Glutton for punishment?
Several Post and Courier readers noticed we switched to a new daily television page this week that offers more prime-time highlights, new sports listings, and a new color grid that designates shows suitable for kids.
It is a good sign that my phone has not rung off the hook. There are few things an editor can do to upset readers more than to change the TV or comics pages. Readers are, as the cliché goes, serious creatures of habit.
We rolled out the new daily listings as a so-called soft opening for the main event – a new Friday TV book. When we downsized our TV book last January to save expensive newsprint, we wound up having to cut back the number of movie listings. Readers howled.
Our new book will follow the improved daily grid format, albeit not in color. The trade off will allow us to offer many more movie listings for the week, as well as other enhancements.
I'm not really a glutton for punishment. I believe this is a better book and think readers will agree. If not, they'll let me know.
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You're right about the Top Two newspaper things to leave alone. The Third probably is Soap Opera summations.
The TV listing type "looks" larger. Is it or just more use of white space?
Posted by: Chuckography | October 19, 2006 at 01:42 PM
Touch the Soaps! I may be stupid, but I'm not nuts. Chuck, you are correct about the type. We switched vendors and they have made much better use of the grid space. That said, the yellow we are using to highlight sports is too bright. I'm going to calm it down a tad.
Posted by: eeditor | October 19, 2006 at 03:07 PM