Deep cuts have hit G4’s flagship show X-Play, sources tell us, and the five-day-a-week program has been cut back to three times a week.
We’ve heard that us much as half of the staff of the X-Play show have been laid off. We’ve emailed and spoken with G4 officials, but they were not yet able to answer our questions.
If true, the network must be struggling. X-Play was one of the highest-rated shows on G4 and was just expanded to five days a week in January, 2008.
What began in 1998 as GameSpot TV and then become Extended Play and finally X-Play, was reworked and expanded on Jan. 14, 2008.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/gaming-television/x+play-expands-332986.php
The show is hosted by Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb. In December, 2008 Sessler [[link]] was promoted to G4’s Editor-in-Chief of Games content.
https://kotaku.com/adam-sessler-gets-the-boot-up-to-editor-in-chief-5112391
As always take this with a grain of salt until we hear more directly from the company.
UPDATE – G4 has provided us with the following statement, confirming the scheduling change, as well as staff cuts:
G4 is returning [[link]] AOTS and X-Play to their former production schedules and, [[link]] starting March 2nd, AOTS will air 4 originals per week and X-Play 3 originals per week. While the company does not comment on personnel matters, we can confirm that producing fewer episodes has resulted in a decrease in staff. Savings resulting from this move will go directly towards producing more original programming in 2009. This is not a budget cut. G4 remains dedicated to these core franchises.