End is nigh for TechTV Australia

Comcast bought TechTV earlier this year and combined it with its own gaming channel, G4, to create G4 TechTV. As part of the deal the company decided to stop supplying the channel as a whole to international markets, instead opting to sell individual programmes.

Brendon Moo, Foxtel's head of publicity, told ZDNet Australia   that the channel is no longer available as a whole outside the US.

"We don't have a channel that we can show. Comcast have merged the channel with their own G4 gaming channel. Unfortunately with that deal they have decided not to make either the existing TechTV channel or the new G4 TechTV channel available to international markets such as Australia. If you were in the US you could see it but they are not exporting it," said Moo.

Moo said that although the channel will no longer exist in Australia there is a slim chance that some of the channel's individual programming will make it onto Australian television screens.

"There are some existing Fox channels that may pick up some of those programmes but it depends if a particular program fits a channel's line up and it is cost worthy. The programmes are available but it is up to the individual channels now," said Moo.

TechTV will be replaced from 1 January 2005 by the Crime & Investigation Network, which is a documentary channel that focuses on "real life" crimes.