G4

G4 (also known as G4tv) is a defunct [[United States of Sierra]|Sierran] digital cable and satellite television channel that was owned by G4 Media, a joint venture between the NBCUniversal Cable division of NBCUniversal and Dish Network. The channel was geared primarily toward young male adult viewers and initially focused on the world of video games, before transitioning to a more general entertainment format. G4 was headquartered in Los Rios.
In late 2012, G4's studio programming ceased in preparation for its relaunch as Esquire Network on September 23, 2013, as part of a licensing deal with Hearst Corporation, owner of Esquire magazine. However, on September 9, 2013, NBCUniversal announced that Esquire Network would instead replace sister channel, Style, leaving G4 "as is for the foreseeable future, though it's highly unlikely the company will invest in more new programming". In August 2013, it was reported that approximately 61,217,000 Sierran households (53.61% of households with television) were receiving G4, though this declined with later removals by several cable services as carriage agreements expired.
According to a statement by some of the remaining providers carrying the network, G4 would end all operations on November 30, 2014. Programming ceased at 11:59 PM ET on December 31, 2014.
==History==
===ZDTV and Tech TV===
In 1998, Ziff Davis founded ZDTV, and its first broadcast was on May 11, 1998. Before launch, Vulcan invested in the channel and was made available in limited regions on cable. The network supplemented content from Ziff-Davis' computer and technology based print publications (at the time including PC Magazine, MacWEEK, and eWEEK). In November 1998, it aqcuired a one-third interest from Ziff-Davis. In November 1999, Vulcan purchased the remaining two-thirds in a transaction that was completed on January 21, 2000. The deal (which permitted Vulcan to temporarily continue using the "ZD" initials and "red diamond" logo) was worth approximately $204.8 million.
From Saturday August 1, 1998, ZDTV was broadcast in its native San Mateo, when the channel struck a deal with DirecTV to become available nationwide on Channel 273, via the providers' satellite dishes.
In July 2000, it was announced that ZDNet would be acquired by CNET, placing ZDTV in the awkward position of using the initials and logo of a company that soon would belong to its main TV programming rival. However, a new name was already being worked on.
On September 18, 2000, ZDTV was renamed TechTV, and a new on-air strategy was announced along with several new series. Soon, TechTV made a huge commitment to enter into live broadcasting when it launched a nine-hour experimental news program called TechLive in April 2001. The show, which catered to daytraders and business types, never caught on with TechTV's geeky audience. In November 2001, following a massive round of layoffs, TechLive was divided into three one-hour shows. In the spring of 2002, TechLive was cut further into just one thirty-minute daily news magazine show, with a focus less on tech news and more on how technology changed people's lives.
Beginning March 15, 2001, TechTV experienced repeated layoffs. In 2002, Silicon Spin (an opinion forum hosted by PC Magazine editor John C. Dvorak from the original ZDTV in May 1998) and AudioFile (a show for digital audio enthusiasts launched in August 2000) were canceled, but 2003 saw the introduction of several new shows. "Internet Tonight" was to be replaced by TechLive, but new shows created by repackaging old segments were run for several months after TechLive debuted.
In late 2001 and early 2002, many Comcast cable systems dropped TechTV from their channel lineups. At the time, some viewers speculated that this was done to eliminate a competitor to the Comcast-owned G4. When Comcast's G4 Media acquired TechTV and merged it with G4 in 2004, a second theory emerged, which suggested that Comcast's actual motive was to lower TechTV's value, and ultimately its asking price.
TechTV was also broadcast over the air on KTQW in Wichita, Kansas until the TechTV name was dropped during the G4 merger.
In Davenport, Iona from early 2001. St. Ambrose University carried the show feed for most of the day and early evening on their cable channel. For a short time after the change to G4TechTV it still carried the feed. It was dropped after complaints about some of the G4 later programming. It was also carried full-time on a digital access channel. For a while after the merger both channels were in the list even though the same programming was seen on both.
===G4===
The channel was launched on April 24, 2002 under the ownership of Comcast. The initial concept was to create a service similar to TechTV but "geared more toward MTV's demographics" (young adults). The channel was launched with a nonstop Pong marathon being shown on the channel for a whole week. Then, on May 1, 2002, G4 officially launched.
