Inside TechTV/G4 404
An anonymous reader writes "Former G4TechTV employee, Dan Huard, blows the whistle on G4. In the last half of his article, he states that TSS manufactured questions and used 'ringers' to ask their questions on the show."
Woah Woah Woah (Score:5, Funny)
The stripper hostess is really a tranny. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Woah Woah Woah (Score:5, Informative)
Pro wrestling is not generally scripted. The match finishes are set-up by "road agents," retired old wrestlers, on the basis that they are the hook which will keep the marks returning. Promos, the speeches wrestlers give, are sometimes scripted but this is avoided when possible as it usually comes off bad when performed live (wrestlers are not actors); usually the wrestlers are given bullet-points containing the essential issues the bookers (wrestling writers and planners) want advanced in that month's storyline.
For the most part, professional wrestling is improvised based on the structure of the match's finish as set up by road agents, and on the storyline points which are to be communicated. Within the framework established by the agents and bookers, the workers (wrestlers) are pretty much free to work spots (perform a sequence of moves) and create matches dynamically in accordance to the fluid reaction of the crowd. This is known in wrestling lingo as "psychology".
Professional wrestling has far more in common with olde improv comedy [wikipedia.org] - or even, transcendentally, with pro-wrestling video games [dmoz.org], than it does with a movie or any other modern 'scripted' analog.
PS - Most everything on TV is fraudulent to some degree, from the news to "reality" shows. Broadcast networks are run by Machiavellians. The bottom lines are ratings and brand-building; accuracy [abc.net.au], honesty and integrity don't enter into it, except as they affect the bottom lines (i.e. PR).
Re:Woah Woah Woah (Score:5, Funny)
Depressing... (Score:5, Informative)
We miss Tech TV...
Re:Depressing... (Score:5, Insightful)
I was never a big TechTV fan, but TSS was a fairly good view while eating lunch and safe viewing material for people like my parents who might not understand everything on the show, but got a fair education into subjects they wouldn't have before... Now I'm back to telling people to avoid the whole channel, it's rather sad...
Uh oh, (Score:2, Funny)
Not surprised. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Not surprised. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not surprised. (Score:2)
Re:Not surprised. (Score:5, Funny)
Like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Superman? Here's a hint: TechTV barely got slashdot viewers, which says as much about TechTV as would a brutal and bloody art show failing in Manhattan, a butt naked supermodel catching no eyes on her jog through a remote all boys' boarding school, or the resurrected corpse of Ayn Rand walking into a Princeton lit class preaching the virtues of capitalism and watching the students walk out of the auditorium.
Let's be honest. The average Nintendo Power carries more content than a week on that deservedly dead channel, and just because G4 actually somehow manages to be more awful doesn't mean that TechTV was in retrospect any fucking good at all.
All that's left is good-looking, young hosts
Well, I'll give you young, but if you're really sitting on the internet pretending that you use the TV to look at pretty people (let's not even get into whether you believe anyone is being fooled) then someone ought to point out the WB to you: their schedule is just as vapid, and the people are a hell of a lot prettier.
But I read Smallville for the articles.
Re:Not surprised. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Not surprised. (Score:2)
It's a perfect analogy... except for the death, war and genocide.
A cable TV show won't have much impact on the world, but Hitler sure did. Comparing the two is like comparing a pop-rock to a nuclear bomb
Re:Not surprised. (Score:2)
And yes, a good analogy could also be made to co
Re:Not surprised. (Score:3, Funny)
Well, obviously you've never tried the new enriched uranium pop-rocks.
Re:Not surprised. (Score:2)
Re:Not surprised. (Score:2)
Since when is this news? (Score:5, Interesting)
For what it's worth... (Score:5, Insightful)
As a moderately geeky business major, I see this as a management failure, so having this story helps me understand how not to screw up something good. If some geeky broadcast majors read this article, maybe they can help prevent some other geeky goodness from failing later.
Just my two cents worth.
If you don't, someone else will. (Score:4, Insightful)
But you won't be there forever. When you move on, the next person will most likely pillage your audience for the maximum profit/lowest cost.
