Fire_Neal_Tiles · Save G4TV from Neal Tiles

[tmc_6882]

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fire_N ... roup&slk=2

On September 19, 2005, it was reported by TVweek.com that former DirecTV executive Neal Tiles had replaced G4 founder Charles Hirschhorn as the channel's CEO. Also reported was a managerial decision to decrease G4's emphasis on video game coverage, in favor of a shift toward a male general interest programming format, reminiscent of Spike. The programming format mostly consists of syndicated material.

Its website address in lieu of the slogan "Videogame TV" was introduced and gradually replaced the existing logo over the next few months.

Variety.com reported, "Now, under the aegis of Comcast and new president Neal Tiles, G4 is evolving into a lifestyle channel, peppered with videogame culture, as opposed to wall-to-wall games."

"We're going through a change. Guys like to play games, but not necessarily watch a bunch of shows with games on the screen," Tiles says. "So what we're doing now is expanding G4 from a network solely defined by videogames to one inspired by them."

The numerous changes to the network's programming also brought on a storm of criticism and deep hatred from longtime TechTV/G4 fans across the internet, many claiming that the channel has strayed too far from its gaming and technology roots, and accuse the channel of solely relying on shows like X-Play and Attack of the Show! to be the only reason why the channel is still on the air. With most of the remaining G4 original shows having been severely altered, many see this as G4's ongoing attempt to be a competitor to other male-oriented networks such as Spike, thus losing any unique identity.

[Bart]

I never heard of G4 until I entered the world of Los Angeles based podcasting. Kevin Rose, Leo Laporte and all those formers are talking about how great Tech TV used to be, until G4 killed it some years ago. And how they are going to bring it back to the internet...

We have a tech television station here in Germany, called GIGA. It used to be pretty neat, until NBC tried to do eSports programmes and quadrupled the advertising while removing most of the good content - like news, talk and all that nonsense - and then backed out of it. Nobody - well at last I don't - watches GIGA now. Good riddance.

Today nobody knows how a computer works or in some cases even how to use a computer properly.. "Oh noz Me haves a trojan. What me does now? Hmm lets click here!"

Getting my stuff from the internet, when I want, what I want, is much more appealing to me. Even if it's just two dudes sitting on the couch, drinking beer and chatting about tech stuff. I get focused information and I can interact with the community. Oh and all this almost ad-free. Or at least the ads are centered to my interests. Just forget TV!

[DukeNukem 2417]

G4 is currently one of my least favorite channels on TV. Kevin Pereira is a moron, and they're not even trying to cater to their old-school fans anymore. My brother still mourns the death of TechTV, and I'm hoping that I'm not the only one who actually looks forward to the day when G4 gets the axe in favor of something better.

[WilloWisp]

So, for those tuning in late:

TechTV actually featured quite a bit of video-game related programming, but had poor penetration in the cable market.

G4 was an existing video-game related station with relatively little programming, and virtually no respect among their target audience.

G4 managed to pull together enough cash to eat TechTV, cashing in on its successful shows in order to catapult the G4 brand into a much broader audience, and garner a few more carriers for the G4TechTV network than TechTV had in the first place.

Almost immediately, the network changed its emphasis from gaming to semi-Spike type programming, replacing most of the original programming with third-rate syndicated Testosterone/Adrenaline driven shows. Ratings took a nosedive. Since then, G4 has continued a longstanding tradition of eliminating all the shows which actually live up to the "for gamers" credo, and pushing recycled drivel as though it's new content.

Currently, they have two original shows: Attack of the Show and XPlay. Attack of the Show is supposedly "geek culture", with a tone not unlike a mix of 4chan, reddit, and youtube. XPlay is ostensibly a game review show, but has trimmed back on the actual reviews to such a point that they sometimes average fewer than 1 review per episode over the course of the week. Everything else is either old shows from other networks, old shows from other networks with "Pop-up video" style commentary, or old shows from foreign networks which have been edited down by nearly half to sell adspace.

The network is already in the toilet. All that remains is the courtesy flush.

[RancidInsanity]

You know what I think they should do? Run a cryptic viral advirtisement campaign. Like the wwe did when Chris Jericho returned.

These videos are still up on youtube and you can still sometimes read all the hub-bub they created last year.

I think what G4 TV needs is a good old fashion, network and show-wide mystery. Some confusing/cryptic video keeps popping up during there shows, they act like they don't know what it is and act seriously concerned, instead of not even mentioning it like the WWE did.

Eventually these videos lead up to a new show, a new celebrity host, or somthing new. They need new stuff, but it should be about videogames.

Here's a collection of the viral & cryptic videos I've been yalking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64yHwKXIldI