GIGA Television
Encyclopedia
GIGA was the brand name of a digital TV channel (also known as GIGA Digital or GIGA TV) and several German
television shows. The channel ceased operations in 2009.
GIGA was shown first time on the television channel NBC Europe
. The show lasted five hours, from 3 pm until 8 pm.
Then in March 2006, the show GIGA - the original NBC GIGA - was cancelled. The most popular shows still running at this point were GIGA\\Games, GIGA eSports and PLAY.
Beginning January 1, 2008 GIGA Digital Television GmbH in Cologne was operated by Premiere
(now Sky Deutschland).
The American gaming and entertainment network IGN
Entertainment, which is owned by Fox Interactive Media, announced on April 20, 2009 the acquisition of the gaming community site GIGA.DE - the online arm of the GIGA television channel. The two companies have shared content since August 2008, and IGN took the opportunity to penetrate the German market. Current plans are to maintain the GIGA.DE trademark and structure.
GIGA will first be available only as Web-TV including the Entertainment and Digital Lifestyle Site GIGA.DE.
GIGA will begin broadcasting in October 2011.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
television shows. The channel ceased operations in 2009.
Early Days
The first GIGA show was broadcast on November 30, 1998. The show NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
GIGA was shown first time on the television channel NBC Europe
NBC Europe
NBC Europe was a satellite television channel based in the United Kingdom that broadcast across Europe...
. The show lasted five hours, from 3 pm until 8 pm.
Broadcasts on own channel
In March 2005 the show was renamed from NBC GIGA to GIGA Green, airing on its own digital channel starting in September. Also in September 2005 the original show was renamed a second time, now to the simple name GIGA, which caused some confusion because the television channel on which it was broadcast was also named GIGA. The show had been shortened from five hours to three hours, Monday through Friday, and was now being broadcast on the television channel GIGA as well as on the television channel Das Vierte (English: The Fourth).Then in March 2006, the show GIGA - the original NBC GIGA - was cancelled. The most popular shows still running at this point were GIGA\\Games, GIGA eSports and PLAY.
Beginning January 1, 2008 GIGA Digital Television GmbH in Cologne was operated by Premiere
Premiere (pay television network)
Sky Deutschland AG, branded as Sky, is a German media company which operates the first pay television platform in Germany and Austria, offering several channels of digital content via satellite and cable....
(now Sky Deutschland).
Shutdown
On February 13, 2009, the managing director of GIGA, Stephan Borg, announced that Premiere decided to shut down the channel and release all staff. Reasons mentioned included the lack of financial success and bad outlook on the advertising market; in general, Premiere wanted to concentrate on its core channels.The American gaming and entertainment network IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Entertainment, which is owned by Fox Interactive Media, announced on April 20, 2009 the acquisition of the gaming community site GIGA.DE - the online arm of the GIGA television channel. The two companies have shared content since August 2008, and IGN took the opportunity to penetrate the German market. Current plans are to maintain the GIGA.DE trademark and structure.
New beginning
In September 2011 the ECONA Internet AG, the new owner of GIGA, announced that they want to revive GIGA as a TV-Show.GIGA will first be available only as Web-TV including the Entertainment and Digital Lifestyle Site GIGA.DE.
GIGA will begin broadcasting in October 2011.