I think that's what was shown in the original article. While the show was under control of TechTV, it was good. After the buyout/merger, it sucked.
Re:For what it's worth... (Score:5, Insightful)
I would respectfully suggest that if your performance indicators and performance bonuses are encouraging behaviors that result in your show going off the air, or losing your core audience without creating a similarly robust replacement, then you are using the wrong indicators. So, maybe the management failure is not in the control booth. Maybe it's in the front office, or in the corporate headquarters.
If the financial requirements cause you to degrade the quality of your product, then either your product is not ready for the market (or vice versa) or you have not been sufficiently creative in your market planning. Bringing the business side and the 'entertainment' side together is the job of management.
At least, that's the way the schools I attend teach it. Anyway, thanks for listening.
Re:For what it's worth... (Score:3, Insightful)
Do they also teach you the difference between short-term and long-term? And that one can improve profits in the former at a cost of totally bollocking-up the latter? Don't worry, it's probably coming u
Re:For what it's worth... (Score:3, Interesting)
You know how "everyone" always says they learned nothing at school?
I've learned they are apparently serious... and you see it in actions like this.
I swear, I'd never hire someone who claimed to learn "nothing" in school, anymore then I'd hire someone who only learned in school; I'd be too afraid they were literally, 100% telling the truth! (I'm not saying this to dis the self-taught, which can be great; I'm saying that if you sat through years of cl
Re:Since when is this news? (Score:3, Insightful)
In reading Dan's article, I was actually surprised to learn that the calls were ever pseudo-live at all. I started watching TechTV back when it was still ZDTV and The Screen Savers was a 90 minute show. Even b
Is that really of significance? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Is that really of significance? (Score:5, Insightful)
I haven't watched TechTV since it became G4TechTV (god damn what a terrible name). It is a shame Comcast has essentially dissolved TechTV, the end result of this merger was G4 getting a few new people and some new shows (many of which are now gone!).
Re:Is that really of significance? (Score:2)
Re:Is that really of significance? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Is that really of significance? (Score:5, Insightful)
Bingo. The part I find "funny" though is all the geek elitists think that just because a person puts on a smile and speaks fluently in a way that normal people can comprehend that the TV Show and/or person is "clueless" or whatever.
I really liked watching Leo and Patrick. I thought they had a nice balance of TV presence and intelligence. I hate all the slashbots that would bash ZDTV/TechTV as being a show for morons. Get over yourselves.
How interesting would it be to watch a completely introverted super nerd with a squeaky voice stumble and stutter every word while he's standing there on live TV staring at his shoe laces because he's too withdrawn to look at the camera.
I liked the format of ZDTV/TechTV
I don't like what the network has become. G4TechTV or whatever. I believe they are actually just calling it G4TV now because they don't want anything to do with Tech. But I don't hate the network because I'm so full of myself that I can't enjoy watching a "remedial" television show. I hate the network because they have completely gotten rid of everything tech related.
But have you seen the programming lately? It's ALL games. One or two shows about games is cool
Live in LA, Listen to Leo (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Is that really of significance? (Score:3, Funny)
Hmmm...Let's see (Score:3, Funny)
Next.
Mod parent up Was:Hmmm...Let's see (Score:2)
At one time... (Score:5, Insightful)
I once loved watching the show but now I can't. The new hosts are all about gaming, gaming, gaming.
Re:At one time... (Score:3, Informative)
Apparently nobody's turned you onto PBS, The History Channel, the Learning Channel, the Technology Channel, CNN Tech, et cetera, et cetera. I mean, even the Canadians have a tech channel now, and they don't even have electricity.
Here's a hint: The Daily Show had both more frequent and more in-depth coverage of actual technology news than TechTV or G4 had put together. Quake 6's phong shaded goraud mip-mapped qui
Re:At one time... (Score:3, Interesting)
TechTV was once a very good TV station, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Unfortunately (Score:2)
I hate what the've done to TSS recently. The guy they added to replace Pat just after the LA move - Alex - actually worked pretty well with Kevin Rose, once you got used to his style, I guess, but they got rid of him too. What's the story on that, BTW? It was very sudden. And now Kevin Rose has taken a back seat.
