to put your ads where people are going to see them. While I agree that it would be beyond logical for computer companies to advertise on channels like TechTV, if you think about it, the shows themselves are essentually free advertising as they talk about the things computer companies are doing and what products are available.
 
PalmHarborTchr said:
Perhaps Apple Computer could have bought some ad time on this station,
and it could have survived and perhaps the PC heads might have considered
a Mac....but I guess that makes too much sense.
Isn't it interesting that you see more ads for diet pills, bags that take
air out for clothes packing, and Yoga than Apple Computers on cable TV?
Click to expand...

Apple used to advertise on TechTV back in the 1999 era when everything came in colors ;) I actually remember getting to watch the entire "Return of Steve Jobs" (as CEO) MacWorld Keynote on TechTV live---very nice, wish they still did that. I only watch Call for Help and The Screensavers (not so much after Leo left). I enjoy Chris Breen's mac tips and that Alex guy on Call for Help that does Photoshop tips. The Screensavers is not so good since Leo left it to save Call 4 Help but maybe they will bounce back on the G4 network. Leo has said publicly he will return to the Screensavers if they would "live to tape" it a few days a week and not actually broadcast live. We will see.. best of luck to the former employees.
 
windowsblowsass said:
lets all go to philly an dprotest comcast and/or burn it to the ground

I was wondering what happened to Leo
Click to expand...

Leo is back on Call for Help. Not the Screensavers though.
 
This sucks so much. I don't get TechTV at home unless we pay extra but I've been watching it all school year. My dormmates and I watch screen savers religiously at 4:00 every day. Everybody on the show is great, it seems like such a casual environment to watch. I loved the screensavers so much that I was going to pay the extra money so that I could watch it during the summer. I'm gonna miss those guys if I end up not being able to watch them anymore.
 
I also never liked the BBC rejects on TechTV like Future Fighting Machines, Spy Scool, Thenderbirds, ROBOT WARS.
And I love how they have cable in the classroom but they play shows like Wired For Sex, I mean I thoght TTV was for familys I miss the old ZdTV with The Screensavers, Internet tonight, Gamespot, Fresh Gear,Call For Help. I think the only show I did not like was Silicon Spin with John C. Dvorak
 
windowsblowsass said:
WILL techtv just change to g4 like whn zdtv went to techtv or will i not have it anymore
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It should be a seamless transition, thats why comcast bought them in the first place, to reach more homes.

ps why did Pirillo leave in the first place, I liked him on call for help, Leo is to dry for that show.
 
Sayer said:
Anyone from the Phoenix AZ area might remember "Dave Pratt" on 98 KUPD, he bailed after nearly 20 years on the same station, took a vacation until his contract expired and popped up on an old-fart top 40 station.

The station decided he wasn't "hip" and "in touch" with the current Gen Y crowd and got some 20-somethings who did nothing but Howard Stern-esque d*ck and fart jokes all the time on air in his place. Boy, that was a brilliant move - listenership dropped faster than Courtney Love's head when near a line of cocaine..
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No way! I used to listen to the "Red Rocker" all the time in High School.

That was the only station you could get (on various frequencies) all over the State too.

I moved to TX back in '93 - I can't believe he's not there any more.

(Talk about nostalgia - I remember putting those red, white & black 98 KUPD stickers on everything!)

Back on topic, has anyone heard if the new G4/TTV merged channel will still be on DirecTV? I refuse to go leave my DirecTV Tivo/DVR - not even for The Screen Savers.

And - even though they said they'd keep TSS, I have to wonder if the talent will stay. Leo leaving was bad enough, but if Kevin and Sarah go I'd probably loose interest.
 
I was pretty surprised when I heard of this news. I think the people over at TechTV are great. I always try to watch TSS, it's a great show.

But I was surprised when Leo was fired about a month ago, and then he was re-hired, and I figured all was well until this. Hopefully at least some of the hosts will be hired back.
 
This sucks... I was on TechTV once because I live in the area... I still have a tape of it.... I don't get it at home, but I always wanted to. I was reviewing the waveDJ which sucked... the only good part was when the host (name escapes me at the moment) pressed a button and it said "wake up and smell the coffee" He started cracking up like crazy, and couldn't stop until he managed to get the rest of the staff to take him off the air.....



I signed the petition... I don't want TechTV to be merged away before I get a proper chance to watch it.....
 
COMCAST COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF TECHTV

PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 10, 2004) - Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK) today announced that it has completed the purchase of TechTV from Vulcan Programming, Inc. and, as planned, will merge it with G4, the Comcast-owned television network devoted to video games and the gamer lifestyle. EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) will have an equity interest in the combined entity. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Beginning May 28, the two channels will merge into one network called G4techTV and will be available in approximately 44 million cable and satellite homes nationwide. The merged channel will be headquartered in Los Angeles.


"We are confident that G4techTV will offer value to the many affiliates; advertisers; content partners; and viewers of both G4 and TechTV," said Charles Hirschhorn, CEO of the merged network. "The combined programming lineup will let viewers continue to enjoy their favorite shows while, at the same time, introducing them to new programming. Additionally, we have begun to develop new, exciting original programming that will premiere later this year."


Viewers who have questions about the merger may log onto http://www.g4techtv.com for more information.
 
GorillaPaws said:
What do you all think? Is this a good show idea, or have I been in VA too long?
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Yes. ;) :)

There are a couple of geeks I know who are going to be pretty disappointed at the big changes to their default channel of choice! But time will tell; I'm sure even Comcast isn't dumb enough to mess with TechTV's highest-rated and most popular offerings, and really, the combination of TechTV with a video-gamer's channel is pretty common sense.

Though....G4TechTV? What the heck were their marketing people thinking?
 
rueyeet said:
Though....G4TechTV? What the heck were their marketing people thinking?
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Its kinda like when TNN became "The New" TNN and then became Spike TV.
Im sure in a year or 2 they will make a more permanent name.
 
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