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All week, I’ve considered entering the federal witness protection program and have begun contemplating a new identity.
Saturday morning the calls started. And they haven’t really stopped.
A week ago today, we made the decision to take out the TV Times book of television listings. We did this for several reasons, including the switch to digital in 2009, the decreased reliability of a printed guide (because television channels change schedules like some change hair color) and because newsprint, like all goods, is rising and we’re not fond of raising subscription prices.
Despite one caller’s assertion that I would do whatever the heck I wanted and continue on fat, dumb and happy, I have heard the complaints — loudly and clearly.
As I told her, fat and dumb — maybe. Happy? Not after this week.
So I have some good news, some bad news and just some plain ol’ news.
First, the bad news: The TV Times weekly book is not coming back.
But before you fire up the speed dial, read on.
The good news is that sometime within the next week or so, we’ll be making some changes to our daily television schedule. For instance, we’ll expand the number of channels, restoring most — if not all — of the channels that we used to carry. Secondly, we’ll adjust the times of the television grids, too. The tentative plan is to have daily listings that start at noon and go through 10:30 p.m. After all, daytime television throughout the week early morning doesn’t change, nor does it change late night.
We think bringing back the channels and expanding the times will hopefully satisfy — or at least ease — some of the sting of discontinuing the TV Times guide.
Finally, the plain ol’ news: I’d love to give you the exact date this will happen. But something as simple as a television list in a newspaper is anything but. We’re working on redesigning the schedule and restoring the other channels. Hopefully, you’ll see the new grids within the next week.
For some, this change will not be enough. For some, nothing short of the bringing the TV Times back will suffice. But for many of you with whom I had the pleasure of speaking, the issue wasn’t so much about changing the format as it was losing much of the schedule’s utility. This should help bring back some of that value.
On behalf of the Daily News staff, we want you to know we listened, we heard you and we’re doing something about it.
Finally, to that woman who suggested this was the stupidest move I’d ever made: Not even close.
Darrell Ehrlick is editor of the Winona Daily News.
