TV Guide Cancels Itself

19 Oct 2006 23:55:06 -0700 rec.arts.tv
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WQ...

Obveeus...

In your terms: what happens when a new network forms? Something like say
CW...it could take viewers months, even years to figure out which channel is
CW if they don't have a number.

In my terms: people know the location of channels they
normally/occasionally watch, but if there happens to be a show on an oddball
station, would they know where it was on their lineup? Would they even know
if they have that channel? The online TV Guide is vastly superior to the
print guide (even though a slow scroll is annoying). The digital TV Guide
for digital cable or guides like the one at Zap2it (both of which allow you
to search for specific shows) are far superior to anything the print TV
Guide ever approached.

Obveeus...

Cable Channel Guide? Do you mean the Guide on one of the TV channels (which
is better than wasting time witrh the print TV Guide to begin with) or that
little paper printout of channel locations that sits by the TV in hotel
rooms? People not living in hotel rooms don't usually keep their channel

Brandy Alexandre...

Yeah, well, if there was ever a hotel channel guide that was accurate
you'd have a point. ;)

lineup list handy.

videonovels...

Hmmm. When I was living in Baltimore, I kept the paper channel listing
with the TV Guide. It made for a quick and easy cross-reference
between the Guide and the Comcast Lineup. I think people who throw-out
the Comcast Channel listing they provide free-of-charge are supremely
short-sighted. You should hang-on to it. Keep it with your TV Guide.

Worst-case, I could just flip through the stations, looking at the Bug
until I see "hallmark" in the corner.

.

Obveeus...

You pay for something that most people (including yourself) get for free?

videonovels...

It was just ONE copy. Hardly exorbitant, and because I was curious how
it chaanged.

Odd/funny that you won't pay for cable but you will pay for a TV Guide.

Steven L....

That's probably because you don't have digital cable or satellite, I'll bet.

That's when it becomes impossible to memorize all the channels, there
are nearly 200 of them now.

The printed TV Guide has gone insane, trying to provide listings for all
those 200 digital channels. That's resulted in TV Guide growing to the

videonovels...

I'm looking at the Guide right now. It only lists the Analog stations
on basic cable (tnt, usa, bravo), not the obscure digital-only stations
like "cooking" or "the fish channel".

size of a small paperback novel, forcing people who have only analog

videonovels...

???. What are you taling about? My Labor Day copy is only 90 pages...
thinner than most other 8x11 magazines.

cable (or even just over-the-air antennae) to pay for a huge magazine
most of which they cannot use. The nice thing about the online services
like zap2it and titantv is that they have search and filter functions;
you only need to see the channels you care about, rather than flipping
thru huge program listings of 200 channels.

And with downloading or streaming programs off the Internet from
websites worldwide, the whole concept of a "channel" is going to go away
in the not too distant future anyway.

The TV Guide concept of a "one size fits all" TV magazine, is a concept
whose day is over.

TheNewsGuy(Mike)...

What's ironic?

bklyntv...

I think it's improved the picture somewhat as they've contained costs.
But they aren't making their goals in terms of ads or sales, I'm not
sure the company had realistic goals, and I reinterate, the ad sales
people are probably asshats.

In Canada, at least - so news web sites like Globe and Mail are
reporting. They're going to be just an online service after the last
print issue of Nov. 25 comes out. Is U.S. TV Guide next?

Taylor...

I would expect so, yes. TV Guide's been going down in flames for the
past 6 years. Kind of sad to say good-bye to. Well... the TV Guide of
the heyday, any way.

I think they should put (the cast of) 'Small Wonder' on the very last
cover as a fitting tribute! *g*

camille...

My mom is going to be so sad.

evwill...

The two TV Guides are under different ownership so one wouldn't
necessarily follow the other. That said, I'd be shocked if the U.S.
version was still sold via print as we know it 10 years from now.

Obveeus...

'As we know it'? It stopped being sold 'as we know it' last year.

Everett W.

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