DirecTV dumps G4 due to low viewer base

[buzz_n64]

Ha! That's what they get for all that non-gaming crap and cops reruns!
VG247- http://www.vg247.com/2010/11/02/dire...w-viewer-base/

[portnoyd]

Did anyone ever watch G4? I know I never bothered.

[Bojay1997]

While G4 has always been a low rated network, this dispute is mostly over carriage fees. Basically, G4/Comcast wanted too much for each DirecTV subscriber and DirecTV had no interest in paying the fees requested. I occasionally watch G4, but I really have never understood the business model as the advertising at least here in Los Angeles is always for trade schools, weird insurance or law office ads and other low end advertising that can't possibly be all that profitable.

[Matt-El]

I watched it for some stuff. E3 live and stuff. So, yeah I watched it and am a DirecTV customer at this time. so, uh, yeah it sucks. Maybe if they'd start going after their main demographic (gamers) maybe it wouldn't have had low viewership? Like, I know the first thing that I wanna do when I wanna watch video game shows, is "Cheaters" or "Cops".

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Did anyone ever watch G4? I know I never bothered.

When G4 launched and it was legitimately a 100% gaming centric network I would tune in daily for all sorts of stuff from blocks of Starcade reruns to funny original programs like Portal.

When they dropped any/all game related productions/broadcasts except for The Screen Savers (which became Attack of the Show) and X-Play, I like many many others tuned out. Permanently. Those shows are well produced and have likable personalities ... but the rest of the broadcast schedule (Cops, Cheaters, Star Trek The Next Generation, Ninja Warrior, etc. reruns) isn't even worth keeping on for background noise.

[jonebone]

I'm a DirecTV subscriber and video game enthusiast, yet I don't think I've ever watched anything other than Ninja Warrior on G4. Sure I'm all for having another channel in my lineup, but it's not going to make or break my programming package either.

[jb143]

So...do they give you some other channel instead? Or a discount? Or do you now pay the same amount for 1 less channel? Just curious.

[Snapple]

I'm still bitter over Comcast destroying TechTV, which was a damn good channel.

And then G4 stopped being about games entirely anyway. They kept trying to find whatever stupid way to look hip as they could, cobbling together shows about gaming with sex shows with drift racing... crap that no single person would go to the same channel for. It's all spear-headed by Attack of the Show, which is a show about nothing with no direction and actually has the balls to try and trace its lineage back to the Screen Savers.

Minus the loss of jobs, I wouldn't shed a tear if G4 studios were destroyed by a meteor.

[portnoyd]

So...do they give you some other channel instead? Or a discount? Or do you now pay the same amount for 1 less channel? Just curious.

You're a funny guy.

[jb143]

Well, they're doing something similar with Dish Network and Fox Sports channels or something to that effect that got a lot of people upset. If you tune into those channels you get a screen saying that you can watch these that have added in their place instead.

Seems that if someone pays for a "top 100 channel package" (or whatever) and now you're only getting 99 then people would complain...whether that channel was worth watching or not.

[Baloo]

I haven't watched G4 since about 2004. Back then they had some really great gamer shows, but it slowly went downhill as they put on less and less gamer programming.

Last time I checked G4 it was a really, really shitty channel that shows Cops and Cheaters, and that was at least 2007-ish. Ninja Warrior was the only redeeming thing.

[djbeatmongrel]

I don't have direct tv and i stopped watching g4 after they destroyed techtv. I think this is for the best. Hell Olivia Munn seem to have abandoned ship atleast somewhat since she's been doing bits for the Daily Show.

[diskoboy]

Lately, the only thing I've seen running on G4 was the Back To The Future trilogy.

I gave up on G4 when they quit airing Starcade and Icons.

[exit]

I remember reading about a year ago or so that they started airing Arrested Development, I'm guessing that didn't last very long, they must have thought it was a Cops spin off or something. Seriously tho, I've never watched G4 and never plan to either. Sounds like G4 could easily be competition for Adult Swim and draw some of that crowd in. I'm sure if they started airing "adult programming" and tons of Anime late night, it could actually gain some viewers.

But I guess that's just too logical of an idea.

[Enigmus]

I've seen The Screen Savers: fucking awesome.

I've seen that Attack crap: fucking stupid.

I've seen the rest of the channel as it is today: DirecTV subscribers are frigging lucky, now they have a space open for a channel that's actually coherent.

To be honest, I only watch them during E3. Otherwise, I forget it even exists. G4's just a textbook case of the higher-ups not getting the point and being led around like stray dogs by the marketing team. It's like they can't let go of the vastly shrunken hardcore market. It's sad, really.

[scooterb23]

First, G4... next Spike. Go DirecTV, go!

[The 1 2 P]

I remember back in the day when G4 actually played video gaming program. I know, it's crazy. Kind of like how MTV use to actually play "music tv".

[exit]

First, G4... next Spike. Go DirecTV, go!

Hey as long as Spike continues to show The Ultimate Fighter and free UFC fights on there, I'm happy just the way they are.

[NE146]

A lot of people miss Tech TV/ ZDTV, but I also miss the original G4tv.

The merging of the two was the beginning of the end for both the networks pretty much.

[diskoboy]

A lot of people miss Tech TV/ ZDTV, but I also miss the original G4tv.

The merging of the two was the beginning of the end for both the networks pretty much.

Aside from Call For Help, I hated Tech TV.

In it's later years, it basically became the template from CNBC and Fox Business. It was just tech stocks and business news practically the other 22 hours it was on the air.