# TV Guide's new format: what were they thinking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696 "2003-09-30T14:47:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/1 "2003-09-30T14:47:17Z")
I was slow to discover this but I have to ask anyway… I was home with my toddler yesterday afternoon. He passed out so I thought I’d look in the TV Guide to see what was on. I find this new format where all midday programming is crammed into two pages. Okay, so let’s see what’s on Sci-Fi. Oh I see, “various programming” is on. Wonderful, I could have used a ouija board and come up with the same thing. Where the hell are my listings? I find several of the channels I watch to have this non-descript entry. I see that “WE” doesn’t even merit a daytime listing (though they’re in the evening grid). What crap. I cancelled my subscription right after. So, anyone out there in the know? Did they actually believe this was a good move? How long before they correct this? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/2 "2003-09-30T15:04:00Z")
I find the new TV Guide pretty good. Then again, I only use it for nighttime programs, usually. Since the weekday programming is usually the same in the mornings Monday-Friday, it makes sense to put it all one one grid instead of repeating it five times. The only thing I don’t like is their new logo. It doesn’t look like a TV screen to me. It looks like a button you press. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/3 "2003-09-30T15:08:19Z")
But they don’t even list the damn shows. It literallly says “various programming”. For evening only viewers there’s no difference to the magazine, (except orange paper for the movie listings in back, oh boy!) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/4 "2003-09-30T16:25:05Z")
We dropped our TV Guide subscirption around the same time we got digital cable. We get better info just by pressing a couple of buttons on the remote. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/5 "2003-09-30T17:16:52Z")
Take a gander at their website. It’s not much better. It used to give programming info for up to two weeks in advance and was easier to navigate. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/6 "2003-09-30T17:19:44Z")
Don’t forget that TV Guide can only print what information the channel sends it. If the Sci-Fi Channel doesn’t give them the info in time for the deadline then “various programs” is all TV Guide has to print. Perhaps it means that the Sci-Fi Channel is changing over its daytime programming and didn’t get the revised into to TV Guide on time. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/7 "2003-09-30T17:29:04Z")
I think your real problem is this: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BwanaBob \* > \*\*I was home with my toddler yesterday afternoon. He passed out … \*\* Just what are you feeding your toddler for lunch? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/8 "2003-09-30T17:33:28Z")
Probably “Various Programming” sounds better than “tired reruns of Forever Knight, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, The Sentinal and whatever other crappy programming we can get for less that the cost of a Mars bar.” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/9 "2003-09-30T19:52:38Z")
But how will us fanboys know when our tired reruns of _Battlestar Galactica_ will be on? Without the information, we could catch a tired rerun of _Xena_ by mistake! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/10 "2003-09-30T20:14:06Z")
I didn’t even think of posting about this here, but I agree that the new format leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, if I didn’t cancel my subscription when Rupert Murdoch took over and instituted what I like to refer to as “slutcovers” (women in suggestive poses), I’m not about to do it now. T.V. Guide ran surveys both in the magazine and online for months to determine what their readers wanted. Apparently most of the readers are most interested in primetime and movies, and don’t care much about anything else. My sister refers to the magazine as “everything but T.V.” Guide because they’ve taken to covering a lot of celebrity news, such as music and movie industry stuff, that has very little to do with television. Apparently, Madonna or Julia Roberts on the cover sells better than the cast of Boomtown. But one thing that the Guide had going for it was that it did have the most complete listings – until now. With a daytime grid, it’s easy to list programs that are the same every day, so a daily soap opera or talk show gets a listing. It’s only when a network is showing something _different_ each day of the week that they have to say “various programming.” I’ve also noticed that for movie networks they split the daily grid so that they can list a different movie for each day of the week. Look at it this way – eliminating complete daily listings gives them more room for the giant orange colored movie guide in the back. There must be someone out there who’s just thrilled about that. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/11 "2003-09-30T22:22:34Z")
The O.P. here. In the scheme of things I guess I’m ahead of the game. It’s one less magazine to wade through and I get money back on the 6 months we had left. As to their survey; I’ve subscribed for years and they never asked me jack. I guess I don’t fit their profile of a standard couch potato. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/12 "2003-10-01T02:40:40Z")
I stopped getting TV Guide when I found out I could get TV listings on the internet. That was about 7 or 8 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/13 "2003-10-01T06:59:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Exapno Mapcase \* > \*\*Don’t forget that TV Guide can only print what information the channel sends it. If the Sci-Fi Channel doesn’t give them the info in time for the deadline then “various programs” is all TV Guide has to print. > > Perhaps it means that the Sci-Fi Channel is changing over its daytime programming and didn’t get the revised into to TV Guide on time. \*\* Except that every channel that doesn’t air the same show at the same time every weekday gets the same treatment. Are all of those channels revising their lineups, or does TV Guide’s new weekday listing format just plain suck? Thank goodness for digital cable. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/14 "2003-10-01T16:48:36Z")
Since I can’t daytime TV, not to mention that I work, it doesn’t affect me in the least, thus I’m fine with the change. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/15 "2003-10-01T19:08:28Z")
My susbscription expired on August 3, and for the first time in about 15 years I decided not to renew it. I’m still getting them. Money to burn, I guess. Since Matt Roush in online at their site, why bother? I use the Yahoo grid online. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/16 "2003-10-01T22:28:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mehitabel \* > \*\*My susbscription expired on August 3, and for the first time in about 15 years I decided not to renew it. > > I’m still getting them. Money to burn, I guess. \*\* Same thing happend to us, I let the subscription lapse and they kept on coming for about three more months. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/17 "2003-10-01T23:02:09Z")
I got a TIVO and after awhile I realized that I never even cracked the cover of the TV guide anymore. So I cancelled it, but they kept sending it for weeks after it expired. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-guides-new-format-what-were-they-thinking/204696/18 "2003-10-01T23:14:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*But how will us fanboys know when our tired reruns of _Battlestar Galactica_ will be on? Without the information, we could catch a tired rerun of _Xena_ by mistake! :eek: \*\* Bah. Your’e no fanboy. Any true fanboy already has every episode on vhs, has the DVD’s pre-ordered, and is only interested in Sci-Fi channel for the new Battlestar Galactica pilot airing in December.