In any case, I absolutely HATE The other Kevin and Chi-Lan. They're horrible at what they've been tasked to do.
Re:Unfortunately (Score:3, Interesting)
I completely agree except I think Pat was excellent as well. He was a little more serious and low key which I thought was a good balance to Leo's often highly upbeat and comical style.
I hate what the've done to TSS recently. The guy they added to replace Pat just after the LA move - Alex - actually worked pretty well with Kevin Rose, once you got used to his style, I guess, but they got rid of him too. What's the story on that, BTW?
Re:Unfortunately (Score:2)
Re:Unfortunately (Score:3, Insightful)
G4, the MTV of tech (Score:5, Interesting)
To the geeks here I say, "Boycott G4 and their sponsers. Write letters to the sponsers. Boycott their lame message boards. Spread the word far and wide."
The Screensavers message board is being ruled by mods who only recently became mods. I suspect that they're G4 fans and/or employees. They immediately lock any thread that criticizes the show and they'll ban you in a hearbeat if you persist. Don't even bother posting there.
The show looks like it's being run by some old fart who used to be in radio.
Re:G4, the MTV of tech (Score:2)
Why bother. It sounds like they wouldn't care what you say to them, they wouldn't listen anyway. I think just leave them be, and after a while the silence will make them worry more. After all, you make a bunch of noise and at least they know you are watching.
Oh but the part about telling everyone else sounds good.
Re:G4, the MTV of tech (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:G4, the MTV of tech (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:G4, the MTV of tech (Score:2)
"as being a nerd is cool" Oxymoron?
Is there a name .... (Score:2)
Being a nerd isn't cool. But at least you have some respect and recognition from fellow nerds.
Re:Is there a name .... (Score:3, Insightful)
See, we're talking about two different things here. Two different persons. One is the nerd and the other is the image of a nerd. Actually being a nerd might not be cool, but being a "nerd" is, just like it's cool to be "green" and so on. Reading Slashdot and watching gaming programmes is a part of the image.
Re:G4, the MTV of tech (Score:2)
What I'd be more interested in conceptually is "Write letters to your cable company and demand they stop carrying G4".
This wouldn't really work though unless something could be recommended to said cable companies to replace it, something that would have wider appeal than G4 and hopefully appeal to the people who used to watch TechTV. Is there any suitable such thing at this point in time?
News Item: Slashdot TV Network (Score:3, Interesting)
You may use clips of the shows to make your own shows, as long as you allow others to do the same with the show you produce.
OK, it's a troll, but who wouldn't want to see Taco and CowboyNeal hosting their own shows?
Re:G4, the MTV of tech (Score:2)
Doesn't matter if your doomed too, you have at least a longer life without competition, and when you rebuild yourself you don't have any competition to start up agai
That article was so mind numbing... (Score:5, Funny)
Seriously though, I agree with the other comments; mistakes have been made and now consequenes must be suffered...kudos to Dan!!
TSS no longer the real TSS (Score:5, Interesting)
I think that's the most disappointing thing (see the parenthetical comment above): Leo and Patrick used to tell people not to buy this or that, seemed to be big fans of open source, security, etc. (of course in Leo's case it was a Mac-addiction, but that's ok), and even though they knew most of their audience was PC-based and had to cover them the most, tried to spread things out, give everyone a taste of everything, and if something sucked, would let everyone know about it. I remember them even going against IE before it was popular, and Paul Allen was their boss then. Now we just hear about the campy mainstream this thing is cool marketing drivel.
Ah, but those were the days. Let's hope this isn't a precedent. What's next, Slashdot brought to you by Dell...*shutters*
Personally, (Score:2)
Doesn't look like he's been very prolific since the Ask Wil Wheaton Anything Again story a couple weeks back, though.
