Revision3

Revision3
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Streaming television, Podcasting
Founded	2005; 21 years ago
Founder	Jay Adelson, Kevin Rose, David Prager, Dan Huard, Keith Harrison, Ron Gorodetzky
Defunct	March 31, 2017
Fate	Shutdown
Headquarters	San Francisco, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jay Adelson (Founder), Kevin Rose (Founder), David Prager (Founder), Jim Louderback (CEO from 2007)
Products	Streaming content focused on technology, gaming, comedy, politics, DIY projects, film
Parent	Discovery Digital Networks (from 2012)

Revision3 was a multi-channel television network headquartered in San Francisco that specialized in creating, producing, and distributing streaming content focused on niche interests. Established in 2005, it became a subsidiary of Discovery Digital Networks in 2012 and continued operations until its shutdown on March 31, 2017. The network primarily delivered programming related to technology and gaming, complemented by shows covering comedy, politics, DIY projects, and film.

History

In April 2005, Revision3 was launched in Los Angeles by Jay Adelson, Kevin Rose, and David Prager, with additional involvement from Dan Huard, Keith Harrison, and Ron Gorodetzky. Many of the founders had previously been part of TechTV. The development of shows began as early as 2003 with the podcast thebroken, followed by Systm in 2005, which targeted general technology enthusiasts. Kevin Rose departed from G4’s Attack of the Show to dedicate himself fully to Revision3, premiering Diggnation in July 2005. In August of the same year, Alex Albrecht joined as co-host of Diggnation, while David Prager oversaw production and business operations.

Jim Louderback, formerly editor-in-chief at PC Magazine, took over as CEO in July 2007. Around this time, Patrick Norton came on board as Managing Editor and co-host for programs such as Systm, Tekzilla, and HD Nation. Roger Chang also joined from Ziff Davis to assist in producing these shows. All these individuals brought experience from their tenure at TechTV.

In 2008, Veronica Belmont was added as a co-host for Tekzilla. That year also witnessed the cancellation of Social Brew after only four episodes, alongside organizational staff changes. September 2008 marked the launch of Revision3 Beta, a sub-network dedicated to experimental content under the leadership of Martin Sargent.

By 2009, Systm transitioned from a standalone weekly show to being incorporated as segments within Tekzilla. Patrick Norton initiated HD Nation, a program centered on high-definition video technology and home theater systems, co-hosted with Robert Heron.

October 2010 saw the introduction of a gaming news show hosted by Max Scoville and Tara Long from Destructoid. In August 2011, Anthony Carboni—formerly the host of Bytejacker—launched "New Challenger," a game review series that contributed to the creation of Rev3Games, Revision3's dedicated gaming channel.

In March 2011, Revision3 collaborated with Gawker Media to produce video podcasts for popular websites including Lifehacker and later io9 with the series "We Come from the Future," which ran for 32 episodes. Founder Jay Adelson debuted "Ask Jay" in August 2011 to provide business advice. The network’s flagship show Diggnation concluded production by late 2011, succeeded by Glenn McElhose’s experimental project "Toasted Donut."

On May 3, 2012, Discovery Communications announced it had acquired Revision3, finalizing the deal on June 1, 2012.

Diggnation

Diggnation was a weekly video podcast aired from 2005 through 2011 featuring hosts Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht. The program centered around discussing headlines posted on the social news aggregator Digg, which was co-founded by Rose.

The Totally Rad Show

Produced by Team Awesome, LLC and distributed through Revision3, The Totally Rad Show was a weekly (later daily) video podcast running between 2007 and 2012. Hosted by Alex Albrecht, Jeff Cannata, and Dan Trachtenberg, it provided reviews and analysis on pop culture topics including movies, video games, television programs, and comic books. The show earned recognition with the People's Voice Webby Award and won "Best Produced" at the Podcast Awards in 2008.

Tekzilla

Tekzilla was a weekly American video podcast broadcast on the Revision3 network, hosted by Patrick Norton and Shannon Morse, with Roger Chang serving as producer and occasional guest host. Jessica Corbin co-hosted the first 14 episodes before Veronica Belmont joined in 2008 and remained until November 2013. After Belmont's departure, Shannon Morse took over as the primary host. The show aired its final installment on November 25, 2014. Subsequently, Norton and Morse launched a new podcast called TekThing in January 2015, which was supported through Patreon and produced at the Hak5 studio.

In 2008, Tekzilla briefly tested live streaming but discontinued it due to logistical difficulties. Audience interaction included submitting video questions via YouTube; although there were considerations for live Skype calls, these plans never came to fruition.

During spring 2009, the program refreshed its studio design by incorporating a city skyline backdrop that mirrored its logo and replacing the fake brick wall with a white-painted surface. The set featured two Vizio televisions utilized for displaying screenshots or branding elements throughout episodes. Beginning in January 2009, Tekzilla operated from the former set of another Revision3 series, Internet Superstar.

Tekzilla Daily Tip, initially known as Tekzilla Daily, was a brief daily videocast providing technology tips across various platforms such as Windows, Mac OS, Firefox, and iTunes. Patrick Norton originally hosted it, followed by Veronica Belmont, with Norton occasionally returning as guest host. The series ended on September 12, 2013.

On November 16, 2010, Tekzilla expanded its schedule to two full episodes weekly by merging with HD Nation, adding its host Robert Heron as a third presenter.

CO-OP

CO-OP was a weekly gaming podcast that ran from 2009 through 2010.

AppJudgment

AppJudgment was a Revision3-produced web series focused on reviewing mobile applications for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry devices. It provided technology enthusiasts with updates on app trends, detailed evaluations, and user recommendations.

The program featured various Revision3 hosts including Jackie Talbot, Mauricio Balvanera, Anthony Carboni, Annie Gaus, and Stephanie Chu. It followed a concise format akin to Tekzilla Daily Tip and was filmed on the same set.

AppJudgment’s YouTube channel garnered more than 57,000 subscribers and approached 20 million views, solidifying its status as an important resource for mobile technology information.

References