G4 (U.S. TV channel)
| G4 | |
|---|---|
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| Launched | April 24, 2002 |
| Closed | December 31, 2014 |
| Owned by | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | United States |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
| Formerly called | G4techTV (2004–05) |
| Replaced | TechTV |
G4 (also known as G4tv) was an American digital cable and satellite television channel that was owned by G4 Media, a joint venture between the NBCUniversal Cable division of NBCUniversal and Dish Network. The channel was geared primarily toward young male adult viewers and originally focused on the world of video games, before transitioning to a more general entertainment format. G4 was headquartered in Los Angeles.
In late 2012, G4's studio programming ceased in preparation for its relaunch as Esquire Network on September 23, 2013, as part of a licensing deal with Hearst Corporation, owner of Esquire magazine. However, on September 9, 2013, NBCUniversal announced that Esquire Network would instead replace sister channel, Style, leaving G4 "as is for the foreseeable future, though it's highly unlikely the company will invest in more original programming". In August 2013, it was reported that approximately 61,217,000 American households (53.61% of households with television) were receiving G4.
According to a statement by some of the remaining providers carrying the network, G4 would end all operations on November 30, 2014. Programming ceased at 11:59 PM ET on December 31, 2014.
The channel was launched on April 24, 2002 under the ownership of Comcast. The initial concept was to create a service similar to TechTV but "geared more toward MTV's demographics" (young adults). The channel was launched with a nonstop Pong marathon being shown on the channel for a whole week. Then, on May 1, 2002, G4 first aired the following shows:
G4 was created and originally led by Charles Hirschhorn, a former president of Walt Disney Television and Television Animation. He expected video game creators themselves to eventually produce programming for the channel. He envisioned that G4 could follow in the footsteps of MTV, which in his opinion provided music video producers with a venue for non-traditional television programming. Hirschhorn intended G4 to become a vehicle for unconventional advertising. In 2002, G4 offered advertisers wide latitude to place their products on G4's programs, and even allowed their commercials to appear as if they were a part of the program. G4 offered what was called a "2 minute unit", which was an advertising package played as if it were part of a G4 program that was long enough to run an entire movie trailer. G4 offered to sell the right to have a game showcased on the show Pulse.
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