TechTV was an Americancable television channel with a focus on technology. It was launched asZDTV on May 11, 1998 by computer magazine publisherZiff-Davis following two short-lived technology-based programs by the company. Initially targeting tech enthusiasts with programming includingX-Play,The Screen Savers andCall for Help, it aimed to report and inform on computers and the internet during thedot-com bubble. In 2000, it was sold toVulcan Ventures, owned byPaul Allen, and rebranded as TechTV in 2001, expanding its reach to 43 million homes while shifting toward broader tech-related content, including gaming and pop culture. Facing struggles brought on by the dot-com crash and the growth of the internet, TechTV merged withComcast'sG4 network in 2004, briefly becomingG4techTV before the TechTV brand was phased out entirely by 2005, as G4 pivoted to a younger, gaming-centric audience, marking the end of TechTV's original vision.
On August 20, 1994, computer magazine publisherZiff-Davis entered the television industry with the premiere ofThe Personal Computing Show, a program that aired on Saturday mornings onCNBC,America's Talking and the Jones Computing Network.The Personal Computing Show, co-hosted byJim Louderback andGina Smith, targeted a growing demographic of personal computer owners and demonstrated how to purchase, install, maintain and repair personal computers and peripheral devices such asprinters. Shortly afterThe Personal Computing Show's premiere, Ziff-Davis revealed plans to produce a second show in October 1994 namedPC Update, a half-hour Sunday morning news program hosted byLeo Laporte and focusing on the computer industry.[2] According to Ziff-Davis spokesman Gregory Jarboe,The Personal Computing Show was unsuccessful due to its relegation to odd channels and timeslots.[3] When Ziff-Davis's sale to investment firmForstmann Little & Company was announced in October 1994, a smallFoster City-based television operation named "ZD-TV" was listed as a company asset.[4]
In April 1996, Ziff-Davis announced the establishment of ZDTV as aSan Francisco-based unit specializing in the production of television and internet broadcasts, which would allow the publisher to showcase its products. Its first project was to developThe Site, a daily hour-longprime time news show co-hosted bySoledad O'Brien about the increasing social and economic effects of technology. The program aired on the cable news networkMSNBC, which launched on July 15, 1996.[5][6] It was the third San Francisco-based television program specializing in technology afterCNET Central andCyberlife.[7] According to Ziff-Davis chief executive Larry Wangberg,[3] San Francisco was chosen as ZDTV's headquarters for its proximity toSilicon Valley and easy access toMultimedia Gulch-based talent.[8]
On May 6, 1997, Ziff-Davis announced its plan to launch ZDTV as a 24-hour interactive cable network specializing in computers and the Internet. The publisher put $100 million behind the project and planned to debut the ZDTV channel in early 1998. Projected programming for the channel included talk shows on the impact of technology, business-oriented shows evaluating investments in high-tech stocks, and reviews of software and hardware.[9] Children's programming was also planned for the weekends.[10] The channel had 11 initial charter advertisers, includingIBM,Gateway 2000,Microsoft, andCharles Schwab.[9] Ziff-Davis chairman and CEO Eric Hippeau cited the increasing presence of computers in cable television homes and workspaces as motivation for filling the niche of programming about computers, saying "This is a huge audience and it will only get bigger".[10] Wangberg, who would be made the network's CEO, proclaimed Ziff-Davis's ambition of ZDTV becoming "to computing whatCNN is to news, whatESPN is to sports".[8] Although Ziff-Davis intended to continue producingThe Site for MSNBC following ZDTV's launch,[11] the show was canceled in September 1997 as a result of the network's shift toward an all-news format.[3][12] In December 1997, Ziff-Davis revealed at the Western Cable Trade Show inAnaheim that it had secured agreements with four cable operators to carry the network: Prime Cable in Las Vegas, Harron Communications in Detroit, Televue in Georgia, and Prestige Cable in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.[3]
ZDTV was initially set to launch at the end of 1998's first quarter, but was delayed by Ziff-Davis'sinitial public offering, which was announced on February 18.[8] The network launched on May 11, 1998, on cable systems in Las Vegas, Detroit, parts of Georgia near Atlanta, and parts ofMaine.[13][14] On August 1, 1998, ZDTV became available nationally onDirecTV as channel 273.[15] In November 1998, Microsoft co-founderPaul Allen's holding companyVulcan Ventures invested $54 million in ZDTV, granting it a 33 percent stake in the network.[16]
Although ZDTV was critically acclaimed, it struggled to gain a foothold inAT&T/TCI cable lineups[17] and was deemed unprofitable. In an effort to sell company assets to reduce debt and boost its share price,[18] Ziff-Davis put ZDTV up for sale on July 16, 1999. In November 1999, Vulcan purchased the remaining two-thirds in a transaction that was completed on January 21, 2000. The deal (which permitted the network to retain its name) was worth $204.8 million.[17][19] On August 21, 2000, ZDTV announced that it would be changing its name to TechTV the following month and would simultaneously be added to AT&T andTime Warner Cable's digital cable lineups.[20]