This is media. It's pretty much all this way. (Score:4, Insightful)
Viewers do not want reality. They get enough of it from work, raising children, the tax man, and the world in general. They want to associate, identify, and forget the crummy world they had to endure most of the day. The masses want Disney, okay?
You should always remember a media business truism: "The public are morons". Media types will never say this out where you can hear them, but I have sat through enough conference room discussions to know where these folks land. The reason for this is simple. In the great statistical average of the world, it's true. As much as you would have it otherwise.
It is said that only one person out of thirty creates art, literature, science, or policy. Skip media. Hang around those folks instead. Become one of them. We need all we can get.
Yes, I consider the Internet to be media now...
Re:This is media. It's pretty much all this way. (Score:2)
And these are the people who are struggling to make it in today's media. People don't like the we're-smarter-than-you attitude.
I attribute much of Fox News's sucess to an understanding this. The common man may not be a genius, but he does know when he's being talked down to, and
New channel idea? (Score:5, Interesting)
Slashdot Channel anyone?
Re:New channel idea? (Score:2)
Re:New channel idea? (Score:2)
I work at an educational TV station which could easily produce a show like this. I just need show ideas - anyone???
Re:New channel idea? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:New channel idea? (Score:3, Funny)
All you TSS old timers reading this -- and I know you are -- harken to nxtr. This could have legs.
Re:New channel idea? (Score:2)
That's why G4 is so different from TechTV. They want to go after the clueless-but-rich-and-under-30 market.
Re:New channel idea? (Score:2)
I've thought about this in the past... How many people are sick of the "surface" coverage of science and technology? I don't know if there is a big enough crowd to follow this kind of thing. On top of that how deep can you go with the coverage and still have a viewership that is still with you?
Re:New channel idea? (Score:3, Insightful)
Guess what, that type of TV sta
Re:New channel idea? (Score:5, Funny)
It'd be pretty funny to watch, but not for the reasons that you're probably thinking.
The actors would be handed scripts with spelling errors and completely erroneous information. 90% of the time spent reporting any story would be a "panel of experts" comprised of anybody who's willing to call in. The seats on the set would be modelled after RMS in such a way that an erect, hard cock will be pushed into the ass of anybody who sat down (think: inverted bar stool). Anything and everything MS would be immediately criticized in favour or some pre-alpha-quality open source variant that compiles but doesn't do what it's actually supposed to do.
Oh yeah, and every third show would be a rerun of something already aired that day.
TSS was a goner long before G4 (Score:2, Interesting)
I no longer Tivo'd TSS or any TechTV show after that.
Summary.
TechTV was good.
G4 is horrible.
Re:TSS was a goner long before G4 (Score:5, Informative)
Leo left because his contract permitted him to do so. The others would have left, but theirs did not.
Boo for G4 (Score:5, Interesting)
But G4 bought them out. The ONLY thing they have done right (in my opinion) is keep X-Play running (new episodes and they don't seem to have changed it much if at all). TSS is terrible. As far as I can tell (and my TiVo) there are no new episodes of Invent This!, Fresh Gear, or a few other shows since G4 took over. The G4 content (the only one I've ever really watched is Filter) seems amaturish (like a high budget public access cable show) and like marketing smothered it with "love". The host is an idiot, it's full of "cool stuff" (acording to marketing) and the show is just terrible. The show would be MUCH better if they would just drop the host. I've found nothing else on G4 that I like (with the exception of the occational episode of Icons).
So for me, G4 has become the X-Play channel. Becuase they don't seem to want to make new episodes of the shows that they said they would keep (see above), that's the only thing I watch on the channel. When I first got satellite TV (DirecTV), one of the big reasons was so I could watch ZDTV. I got to watch The Screen Savers and all sorts of other interesting stuff (remember the show that would show computer animations made by people? That's how I discovered Animusic [animusic.com]). Over the years, the channel has deciled (as TechTV although that wasn't SO bad) to being about as high on my list of "good" as SpikeTV (I used to think the constant banner on the bottom of TNN was bad, how I wish for those days).
