Cable television network TechTV, originally named ZDTV after original parent company Ziff-Davis, launched in 1998 to capitalize on the rapidly-increasing technology boom and devoted itself entirely to timely, topical, and good programming about technology and the internet. The channel soon became a popular source for news and commentary about the tech world for those who received it. During the channel's entire 6-year-run, it was located in San Francisco, California.
The network rebranded itself as TechTV in 2000 after CNet purchased ZDNet and sold the network's assets to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It soon launched a major push into live programming with TechLive, an unprecedented nine-hour block of live programming every weekday, which eventually mutated into several live or semi-live shows such as The Screen Savers, Unscrewed With Martin Sargent, and Call For Help. The network also ran a handful of taped shows, including video game review show Gamespot TV, which later became Extended Play and X-Play. Late into its run, it also broadcast a handful of anime series, including Crest of the Stars and The SoulTaker, as something of an answer to [adult swim], as well as cult TV series like Thunderbirds and Max Headroom.
TechTV always had money issues, which manifested as layoffs throughout the early part of its life. Its major cable carriage came from sister company Charter Communications, which has long held a reputation within the cable industry as a struggling company. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 doomed the long-form tech news format (which had been more aimed at day-traders and office workers rather than the network's core audience), and the rise of RSS newsfeeds made it easy to track a certain company or subject through online sources instead of waiting for a linear news format to report on them.
The network rebounded in 2003 thanks to good ratings for a number of its new shows, primarily Unscrewed. This rebound happened shortly after Comcast dropped TechTV from its lineups nationwide in favor of G4TV, Comcast's own network that focused on video games. In the end, Comcast bought TechTV and merged it into "G4TechTV" in 2004.
TechTV gave rise to a number of individuals who still offer tech-oriented websites and/or podcasts on the internet. Several of the names below had already become known in the tech world prior to TechTV, while others first came to prominence thanks to the network:
- Adam Sessler (The original host of Gamespot TV/Extended Play; co-hosted X-Play until he was fired in 2012; would go on to lead Revision3's gaming division until 2014 when he left, wanting to pursue a career outside of gaming, but in 2021 returned to co-host the revived Xplay on the also-revived G4)
- Alex Albrecht (Host of The Screen Savers post-merger; now part of Revision3)
- Chris Pirillo (Host of Call For Help with Leo Laporte as co-host; went back to focusing on Lockergnome full-time and later became a vlogger on Facebook; eventually founded the Galaxaar Pop Culture Marketplace events. Currently employed at Intel as a product manager).
- Kevin Rose (Host of Attack of the Show!; co-created Digg, now runs Revision3, and works for Google — who acquired his startup for a good amount of money)
- Leo Laporte (Co-host of The Screen Savers and Call For Help; now runs the TWiT Network
) - Martin Sargent (Host of Unscrewed who also started out as on-screen talent for The Screen Savers; now out of the business and working in advertising)
- Morgan Webb (Co-host of X-Play who started out as on-screen talent for The Screen Savers; co-hosted X-Play until it ended in 2012; later worked with Activision Blizzard, currently works for Bonfire Studios)
- Patrick Norton (Co-host of The Screen Savers; now part of Revision3)
Original programming produced by, and aired on, TechTV include:
- Call for Help
- The Screen Savers
- Unscrewed With Martin Sargent
- Extended Play
