Semi OT: Tech TV goes gamer?

From: Vintage Computer Festival <vcf_at_siconic.com>
Date: Fri May 7 16:36:53 2004

On Fri, 7 May 2004, Paul Thompson wrote:

> Does the "gamer" lifestyle include classic computers or are we unlikely to
> see Sellam on there again?
>
> Comcast Agrees to Purchase TechTV
> Thursday, March 25, 2004

It's hard to say what will come of TechTV. The merger is the reason Leo
left The Screen Savers. I suppose he's been around long enough to know
that these sorts of buy-outs only end up being a net negative for the
veterans.

>From the press reports, I do know that they plan to move the main studio
down to LA where G4 is produced. G4 is an obviously inferior station to
TechTV. At least the impression I got of it when I had Comcast was that
it was pretty lame (one show was one half hour of just virtual "tours"
through video game scenery). If G4 is smart, they'll keep everything as
is in SF and merge whatever good G4 content they have into TechTV and just
continue to build their audience. If they are stupid, or their actions
are inherently aimed at increasing revenues which translates into "being
stupid" to a veteran audience--and "being stupid" is generally the case
with big conglomerates--they'll gut TechTV, close down the SF studio (or
just turn it into a "bureau"), try to move the programming to LA where
the tech scene is a wannabe of the Silicon Valley, and die a slow, painful
death.

Video games are of course the main industry of the computer scene now, or
at least the one that garners the most revenue and advertising dollars
where the typical consumer is involved, so for sure they will try to gear
the station more towards gaming. But if they decide to phase out TechTV's
core programming, which is their computer help shows, it'll be a mistake.
There will always be geeks, and geeks like technology in general, not just
video games.

Anyway, it depends on what their marketing wizards determine is their core
market. I'm sure if people wrote in en masse to suggest that G4/TechTV
keep it's core tech-specific programming then that would make an impact.

-- 
Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage Computer Festival
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Received on Fri May 07 2004 - 16:36:53 BST

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