All they have to do is mess up X-Play to lose me forever. Put someone with a BRAIN who is in touch with the AUDIENCE in charge of the channel, huh? Give it to Leo or SOMEONE. Because marketing is about to market me OUT of their audience.
RIP G4/TechTV, it's been a long, sad decline.
Re:Boo for G4 (Score:3, Insightful)
then scifi cancelled farscape.
then those fucks at g4 destroyed techtv.
so I cancelled cable. when they asked why, i told them - scifi and techtv had gone to shit.
why pay $40/mo on cable when you can buy an entire season of episodes for $40, commercial free, on dvd, and watch them when you want and not when the networks dictate you should watch
I really tried to read it (Score:2)
Re:I really tried to read it (Score:3, Informative)
That's a dumb reason to think the article is bad. "Talent" is a standard term in TV to describe the person/people in front of the cameras. It is often used by the crew in an ironic [wikipedia.org] way (though some talent are amazing - you try winging a 48 second pitch for something, have it make perfect sense, not be repetitive, and end at a logical place at exactly 47.5 seconds).
That's Broadcasting (Score:5, Interesting)
It was worse for TV, but even in my radio class we "greened" our live interviews by pre-interviewing them off air and writing up questions. So the interviewee pretty much knew what to expect. A print reporter wouldn't typically do that.
You know that back-and-forth the host sometimes does with a reporter (CBC radio uses this a fair bit)? It's all scripted ahead of time, the reporter just has to learn to sound conversational.
But as I said, TV is worse. Ever notice a TV interview will go between the interviewee speaking and the interviewer nodding? There aren't two cameras there, the latter is called a reverse shot, and it's usually taken before the interview even starts. The interview audio is then dubbed over top. A reverse shot is a clue that the reporter is cutting something out, avoiding a "jump cut" between two different parts.
Now I look at TV news a lot more critically, because they emphasize the appearance of "smoothness" and "continuity" over honesty.
Even X-Play Sucks (Score:3, Insightful)
At least Morgan was still hot... but that's just not enough anymore, so I tuned out forever.
Well done Comcast...
Re:Even X-Play Sucks (Score:5, Insightful)
of the theme episodes they occasionally did even
when it was on TechTV.
X-Play is one of the few things that seems to
have improved (with opinions and critisism intact) since the merger.
Re:Even X-Play Sucks (Score:3, Insightful)
A lot of people don't understand this, but... (Score:5, Insightful)
Furthermore, I think it's cleat that Comcast has intentionally alienated hardcore TechTV viewers.
I have had people who work in TV tell me that nobody tries to alienate any viewers, but I think it is more than clear that G4 wants TechTV viewers out and replace them with an MTV crowd.
Want evidence of this? Look at the commercials. Gone are the cadillac commercials. Insert the goofy video game commercials, and some really stupid (dumbed down) computer hardware commercials. I saw an nViDiA commercial that actually explained what a GPU was!
I figured such a commercial was more non-tech channel worthy, but when you consider G4 is driving out tech-oriented viewers for MTV gamers, these "dumb" commericals are quite appropo.
Re:A lot of people don't understand this, but... (Score:2, Interesting)
If there's any TV execs reading this: (Score:3, Informative)
Step 2) Go back to the old formula: Interesting news, honest reviews, no shameless plugs
Step 3) Profit.
So who hired that producer? (Score:3, Insightful)
who is really calling the shots at G4?
why is such incompetence allowed to continue?
why is it the same at every big company I've worked for?
why can't anyone in management actually effectively manage?
sadly, it seems that power corrupts, and the corrupt are crappy in power
Re:So who hired that producer? (Score:3, Funny)
All I keep seeing is complaining (Score:3, Informative)
Staged Calls on G4's TSS (Score:5, Informative)
We did sometimes pre-book calls - and I do it now on the Canadian version of Call for Help - for production reasons. But I always hated even doing that. I never do it on my radio show. But far worse is using "actors" to ask canned questions. That's just plain lying.
Unfortunately, it doesn't surprise me.
