Once upon a time, there was a cool television channel called Tech TV. Then an evil, greedy cable network with a clueless, condescending attitude toward “geeks,” sought to tap into the multi-billion-dollar video game industry by creating a channel called G4. Nobody watched G4; G4 sucked. Tech savvy 20-to-34-year-olds watched Tech TV. The evil cable network jealously vowed to kill Tech TV.
Realizing that there just weren’t enough sports channels on their over-priced cable service, they replaced Tech TV with Yankee Entertainment and Sports (at least that was what my area got). I, of course, said NO to YES.
When that didn’t work (and many of their customers were switching to satellite just to watch Tech TV again), Comcast bought Tech TV and merged it with their aforementioned crappy G4 channel, which you could only see if you had satellite or you forked over more money and got Comcast’s digital cable package, which might not be a complete rip-off if the first hundred channels weren’t still analog.
Not understanding what made Tech TV worth watching, and showing a complete lack of respect for their audience, they fired most of the on-air talent and gutted the shows. Most recently, they finally killed one of my favorite Tech TV shows, The Screen Savers (at least it was a favorite back in the days of Leo, Patrick, Megan, and Cat), and replaced it with something called Attack of the Show. Attack of the Show? WTF?
…and what quality content have they featured so far on this new show? Well now, how about shoving a live web server up someone’s rectum? Yes, this is, of course, what prompted this rant. They took a web server based off of a USB keychain drive, stuffed it in a condom, shoved it up someone’s ass, and invited viewers to visit the web site in this guy’s butt.
Whatever.
I haven’t seen 34 in a bit, but this over 40 was a big fan of TT and the SS.
Comcast really underestimated the broad appeal of the old Tech TV. My parents (in their 50s) occasionally liked to watch it as well. They never seemed to condescend to their audience or try to be “X-treme” or hipper than thou—unlike G4.
Oh well…