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On Sunday newspaper TV books...

fybush

Administrator
Staff member
A couple of interesting articles about how changes to the Sunday paper's TV book draw huge numbers of reader complaints, brought to my attention by the invaluable "Romenesko" column at poynter.org -

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which went to an unstapled tabloid:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/COLUMNISTS10/603050392/1022<P ID="signature">______________
Tower Site Calendar 2006 ON SALE! - <a target="_blank" href=http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#calendar>www.fybush.com</a></P>
 
And, nobody's mentioned the changes to TV Guide, which, while still a good mag, got rid of local listings alltogether...

> A couple of interesting articles about how changes to the
> Sunday paper's TV book draw huge numbers of reader
> complaints, brought to my attention by the invaluable
> "Romenesko" column at poynter.org -
>
> From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which went to an
> unstapled tabloid:
>
http://www.dfw.com/mld/st> artelegram/news/columnists/david_house/14017389/14017389.htm
>
>
> And from the Louisville Courier-Journal, which cut its TV
> book from 28 pages to 20:
>
http://www.courier-journal.com/app> s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/COLUMNISTS10/603050392/1022
>
 
For good reason ...

> And, nobody's mentioned the changes to TV Guide, which,
> while still a good mag, got rid of local listings
> alltogether...

We discussed that TO DEATH at the time it happened, so let's not again.

Unless, of course, you are saying that no one in those newspaper columns mentioned the TV Guide changes ... in which case I would ask why you would expect a newspaper to give any free publicity (positive or negative) to a competing publication.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
> A couple of interesting articles about how changes to the
> Sunday paper's TV book draw huge numbers of reader
> complaints, brought to my attention by the invaluable
> "Romenesko" column at poynter.org -

I'd have to go looking in the archives, but just over a year ago, the Akron Beacon Journal went through the exact same thing with its "Channels" magazine. They changed the way they listed some things, including pulling late night listings (if I remember right), and changed the format.

You'd think they'd have poured ink over the thing from the reaction. You can still see some of that reaction in R.D. Heldenfels' Q&A column online:

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/television/qa_forum.htm?forumId=841&mode=display&action=&type=list&pageNo=40>http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/television/qa_forum.htm?forumId=841&mode=display&action=&type=list&pageNo=40</a>

You'll see there that on February 6, 2005, they reversed their very unpopular decision.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: For good reason ...

> > And, nobody's mentioned the changes to TV Guide, which,
> > while still a good mag, got rid of local listings
> > alltogether...
>
> We discussed that TO DEATH at the time it happened, so let's
> not again.
>
> Unless, of course, you are saying that no one in those
> newspaper columns mentioned the TV Guide changes ... in
> which case I would ask why you would expect a newspaper to
> give any free publicity (positive or negative) to a
> competing publication.
>
Gosh KM, you're just sick of me today, huh?
Ok, I thought it related to the subject, and even though we did talk about it (A LOT), I thought it was still pertinent, and here is why: It seems to me that there is a movement to re-invent the TV magazine, be it in newspapers or TV Guide, while all of these print mediums seem to be getting negative comments, whether from readers of those newspapers or those of us here on internet message boards. So, while in the microscale, it's about the failure of these newspapers to understand what is important to their readers, on the macroscale, it's about the disconnect between publishers and readers, and how to reconnect with a world that is getting their listings on yahoo, TVGuide.com or televisions web sites like thewbpass.com or KXYZFMTV.com or whatever.

Sorry for not making that clear, but didn't intend to hijack the post or someting. Ok folks, nothing to see here, forget I mentioned TV Guide... ;)
 
Re: For good reason ...

In Memphis the Sunday TV schedules in the Commercial Appeal have been improved to where they had actually become better than TV Guide even before they dropped local schedules. They even have grids for daytime and overnight.
 
Re: For good reason ...