And...SO?? (Score:4, Insightful)
I remember religously watching Computer Chronicles with Stewart Cheifet when I was younger. I also used to watch TSS regularly; I even upgraded my cable package to one that included ZDTV just for the show. It was (although at times a bit basic) funny, informative, etc.
I lost track of the show when they moved to L.A. and got rid of Pat and Leo. I turned it on a week or so ago just to see what was going on these days...just in time for an insightful discussion about the word "scrotum", complete with snorting and giggling from the new adolescent "hosts"...and a new set that looks like something that a 7 year old would come up with if you asked them to imagine their dream playroom.
Thanks, Comcast...thanks for not only failing to recognize quality TV, but apparently actively setting out to flush it down the toilet.
Re:And...SO?? (Score:3, Informative)
And, in case you/some-other-reader didn't know (Maybe there was a slashdot article about it on the weekend and you skipped it?), archive.org [archive.org] has mpegs of all the episodes.
I haven't watched much G4 since the switch but the only show I liked and miss is Unscrewed with Martin Sargent (and co-host Laura Swisher [lauraswisher.com] [hi Laura! allow me to introduce myself...I'm #22537, and the only reason I'm on posting on slashd
Where are they Now: Patrick Norton (Score:5, Informative)
I know there are a lot of people interested in what some of the former TechTV employees are doing now. Most of them have webpages but Patrick Norton does not. For those wondering Patrick is currently doing freelance writing. Recent articles have appeared on ExtremeTech [extremetech.com], CNet [cnet.com] and PC-World [pcworld.com] amongst others.
Again, Patrick does NOT have a website or blog but I do try to post links to articles he's writen on my blog [franske.com] as I run across them and as time allows.
My turn to rant. (Score:3, Interesting)
Message to G4 types: young, good-looking hosts don't make a show. People that know what they're talking about do.
So now, G4TechTV sucks. It can't even be considered TechTV anymore- they completely revamped TSS into one of the most disgusting shows I have ever seen. The only good host is Keven Rose - is he still even with them? I haven't watched it since about September. And X-Play. It's the only show I *will* watch on there. At least Adam and Morgan got to stay. I dunno how they didn't get their personalities butchered.
Re:techtv (Score:5, Informative)
Re:techtv (Score:5, Interesting)
I didn't have G4 here (Adelphia didn't carry it) But I had TechTV. In fact I remember when ZDNet owned it and it was called ZDTV. Frankly when it bacame TechTV it changed a little for the worst, but thats a different story.
Anyhow, A friend of mine, lived in OH and had Time Warner, Which had G4. Him and his roommate which were both avid gamers couldn't stand G4 but I decided to at least see what was on it and agreed with them in 3 hours that basicially all they would show was...
1) games running in demos against techno music
2) rehashed gaming related shows (GameproTV, Some old Arcade game show I cant remember the name of, ETC)
3) Other original shows that were either boring, stupid or both.
I'll admit. I wasn't a big fan of TechTV. I didn't like or watch The Screen Savers, Call for help seemed like I was watching my Job on TV, ETC, but generally I knew what was on it and I knew that what they were broadcasting was much better than anything on G4 and was helpful to the people that would watch their shows.
When G4 took it over, it almost immediatly went into the crapper. I never once considered it a Merger between TechTV and G4, more like G4 lost it's broadcast license and aquired TechTV's to stay on the air. Basicially TechTV became G4 almost overnight. All of it's garbage programming took the place of the decent TechTV lineup. The shows that TechTV did keep so that it didn't look like a complete takeover of G4 were butchered to the point that they were practially a G4 show, or cancelled to put on CinemaTech or some other Brain Dead Show of the day G4 could come up with.
Basicially, G4TechTV is a lesson in how to make a quasi-hostile takeover look like a merger.
Re:techtv (Score:2)
1) games running in demos against techno music
2) rehashed gaming related shows (GameproTV, Some old Arcade game show I cant remember the name of, ETC)
3) Other original shows that were either boring, stupid or both."
Not to mention:
4) 3 of the hourly Splinter Cell tributes.