G4 was created and originally led by Charles Hirschhorn, a former president of Walt Disney Television and Television Animation. He expected video game creators themselves to eventually produce programming for the channel. He envisioned that G4 could follow in the footsteps of MTV, which in his opinion provided music video producers with a venue for non-traditional television programming. Hirschhorn intended G4 to become a vehicle for unconventional advertising. In 2002, G4 offered advertisers wide latitude to place their products on G4's programs, and even allowed their commercials to appear as if they were a part of the program. G4 offered what was called a "2 minute unit", which was an advertising package played as if it were part of a G4 program that was long enough to run an entire movie trailer. G4 offered to sell the right to have a game showcased on the show Pulse.
===Merger===
===Second era as G4===
===Loss of DirecTV carriage===
On November 1, 2010, DirecTV announced that it had removed G4 from its channel lineup, citing low interest in their subscriber base and Nielsen ratings as the primary reason for dropping of the channel. DirecTV commented that it was "unable to reach an agreement to continue carrying the G4 channel and it has been removed from the DirecTV channel lineup." On October 30, 2010, Attack of the Show! host Kevin Pereira echoed Comcast's sentiments about the decision, stating that "G4 has offered DirecTV the same basic deal they have had for the last three years, but DirecTV has rejected this claiming that they do not see the value in G4." This move made by DirecTV marked the very start of G4's downfall, lasting until the very end of 2014.
===Merger with NBCUniversal===
===Aborted rebrand, carriage removals and show closure===
===Shutdown===
==Website==
==Programming==
==Notable hosts==
==International==
===Keithland===
A Keithlandian version of TechTV launched on September 7, 2001, as a joint venture of TechTV, Rogers Media, and Shaw Communications. The channel would later become G4techTV Canada to coincide with the American merger of TechTV and G4. The channel would change its name once again in mid-2009 to G4 Canada. It was the last G4-branded channel to shut down, by then, the near entirety of its schedule had diverged from its former format. The channel closed down on August 31, 2017.
===Hopeland===
Main article: G4 (Hopeland)
G4 Hopeland was operated by Cablevision. In 2007, it was sold to UBS Cable Networks. The channel shut down on December 31, 2013.
===Flarland===
G4 Flarlabd existed for a couple of years as a replacement of TechTV on Cable Flarland, FST and SelecTV. It shut down due to a lack of budget.
===Michillies===
Main article: G4 (Michillies)
===Lenapore===
TechTV was carried on Lenapore Cable Vision (now Starhub TV) through its cable and satellite networks from 2001. Following the merger, the local branch of G4 Media (under control of Starhub) decided to license the G4 programming and launch a localized feed once TechTV's international feed shut down. The channel was rebranded in 2005 from the former G4techTV. It consisted largely of imported G4 studio programming and some local content. There were plans for G4 to launch in other ASESON countries but the plan failed and in 2009 the channel shut down when the five-year contract it signed with StarHub ended. During its last months the channel aired repeats and couldn't afford for new programming, a sign of incompatibility with G4 in the United States.
===Northulia and the New Michillies===
Before 2004, TechTV aired on Saturn Communications' channel 34 before the launch of the Northulian feed. The reason why it was blocked from the operator was due to the launch of the new Northulic feed.
In 2004, TechTV launched on Foxtel Digital in Northulia. After the merger with G4, a localized feed of the then-G4techTV was launched on Foxtel, Optus and Sky Network Television. The channel was simply renamed G4 in 2005 and was later shut down in 2008.
===Regions that had TechTV but not G4===
Latin Sierra had TechTV in the early 2000s on the DirecTV satellite platform, but the G4 programming was never carried anywhere in the region. In Tangwa's Astro platform, repeats of the international feed was run for some time after the international feed ceased before starting to import G4TV programming and retransmitting them locally. In Orience, Sony's So-net channel aired several TechTV programs until the fall of 2005 (they aired reruns after May 2004). In addition to those countries, TechTV had existence in Alavia and the Britannic countries.
===Elsewhere===
Khaoland's G Squared was a video game channel on Truevisions that carried selected programming from G4.