With the growing power of geek culture, it came as a bit of surprise that NBC would kill off geek culture cable channel G4 to be replaced with the planned quasi-men’s issues focused Esquire Network. However, only two weeks from the official launch of The Esquire Network, NBC gave G4 a stay of execution.

The Esquire Network will instead take over NBC’s Style Network when the new cable channel launches on September 23rd.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an endorsement of the potential of G4 or nerd culture. NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Group chairman Bonnie Hammer decided to drop one of the group’s four female demographic chasing channels. Along with that reasoning, going with Style rather than G4 will put Esquire in 75 million homes rather than 62 million on launch.

Worse, The Hollywood Reporter says that NBC has no plans to invest in more original programming for G4. That’s a problem since their two flagship shows, X-Play and Attack of the Show, were canned to make the transition to Esquire. That leaves G4 without original programming that celebrates geek culture.

Well, at least we still have G4. The channel doesn’t have a prayer without original programming so maybe some executive will use some common sense and put some money into the channel. With G4 Canada putting money into some new project from Victor Lucas (or EP Daily, Reviews on the Run and Judgment Day fame), maybe you Yanks will get them too. Hell, our G4 is 33% Vic. Beats being 33% Cops.

Source: THR