why did these companies choose Tcl over Python

[chewie54]

Hello,

As an electronics engineer I use some very expensive EDA CAD tool
programs that are scriptable using Tcl.  I was wondering why these
companies have choose to use Tcl instead of Python.   Some of these
are:

   Mentor Graphics ModelTech VHDL and Verilog simulator
   Synopsys  Design Compiler and Primetime Static Timing Analyzer
   Actel FPGA tools.

Tcl seems to very popular in my business as the scripting language of
choice.

I'm in the process of deciding to use Tcl or Python for a CAD tool
program that I have been working on.    Most of the core of the
program,  the database,   will be done is C as an extension to either
Tcl or Python,   but I intend to use Tk or wxPthon for the GUI.   I do
need publishing quality outputs from drawings done on a graphics
device that are scaled to standard printer paper sizes.


I would prefer to use Python but can't deny how popular Tcl is,  as
mentioned above,  so my question is why wasn't Python selected by
these companies as the choice of scripting languages for their
product?

Are there any obvious advantages like:

    performance,
    memory footprint,
    better cross-platform support,
    ease of use,


Thanks in advance for your thoughts about this.