In November 2000, TechTV announced the live programming blockTechLive, which would premiere on April 2, 2001. Originally scheduled at six hours (five of which would be live), the block's length was finalized at 9.5 hours, and the network described the block as the "nucleus of TechTV's daytime programming". For this venture, the network established a fully digital broadcast center in San Francisco as well as bureaus inNew York City,Washington, D.C.,Silicon Valley, andSeattle. The block also included aticker which listed the status of leading tech stocks.[21][22]
On March 15, 2001, TechTV announced that it had laid off approximately a dozen employees as part of a reorganization effort in the face of the waningdot-com bubble.[23] On November 16, TechTV announced another layoff of 130 employees. This, combined with the reduction ofTechLive and indifferent online reactions to TechTV's struggles, were interpreted by Farhad Manjoo ofWired as a sign of declining cultural interest in technology. Anonymous TechTV employees remarked that the increasingly ubiquitous nature of the Internet had rendered the network's mission statement "a bit fantastical" and suggested that the only reason the network was still in business was because "Allen doesn't know what to do with his billions".[24]
Larry Wangberg announced on January 24, 2002 that he would spend the following months searching for a successor in his chairman and CEO position, though at Allen's request he planned to remain on the network's board of directors as well as take a position onCharter Communications's board.[25] On April 24, 50 more employees were dismissed andTechLive was cut further to a thirty-minute daily news magazine show with a stronger focus on technology's cultural aspect. The airtime previously occupied by the now-diminishedTechLive would be filled by acquired programs that shifted the network's focus from news and information to tech culture, includingMax Headroom,Techno Games,Future Fighting Machines, andThunderbirds. The network also acquired the rights for the filmsComa (1978),Demon Seed (1977), andForbidden Planet (1956).[26] Theanime programming blockAnime Unleashed premiered on December 30 with the debut ofCrest of the Stars.[27]
The network continued expanding into lifestyle programming through 2003. On January 6, senior vice president of programming Greg Brannan announced the upcoming seriesWired for Sex as well as the acquisition of theBravo seriesSpy School.[28][29] Both series would premiere in primetime on the week of April 28.[30] On March 3, Brannan announced the upcoming launch of a late-night programming block on April 28. The block would air Monday through Thursday and include the acquired British seriesRobot Wars,X-Play, andAnime Unleashed, which had already been a late-night fixture. On May 26, thelate-night talk showUnscrewed with Martin Sargent premiered on the block.[30][31]
In May 2003, TechTV retained Greenbridge Partners investment banker Mike Yagemann to explore partners or buyers for the network.[32] In December, rumors circulated of an impending purchase of TechTV byComcast, the largest American cable carrier at the time. Such a purchase was expected to entail the merger of TechTV with Comcast's own video gaming channelG4.[33] On March 25, 2004, Comcast announced its purchase of TechTV for under $300 million, as well as its upcoming merger of the network with G4.[34] At the time of the purchase, TechTV was available in 43 million households via cable and satellite, while G4 was available in 1.5 million households, thus allowing the combined network to reach 44 million households.[35]
John Higgins ofBroadcasting & Cable reported that despite its reach, TechTV's ratings were small, which he attributed to cable television's increasingly fragmented nature. Dan Fost ofSFGate also mentioned that the network's layoffs and programming changes were necessitated by the dot-com crash eliminating several of the network's advertisers.[34] TechTVchief operating officer Joseph Gillespie, in 2018, recalled that "our primary motivation for the sale was the Internet was proving to be a much better publishing and distribution platform for a subject matter as diverse and ever changing as Technology. TV was just too slow and expensive. Ironically, we were disrupted".[36]
Around May 6, 2004, TechTV announced the termination of 285 employees from the San Francisco office by July 16, 2004, allowing approximately 80 to 100 employees to transition to G4's main office inLos Angeles if they agreed to relocate there.[37] On May 10, 2004, Comcast completed its acquisition of TechTV from Vulcan, and merged it with G4 to formG4techTV on May 28, 2004.[38]
On January 11, 2005, G4 founder and CEOCharles Hirschhorn announced that, effective February 15, G4techTV's name would revert to G4 and receive a new presentation and programming primarily targeting male gamers in the 12-34 age bracket.[39] Hirschhorn intended to veer the network away from TechTV's older tech enthusiast audience in favor of teenage males, and according to insiders, the G4techTV title was a temporary measure to appease cable operators, with a complete G4 brand being the ultimate goal.[40]
AudioFile – a weekly program focusing on technology's increasing role in the music industry.[41]
