Leo Laporte

Leo Gordon Laporte[lower-alpha 1] (born November 29, 1956)[2] is the host of The Tech Guy weekly radio show[3] and a host on TWiT.tv, an Internet podcast network focusing on technology. He is also a former TechTV technology host (1998–2008) and a technology author.

Leo Laporte
Laporte pictured in 2007
Born
Leo Gordon Laporte

(1956-11-29) November 29, 1956[1]
New York City, New York, US
Occupation
  • TV and radio presenter
  • podcaster
Known forFounding TWiT.tv
Notable credit(s)
Spouse(s)
  • Jennifer Laporte (divorced)
  • Lisa Laporte (m. c. 2015)
Websiteleolaporte.com

Background

Leo Laporte is the son of geologist Leo F. Laporte. He studied Chinese history at Yale University before dropping out in his junior year to pursue a career in radio broadcasting,[4] where his early on-air names were Dave Allen and Dan Hayes.[5] He began his association with computers with his first home computer, an Atari 400.[6]

Television and radio

Laporte has worked on technology-related broadcasting projects, including Dvorak on Computers in January 1991 (co-hosted with technology writer John C. Dvorak), and Laporte on Computers on KGO Radio and KSFO in San Francisco.[7]

In 1997, Laporte was awarded a Northern California Emmy for his role as Dev Null, a motion capture character on the MSNBC show The Site.

In 1998, Laporte created and co-hosted The Screen Savers,[8] and the original version of Call for Help on the cable and satellite network ZDTV (later TechTV).[2]

Laporte was the host of the daily television show The Lab with Leo Laporte, recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The program had formerly been known as Call for Help when it was recorded in the US and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series aired on G4 Canada, on the HOW TO Channel in Australia, on several of Canada's Citytv affiliates, and on Google Video. On March 5, 2008, Laporte confirmed on net@nite that The Lab with Leo Laporte[9] had been canceled by Rogers Communications. The HOW TO Channel did not air the remaining episodes after it was announced the show had been canceled.[10][11]

He hosts a weekend technology-oriented talk radio program show titled Leo Laporte: The Tech Guy. The show, started on KFI AM 640 (Los Angeles), is syndicated through Premiere Radio Networks. Laporte appears on Friday mornings on KFI with Bill Handel, and previously on such shows as Showbiz Tonight,[12] Live with Kelly,[13] and World News Now. He holds an amateur radio license, W6TWT.

Books

Laporte has written technology-oriented books including:

  • Smith, Gina; — (1 March 1995). 101 Computer Answers You Need To Know. Ziff-Davis Press. ISBN 978-1562763398. LCCN 95159818. OCLC 32516630. OL 873902M. Retrieved 31 December 2021 – via Internet Archive.

He has published a yearly series of technology almanacs:

  • Leo Laporte's Technology Almanac
  • Poor Leo's Computer Almanac ISBN 0768654920
  • Leo Laporte's 2006 Technology Almanac ISBN 0789733978

Laporte announced in October 2006 that he would not renew his contract with Que Publishing, and had retired from publishing books.

In 2008, Laporte did a voice narration of Andrew Lang's fable The True History of Little Golden-hood[14] from Audible (Amazon), a sponsor.[15]

Podcasting

Laporte owns and operates a podcast network, TWiT.tv with his wife[16] Lisa Laporte. Before the expansion to new facilities in 2011, Laporte said TWiT earned US$1.5 million (equivalent to $1,810,000 in 2021) annually on a production cost of US$350,000 (equivalent to $422,000 in 2021).[17] In a 2012 Reddit posting, he commented that revenue was approaching US$4 million (equivalent to $4,820,000 in 2021).[18] The TWiT studios are located in Petaluma, California,[8] where Laporte lives.[19]

Notes
  1. Pronounced /ləˈpɔːrt/.

References
  1. — (4 December 2021). "The Tech Guy #1849". TWiT.tv (Podcast). Event occurs at 17:37. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  2. Marriott, Michael (21 December 2003). "COVER STORY; Plug In, Boot Up, Feel Free to Melt Down". The New York Times. eISSN 1553-8095. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  3. "Leo Laporte, Your Go-To Gadget Guy". Premiere Networks. n.d. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. Schwartzman, Eric (1 September 2005). "How to Pitch Leo Laporte of TWiT". On the Record Online Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  5. TwitLive Broadcast, after hours, 9 December 2008
  6. "Focus On: Leo". G4. n.d. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  7. Friess, Steve (3 October 2006). "Podcasting's Reluctant Evangelist". WIRED. eISSN 1078-3148. ISSN 1059-1028. OCLC 24479723. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2021.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  8. Hiner, Jason (19 April 2015). "The New Screen Savers: TWiT resurrects the show that launched tech video into the stratosphere". ZDNet. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  9. "The Lab with Leo Laporte". Internet Archive. n.d. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  10. Vapor, Matt (27 March 2008). "Lab with Leo off TV in Australia – Let us See the Remaining Episodes". Matt Vapor’s Blog | Advocating Technology for Everyone. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  11. Vapor, Matt (27 March 2008). "Response from How-To Channel Australia Regarding The Lab with Leo". Matt Vapor’s Blog | Advocating Technology for Everyone. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  12. Bryant, Karyn; Hammer, A.J. (25 July 2005). "Man Convicted for Cameron Diaz Nude Photo Scam; Clay Aiken Answers Questions About Charity; iPod Nation: Why Are They So Popular?". Showbiz Tonight. Season 1. Episode 76. CNN. RUSH TRANSCRIPT.
  13. "Leoville: Live with Regis and Kelly". 22 January 2007. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  14. "The Red Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang : THE TRUE HISTORY OF LITTLE GOLDEN HOOD". Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  15. TWiT.TV – this WEEK in TECH Archived January 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  16. Danae Ringelmann interviewed on the TV show Triangulation on the TWiT.tv network
  17. Cashmore, Pete (3 October 2009). "Leo Laporte Makes $1.5 Million Per Year from Podcasting". Mashable. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  18. — (2012). "Reddit - /r/IAmA | I am Leo Laporte, Chief TWiT. AMA!". Reddit. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  19. "TWiT Eastside Studio FAQ". The Official TWiT Wiki.
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