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EXCLUSIVE: Neal Tiles is departing G4, where he has served as president since September 2005. The cable network, previously owned by Comcast, is now under the purview of Bonnie Hammer following last year’s Comcast-NBCUniversal merger. Here is Tiles’ internal email to the staff:
After much deliberation, I’ve decided it’s time for me to step down as President of G4. To say that it’s been a rewarding 6 1/2 years would be an understatement. Simply it’s been the greatest challenge of my career. However, I feel the need to move on to my next challenge. Together, we’ve accomplished so much…it has been nothing but an honor to work with so many passionate individuals here.
I know Bonnie remains committed to the network and you’ll be hearing from her shortly. I have started the transition with Bonnie and I am sure you will be in great hands moving forward.
Until then, I wish you all continued success.
All the best,
Neal
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Well, the Luckiest Man in Television™ just got a little less lucky. Amazing that he held on for so many years. That channel has never made a dime – lost millions for Comcast (especially if you include the millions spent on taking over TechTV). Well, I guess no Adult Expo at CES for Neal this year!
For such a supposedly strong marketer, he leaves behind a useless brand that has no consumer goodwill. To this day, most of the comments on the web boards are: 1) Where is my [name show from TechTV]?; 2) What happened to Layla Keighley? 3) Where is the 3rd season of Code Monkeys?
They’ve tried to sell of the channel so many times…to Dr. Dre, the Weinsteins, etc. By appointing a new GM who’s worked with Bonnie it looks like a sign that they’re digging in and not selling. Good luck!
They tried to sell the Channel to Dr. Dre? That’s insane.
I’m really not sure what can be done with G4 at this point. Video games are really popular and I think they should have stuck with just video game shows instead of adding things like Cops and Cheaters (granted, I’m sure those make the most money) which in my view is the cause for all ill-will towards the channel.
Maybe they could rebrand the network to step away from video games and make it more like Wired, if it was a TV channel.
yo,chill out there Willie. You do realize that for all the reasons you mention G4 was never given any dollars to work with? I was a fan of TechTV and still miss Call For Help but I soon realized its a business.
actually, they’ve given G4 lots of money. lots and lots of money. and he’s leaving with a big chunk of it.
Wasn’t UFC looking at buying G4 at one point too?
Layla Keighly went on maternity leave and never came back, don’t know whose decision that was. Anyway, it made the split with Directv easier to swallow, knowing I wasn’t the only not getting fed by her any more
Tiles did the best that anyone could expect given the budget he had to work with
WILLIE and others, though I agree with some of your comments, you don’t have a grasp of the facts. Having worked at G4, I speak from first-hand experience.
First, the TechTV whining is old news and, quite frankly, pathetic. TechTV was a bomb with zero audience, zero ad revenue and no viable future as a TV net. Those who still pine for it need to get a life (or watch the video content at CNET.COM). It’s dead, buried, gone, kaput…something that would have happened with or without G4. Sorry folks, TV is a business, not a charity venture.
Comcast should also shoulder some of the blame for G4′s woes. Not only did they keep Tiles at the helm for more than six years, the bigwigs in Philly never fully understood the property or its potential. Annual employee surveys would contain dozens of questions asking us about our experience with “cable installs” and “customer service” as if we were working in local cable offices or on the streets installing cable boxes in homes.
When DirecTV decided to drop G4, Comcast opted to let it happen. DTV was opposed to the Comcast/NBCU merger and the move to drop G4 was nothing more than a huge middle finger to Comcast. Comcast didn’t want to make waves during the regulatory review phase of the merger so DTV was able to drop G4 with barely a whimper from the network.
Though G4 has a comparatively tiny audience, it WAS one of the most passionate and loyal I’ve ever been associated with. That had less to do with Tiles and more to do with the hard work from producers and staff members on AOTS, X-PLAY and NINJA WARRIOR as well as tireless 24/7 support from those at G4TV.COM, PR and a portion of the marketing department. G4 was given programming, technology and marketing budgets that were among the smallest in all of cable. Cry me a river that it “lost millions” for Comcast. Trust me, any money G4 “lost” was barely a drop in the bucket for Comcast. In fact, G4 hit break even in 2010.
Comcast grousing aside, Tiles was the real problem. While G4 languished, E! was breaking ratings records so there was precedent for a Comcast network doing very well despite a myopic corporate parent. Tiles created a culture of blame and fear, walling himself and the network off from the rest of the Comcast Nets and surrounding himself with yes men, VPs and SVPs who ran the gamut from genuinely talented to completely clueless. G4 became a dysfunctional vanity project where every step forward came with the inherent danger that, if anything went wrong, holy hell would rain down on you and your head would be on the chopping block. There was no inspirational leadership from the top. Thanks and congratulations were few and far between. Even when these sentiments bubbled up in that annual employee survey (which they did, loudly), they were met with little more than a shoulder shrug from Tiles. This was not a culture that mirrored the G4 audience or one that could ever unleash the potential of the brand. Too much time was spent looking over one’s shoulder while waiting for your boss to throw you under the bus in order to save his/her job.
Still, that amazing audience is what kept many of us there for as long as we stayed. After two years, though, even that wasn’t enough to sustain me. Like so many of those who loved the core of G4 and shared the same passion for gaming, gadets and tech with the audience, I left G4. Exhausted, battle scarred and profoundly disappointed. That’s the legacy of Neal Tiles…one that I sincerely hope is finally laid to rest. I haven’t always agreed with everything Bonnie Hammer has done, but she has an undeniable track record of success and a refreshing sense of loyalty to those who take chances and swing for the fences. Adam Stotsky is a very bright and talented guy who did great work, even in the face of some daunting challenges at NBC. To Comcast’s credit, they have done a remarkable job on the cable executive front since the merger and Hammer has been thoughtful and methodical with the changes she has made to the former Comcast Nets. I do agree with one statement in Tile’s otherwise hollow parting remarks…with Hammer (and Stotsky) at the helm, G4, the audience and those who still work at the network are indeed in very good hands.
Too bad it still sucks.
Although you clearly have some insight into the going on’s at G4, having a clue about the audience of Tech TV, and market potential, is not among them.
You might want to check out the monthly stats for page and video views for TWIT.tv and Revision3, started by Leo Laporte and Jim Louderback respectively. The majority of the talent from Tech TV are now producing weekly videos/podcasts with what could have been the audience for Tech TV.
PS. CNET Video? Really?
He’s done the best he possibly can and a show channel that can just be based on games has not that high in rating. he was just doing his job, he was told to widen out the variety so he can get a wider auidence… so please if you no nothing about any of the facts, like hes leaving with a chunk of money that they gave him, or unknown facts…. give the guy a break.