G4 network is spared the ax, but at the cost of relevance  It
looks like triple-digit cable station G4 won a reprieve from the
network gallows.  NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Group
chairman Bonnie Hammer said in a memo Monday that the scheduled
Sept. 23 rebranding of the channel as the Esquire Network won't
be taking place, and that Style will be reformatted instead
because it is "redundant." G4 will continue to exist, meanwhile,
albeit with no new original programming or anything resembling a
plan for the future.  "One of the hallmarks of our success is
brand clarity. Our goal has always been delivery of compelling
content by means of distinct, complementary brands, each in its
clearly defined lane," she said in her memo, according to The
Hollywood Reporter.  She was referring specifically to NBCU's
three remaining "women's networks" — Bravo, Oxygen and E! — but
the context is fitting: While the G4 brand will remain, the
network itself (and its devotion to video games as an integral
part of its programmi