Continuing its effort to widen its audience, TechTV plans to launch an edgy
late-night programming block in late April, officials said Monday.
"We think a lot people will come fresh to the network for this," said Greg
Brannan, TechTV's senior vice president of programming. "Part of this is
designed to get us noticed."
The new late-night block, which will kick off April 28, will air from 10 p.m.
to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday.
The block will lead off with Robot Wars, a British show that features
death matches between robots. TechTV -- which is trying to expand to be more of
a technology "lifestyle" network -- has acquired 64 one-hour episodes of the
series.
Robot Wars will be followed by The Martin Sargent Show, a
half-hour comedy hosted by the personality from TechTV's series The Screen
Savers. Sargent, whose new show will actually join the late-night block May
26, will interview offbeat guests -- like the creators of weird Web sites -- and
have a segment on "High-Tech Hijinks," the best pranks for the digital age.
Brannan described Sargent as "the David Letterman of the Internet
generation."
X-Play will celebrate gaming, covering games and gamers, and offer
reviews of new releases.
The late-night block will end with Anime Unleashed, which is already
on TechTV's late-night schedule.
Referring to the new late-night block, Brannan said, "It's a different
environment for someone looking for something different."
Also the week of April 28, TechTV will add new fare to its primetime lineup,
namely the previously announced Wired for Sex and Spy
School.
Wired for Sex is about technology intersecting with pornography, sex and
fertility, while Spy School shows how the latest technology is being used
in espionage.
As part of its effort to evolve away from just news and information to
technology lifestyle, TechTV later this year will kick off a promotion, "Digital
Digs," that will reward sweepstakes winners with a 'tech-fantasy home
makeover.'
The network will partner with its cable affiliates to promote the
sweepstakes. The winner's makeover will be taped and made into a TV
special.
