Episode 153: Sega Channel

Episode 153: Sega Channel

Author: Video Game History Foundation April 2, 2026 Duration: 1:16:24

Well before Xbox Game Pass or Steam, we had Sega Channel: a visionary service that delivered video games directly into homes via cable TV lines. This week, host Phil Salvador is joined by some of the team that made the "impossible" happen: Michael Shorrock, Ray McFadden, and Willard Stanback.

In this mini Sega Channel reunion, the team discusses the technical hurdles of digital data distribution over 1990’s cable infrastructure, reminisces about the high-stakes world of game licensing, and shares how partnerships and the bold leadership of Stan Thomas shaped the service. We explore how transparency and community engagement turned a risky experiment into a beloved cult classic, and what the Sega Channel legacy tells us about the future of cloud gaming and subscription services today.

*This episode has a follow-up bonus episode available to our paid tier Patreon members.

You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and above), on Spotify, or on our website.


Video Game History Foundation:

Email: podcast@gamehistory.org

Website: gamehistory.org

Support us on Patreon: /gamehistoryorg


Ever wonder how the stories behind your favorite games actually get uncovered? Video Game History Hour pulls back the curtain on that process, hosted by Frank Cifaldi from the Video Game History Foundation. Instead of dry lectures, each episode feels like you’re overhearing a fascinating conversation between experts. Frank invites game developers, historians, and storytellers to share their discoveries and the real, often messy work of preservation. You’ll hear about the frustrating dead-ends that make researchers want to bang their heads against the wall, followed by those incredible breakthroughs when a forgotten piece of history suddenly clicks into place. This podcast is built on the genuine thrill of sharing a find, capturing the human side of digging through old code, tracking down obscure prototypes, or interviewing pivotal developers whose contributions have been overlooked. It’s a casual, engaging dive into the layers of an industry often focused only on the future, reminding us that every game has a past worth saving. Tune in for a refreshingly authentic look at the passion and persistence required to keep video game history alive, one surprising story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Game History Hour
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 116: The First CD-ROM Game [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:35
VGHF librarian Phil Salvador chats with longtime contributor to video game archaeology Misty De Méo, author of CD-ROM Journal: a blog exploring multimedia games and software. We discuss her recent article A Chronology of…
Ep. 115 - Travis Brown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:39
Travis Brown, our very own director of technology, gets technical as we talk about his role with VGHF and how he got started in preservation. In this episode: The Varsity vs The Vortex, scanning 14k pieces of optical med…
Ep. 114: The Strong’s Expansion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:53
We share the details of our recent field trip to The Strong Museum of Play to celebrate their newest video game focused expansion. In this travel log episode: travel woes; Wegmans toilet paper; Transformers’ shrieks at a…
Bonus Episode: Game Availability Study [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:27
Brandon Butler, Director of Information Policy at the University of Virginia Library and Law and Policy Advisor at the Software Preservation Network, joins us to talk about a major new study published jointly by the Vide…
Ep. 113: Bally Professional Arcade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:24
Author and historian Kevin Bunch returns to the familiar guest chair to educate us all on a somewhat obscure 1970’s consolputer from his recent video, The History of the Bally (and Astrocade) Professional Arcade: Archive…
Ep. 112: Getting Personal with Frank Cifaldi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:58
Frank gets a bit reflective and shares how he got where he is today; not just the video game stuff, but the life stuff, too. In this episode: a youth in Las Vegas, underage drinking and overage smoking, dropping out of s…
Ep. 111: The World of Nintendo Book [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Historian and game developer Andy Cunningham shares his fantastic new book The World of Nintendo Book, Volume One: A World of Wonders, a visual history of Nintendo merchandising. This first in a series goes deep into the…
Ep. 110: Minesweeper [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:45
Kyle Orland, author of the new Boss Fight Books’ Minesweeper, joins the show to talk about one of the most prolific 90’s games by the same name. In this episode: the Minesweeper generation, how Bill Gates got addicted to…
Ep. 109: Video Game Logos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:03
Writer, journalist, and ‘several’ time returning guest Jack Yarwood shares his research on two video game logos with stylized R’s, which were subsequently made to be physical objects, as recently published in his article…
Bonus Episode: Game Preservation is a House of Cards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
Kelsey and Frank hit record on a Friday afternoon for an impromptu, off-the-cuff discussion about a scary recent development in the world of video game preservation regarding the preservation organization Forest of Illus…