> In Memphis the Sunday TV schedules in the Commercial Appeal
> have been improved to where they had actually become better
> than TV Guide even before they dropped local schedules. They
> even have grids for daytime and overnight.
>

One thing that is being ignored is the fact that there is a digital divide. Many people who rely on printed TV listings may not have digital cable or access to the Internet at home. If they have internet access, they may not want to jump online just to find out what is on TV or they only go online to access e-mail and visit no other web sites, or are afraid of surfing the web due to all the hype about spyware. I have talked to people that believe the cable companies are trying to move everyone to get digital cable.
 
Re: For good reason ...

A digital divide and generational gap. My parents have only analog cable and still use the newspaper listings which give limited at best information. I've not touched a printed guide since getting Sat (E*).

If one thingks there is fear of "forced digital cable", wait until NTSC broadcasting ceases in 2009. Expect screams from elderly rural america.
 
> And, nobody's mentioned the changes to TV Guide, which,
> while still a good mag, got rid of local listings
> alltogether...
>
> > A couple of interesting articles about how changes to the
> > Sunday paper's TV book draw huge numbers of reader
> > complaints, brought to my attention by the invaluable
> > "Romenesko" column at poynter.org -
> >
> > From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which went to an
> > unstapled tabloid:
> >
> http://www.dfw.com/mld/st>
> artelegram/news/columnists/david_house/14017389/14017389.htm
>
> >
> >
> > And from the Louisville Courier-Journal, which cut its TV
> > book from 28 pages to 20:
> >
> http://www.courier-journal.com/app>
> s/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/COLUMNISTS10/603050392/1022
>
> >
>
The best TV book, I have seen, is The Punch TV Booklet in the Birmingham News. Their presentation is awesome and I like the way it's designed.

Although my hometown gets a newspaper, six days a week, they no longer have a weekly TV book. They discontinued it, because they told me, you can now get the weekly TV listings right on your TV screen and we no longer saw a need to keep on having it. This was about a year ago, when that happened. For those that can't afford Satellite and/or Cable, this weekly booklet provided them with the TV listings for our local channels.

All I get now, is the evening listings, on one page. Our local newspaper needs to bring back the Time Out TV booklet. I miss it very much.

Glad that I can get the Punch TV booklet, every Sunday, from the B-Ham news. I can find out what is coming on, during the week, from there.

RDP <><

P.S. How many of you reading, gets a daily newspaper, minus the weekly TV booklet? If your daily newspaper, doesn't have one, shame on them. They need to create one and/or bring it back. It's the best part of the Weekend newspaper, in my opinion.
 
> I'd have to go looking in the archives, but just over a year
> ago, the Akron Beacon Journal went through the exact same
> thing with its "Channels" magazine. They changed the way
> they listed some things, including pulling late night
> listings (if I remember right), and changed the format.
>
> You'd think they'd have poured ink over the thing from the
> reaction.
>
> ...on February 6, 2005, they reversed
> their very unpopular decision.
>
On 2/26/2006, The Tampa Tribune revamped their own Sunday TV magazine, which was renamed "Select TV" (I think). It had alot of new features, but it had smaller grids. Also, I don't know about Hillsborough, but Pinellas and Pasco readers also got listings for Orlando, Gainesville and Fort Myers added, and that channel 62 was once again "WBSV".

Alot of readers complained; as a result, the Tribune started making the new magazine more reader friendly, starting with the resumption of the previous, larger grids and the regional editions.

Now if the Pinellas/ Pasco edition includes 49 and 50 (Telemundo and Telefutura, respectively) and drops 66 ("i"), like they do on the weekday TV page, I'll be happy.
 
Re: For good reason ...

Hi everyone:

> If one thingks there is fear of "forced digital cable", wait
> until NTSC broadcasting ceases in 2009. Expect screams from
> elderly rural america.

Come Jan. 1, 2009, one can expect screams from Elderly America PERIOD! Where they are from is almost irrelevant.

Just my opinion :)

Cheers :)

Pat<P ID="signature">______________
patspodcast03a.jpg

http://patspodcast.blogspot.com/
Radio? Uhh.....What's THAT?? :)</P>
 
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