The internal group responsible for "evangelizing" Microsoft's technologies plans to phase out its standalone Channel 8 website for students and Channel 10 site for tech geeks -- folding elements of them into an overhauled version of Channel 9, the company's flagship video site and forum for software developers.

The group is putting a positive spin on the decision, saying it will strengthen Channel 9 and give it more of the content that originally made it popular. Channel 9 will be redesigned and revamped to add live webcasts, better integration with social networks, new technical training materials and more posts from the company's technology leaders.

But the move also reflects the company's struggle to build thriving online communities beyond its core audience of software developers.

Channel 9, which gets about 4.5 million unique visitors a month, is known for lively discussions in the comments on videos and in related forums. Channel 10 gets about 1.5 million unique visitors but hasn't generated the same type of loyal following.

Don't worry, Channel 9 fans, the legendary "Coffeehouse" forum isn't going away. In fact, the group says content from that section will be even more prominent after the changes. But alas, the funky shower curtain on the "This Week in Channel 9" set has been replaced by a more professional backdrop.

Channel 9 was launched five years ago, featuring behind-the-scenes video interviews with Microsoft engineering leaders, software developers and executives. The name comes from United Airlines in-flight channel that lets passengers listen in on the cockpit. The company describes Channel 9 as an exercise in transparency -- saying it wants to give the same type of inside glimpse to people who rely on Microsoft technologies, so that they can take part in and avoid being surprised by the company's decisions.

Channels 8 and 10 were created to extend that effect to students and technology enthusiasts.

The changes will bring a new level of focus to the initiative, said Jeff Sandquist, the Microsoft senior director of evangelism who oversees Channel 9 and related sites, in an interview. The idea is to return Channel 9 to its roots, while improving the user experience.

"There's just something about focusing on this one brand, rather than many brands," Sandquist said. "Channel 9 as a brand works for all these particular audiences, if our content is the right type of content."

Sandquist said the changes aren't related to any budget cutbacks, and no layoffs are involved. He said the same people who have been working on Channel 8, Channel 10 and other sites will continue to work on the overhauled Channel 9.

The company's Coding4Fun site will also be phased out in standalone form, with its content rolled into Channel 9, although the "Coding4Fun" name will still be used as part of the larger site. Some content that would have been on Channel 8 will go to Microsoft's Student Experience site. The changes don't affect the Mix Online or TechNet Edge sites, produced by the same group.

The initiative, dubbed "Revolution 9," was introduced this afternoon in a special edition of the "This Week in Channel 9" video show. The show, taped on the Microsoft campus Thursday, ran more than an hour as Sandquist and members of his team gave extensive explanations about the upcoming overhaul -- demonstrating that some signature characteristics of the site aren't changing.

The changes will be rolled out slowly in the coming weeks and months.

The news comes a few months before Microsoft is slated to roll out Windows 7, the next version of its operating system. In the past, the company has used the consumer orientation of Channel 10 in part to build buzz about Windows among technology geeks.

"The timing is unfortunate because there’s an explosion going on in the consumer market, around social media, and the hottest services that people are using today all launched within the last three years," said Joe Wilcox, a longtime technology reporter and analyst who has tracked the Channel 9 initiative. "Microsoft should go after the consumer geeks, particularly with Windows 7 about to launch."

Wilcox said it makes sense to consolidate student content under the Microsoft Student site, but he questioned the Channel 10 decision, saying it matches a broader pattern of Microsoft retrenching from the consumer market.

"If the site wasn’t getting traction, it means Microsoft should do something different," Wilcox said. "That something different probably isn’t rolling 10 into 9, but doing something different around 10."

Sandquist, however, cited user feedback suggesting that the company had spread too far with the various enthusiast sites. He noted that big online media brands are taking similar approaches, citing the example of Gawker absorbing its Valleywag tech gossip site.

"It's not something that we do lightly," he said. "I believe it's the right thing to go do."

The Channel 9 overhaul also provides an opportunity to improve the user experience, and make sure visitors can easily discover the types of content that resonates most with them, Sandquist said. The group says it's relying heavily on user feedback and surveys to guide the Revolution 9 initiative. Other site enhancements will include new bookmarks for skipping quickly to relevant portions of videos.