I don't know if I'd say that (Score:5, Informative)
I'd say a more accurate description of things would be:
Comcast was having trouble with their G4 network, which was not popular (especially not in their target market, where they were generally reviled) and was only available in a small number of areas due to a widespread lack of demand. So they bought TechTV-- which was available on far, far, far more cable networks than G4 due to the many years spent building up a reputation-- with the intent of simply replacing TechTV with G4 and thus getting all of TechTV's market penetration without having to work for it. So they bought TechTV, announced G4 and TechTV were "merging", gave TechTV's former screen personalities token jobs for a short period before firing them or driving them all off, and are currently settling into a situation where G4, in pretty much the exact form it was in before the merger, is now showing on those channels where TechTV was previously available.
G4's name does still have that vestigial "TechTV" appended to the end, but one recent G4 press release I saw referred to the network simply as "G4"; either this was a typo or that final superficial "TechTV" will be disappearing from the name before long.
Re:techtv (Score:5, Informative)
Short version:
The Techtv properties and licences were bought
out by COMCAST to be merged with their G4 gaming
network. Both networks were to become one
digital cable channel after the merger.
Around the same time, the international broadcast rights expired for TechTV, and
for whatever reasons G4 did not renew them.
As G4TechTV emerged with a new game-oriented
focus, some cable affiliates either dropped the
network from thier lineup, or moved it into a
different category than previously held.
So, those are some reasons you may not be seeing
the channel in your local cable or sattelite
market.
Re:techtv (Score:3, Insightful)
Before they bought out TechTV and it was doing so well they kept bumping it up to only be included on the more expensive plans. One day I changed to tech TV and all I got was "not authorized" until I agreed to pay more money. I only fell for for that once and then the next time I told them to screw it.
After they killed TechTV by buying it up and merging it with their crap clone G4 they left in on the more expensive plan expecting people would still want it that much. WRONG!
Re:basic questions (Score:3)
2. A TV show
3. Because people watch TV shows
Now heres my question for you: Why the hell are you bothering to post in the story if you have no idea what its about? Get a life man.
Re:basic questions (Score:4, Insightful)
They were merged with TechTV to take advantage of the greater audience
availability that channel had gained.
TSS is an acronym for The ScreenSavers. An end-user oriented Tech News,
commentary, tips, call-in and variety show that was the flagship program
for the defunct network.
We cared because back in the day, while TSS did reflect much of the Windows-centric
viewpoint of much of the computer industry, they were also a positive and active source
of news and information about OSS, Linux, Windows Alternatives, Windows Security and
functional issues; and keeping an open mind about users choices in use (and abuse)
of technology.
Re:basic questions (Score:3, Funny)
Wow, I knew some people had weak constitutions, but that is ridiculous.
Re:Let me be the first to say... (Score:2)
Most "tech tv" shows [not just that station but on other stations too] are so dumbed-down or outright incorrect [or just pandering] that they're not worth watching anyways.
If I wanted to see a grossly overweight freak pluggin iMAC b.s. I'd bring a mirror to best buy and hang around the wrong sections
hehehehe.
Tom
Re:Excellent Sarcasm (Score:2)
Umm, in your paragrpah, he refers to himself as comminitng a "stupid intern mistake", and then goes on to say she was always good,a nd one of the nicest people he'd ever met. Where the hell did you get this tirade on her from? Not your quote.
Why the bitterness; Did she just send back your boxers without signing them or what?
I think you mis-read that (Score:4, Informative)
I'm fairly certain the comment was a self-deprecating one, and he was appreciative that she put up with him as he dealt with the huge learning curve that is Broadcast TV.
Re:Dan's Account (Score:5, Funny)
Kevin did once. Right after the TSS purge, he linked to Dan's post on what had happened and commented, "Just shows what people will do for a company they love. On an unrelated note, I'm calling in sick Monday." At the end of the entry, he added a "quote of the day": "Every time Chi-lan takes a live call, God kills a kitten."
I don't blame you for not seeing it, though, it was only on Kevin's site for about two hours before he removed it without comment.