Big Thinkers – a weekly interactive program that conducts interviews with the technology industry's visionaries.[41][42][43][44]
Call for Help – a prime-time interactive program in which viewers can call, email or netcam for assistance in solving computer problems.[41][42][43][44]
Computer Shopper – a weekly program that provides information about computer hardware and software products and how to buy them intelligently.[42]
CyberCrime – a weekly program that investigates dangers to computer users such as fraud, hacking, viruses, cybersex crimes, and invasions of privacy.[41][43][44][45]
Digital Avenue – a prime-time program in which manufacturers present in-depth demonstrations of their latest products.[42]
Eye Drops – a weekly showcase of computer-animated shorts.[46]
Internet Tonight – a prime-time program showcasing people and personalities who specialize in the Internet.[41][42][43]
Invent This! – a weekly prime-time program showcasing inventors.[44]
Microsoft Insider Live – a pair of special live events that aired on October 5 and November 2, 2002. Each event was an interactive broadcast that showcased five new products from Microsoft. The event offered product demos, giveaways and an insider look at Microsoft Research & Development.[47]
The Money Machine – a daytime program that gives expert financial advice concerning computers and the Internet.[42][43]
Nerd Nation – a weekly prime-time program focused on nerd sub-cultures.[48]
Performance – a weekly program covering technology's role in the world of sports.[49]
The Screen Savers – a prime-time program that covers the latest computing products and demonstrates their effective use at home and the workplace.[41][42][43][44]
Secret, Strange & True – a weekly program focusing on bio-technology.[50]
Silicon Spin – an interactive prime-time program in which computing industry leaders discuss current technology events and features viewer commentary through email, chat, and videophone.[41][42][43]
The Tech of: – a weekly prime-time program focusing on the workings of technology used in everyday life.[46]
TechLive – formerly ZDTV News (1998–2000) and TechTV News (2000–2001); a bi-daily news program covering current events of the technology industry.[41][42][43][44]
The Technotainment Zone – a weekly morning program in whichBest Buy customers discuss the convergence of the technology and entertainment industries and how Best Buy can help get them the most that both industries have to offer.[50]
Titans of Tech – a weekly series of biographies profiling figures in the technology industry.[51]
Unscrewed with Martin Sargent – a daily showcase of "the darker, funnier, sexier world of technology and the Internet".[49]
Wired for Sex – a weekly prime-time program focusing on technology's role in human sexuality.[49]
Working the Web – a weekly program that provides information, advice, and resources for entrepreneurs and emerging companies to set up businesses on the Internet.[43][52]
X-Play – formerlyGameSpot TV (1998–2001) andExtended Play (2001–2003); a weekly program that provides reviews, tips and tricks, and previews for contemporary video games.[41][42][43][49]
You Made It – a program that showcases homemade netcam videos.[43][53]
Zip File – an abridged selection of ZDTV's other programs hosted by animated characters Dash and Tilde.[54]
ZDTV's original executive lineup consisted primarily of television veterans; chairman and CEO Larry Wangberg was previously CEO ofTimes Mirror Cable Television, senior vice president of programming Greg Drebin previously served the same position atMTV, and news director Harry Fuller previously worked forKPIX-TV andKGO-TV.[8][66] TechTV's executive vice president, COO and acting CEO Joseph Gillespie previously managed sales and marketing for Ziff-Davis.[36][67][68]Jim Louderback, apart from hostingFresh Gear,[42] also served as the network's vice president and editorial director.[69]
X-Play continued airing on G4 until its cancellation in 2012.[80] Bob Taylor ofThe Herald, in a 2007 review of G4, proclaimed TechTV to have been "far superior" and condemned Comcast for its purchase of the network and cancellation of the bulk of its programming, describing the merger as an "execution".[81]Multi-channel networkRevision3, the roster of which included a number of TechTV alumni, was regarded by David Sarno ofLos Angeles Times as a "genetic descendant" of the network.[82]
G4 Canada websiteArchived November 22, 2018, at theWayback Machine, which identified as G4techTV until June 2009. Continued to host Leo Laporte's TV shows (Call for Help, The Lab) until cancelled in 2008 after sale to Rogers Comm., and shares programming from American-produced shows from Comcast, Turner Broadcasting and other networks. Owned by Rogers Communications.
DigitalLife TV – Targeted to replace the former TechTV network with the original concept, ownership, and hosts. The network went offline in 2009, with all hosts now employed on Revision3.
Revision3 – An online video network co-founded by Kevin Rose covering technology. FeaturesTekzilla with Patrick Norton formerly of The Screen Savers, anddiggnation.
TWiT.TV (This Week in Tech) –Leo Laporte's podcast and online video network aimed at filling the void left by TechTV. Also hostedThis Week in Fun with Sarah Lane and Martin Sargent, until it was put on indefinite hiatus in January 2010.
