Topic: G4 will become the Esquire channel in first half of 2013

[shingi_70]

In its bid for the largely untapped metrosexual viewership, NBCUniversal is set to rebrand G4 channel as the Esquire channel.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the NBCUniversal-owned cable network has closed a deal with Esquire parent Hearst Corporation to shift the former gaming network to a destination more in line with the modern male. The effort is designed to capture a growing, upscale demographic that isn't being reached through other male networks, including adrenaline-heavy Spike and History.

Some of the new programming --which will focus on such genres as cooking, travel and fashion --already is in production as the rebrand is expected to take place during the first half of 2013, according to sources. True to the decade-old network's heritage, there will be gaming fare as well.

An NBCU spokesperson declined comment.

I'm guessing the gaming stuff is going to be E3 related and a retooled version of Attack of show.

I think this is going to work. G4's problem is that they pretty much became a spike clone without the programming in its later days.

[TJ Spyke]

Why would they retool a show they just canceled?

This channel will fail, I don't see many people watching it.

[ShyGuy]

TV is just not upscale. Why do you think the History Channel and The Learning Channel are slumming it with trash?

[TJ Spyke]

They stopped calling themselves The Learning Channel long ago, and for good reason. Crap like Honey Boo Boo is not learning in any way.

[EasyCure]

really? it's taught me people like that exist and never to associate with them

[BranDonk Kong]

They should have just realized that G4 is never going to get good ratings, and just let it be what it was when they merged with TechTV (before they kileld TechTV). They show nothing but COPS, what do they expect?

[Morari]

I'd rather have ZDTV/TechTV back. G4 was always a cesspool for uneducated frat boys.

[BranDonk Kong]

Agreed. Screen Savers FOR LIFE!

[TJ Spyke]

Some of the G4 shows were really good. Icons (basically Behind the Music for video game designers and companies), Electric Playground (talking about video game news[/i], and Pulse were good. Cinematech was also interesting sometimes (they would cycle through video of different games).

[Morari]

Agreed. Screen Savers FOR LIFE!

Indeed. Though I always liked Kate Botello a lot better than Patrick Norton as co-host. Still, a lot of the old TechTV personalities can be found doing "new media" shows on Revision3 and TWiT.