News-Record.com

Oddly, the company I work for (my real job) is in a similar predicament as newspapers. The product is in decline, and we're consistently losing 20 million a quarter compared to the previous year.

It's not a pretty picture, but we've done the same thing by eliminating stuff we use to consider complimentary, and now are basically offering it al'a carte.

The other day one customer demanded we stop "nickel & diming" her (in her words) to which "me" being on the low end of the totem pole could do very little about. In fact, while I oppose many of the practices of our current business model, I completely understand especially based on the cost of fuel why companies are forced to change their products or provide less of it.

Personally, If you're complaining about a TV guide that comes free in the paper, then get your butt on the Internet and look it up. Laziness upsets me almost as much as people who refuse to embrace a technology (the Internet) which has been around for 20 years. I was upset at the Library the other day because they still were buying DVDs when I felt they should be using public money for BluRay. Come on people it's 2008!

Now I have nothing to wrap fish in, but do you hear me complain!

The only problem with the tv page is that the font is way too small, take off the "tv listings are now daily" at bottom and open up the size just a little bit. Even people with good eye sight might have a hard time looking at that page.

keith, we have heard you and others on the type size issue. We are working on a way to make it easier to read. Actually, the type is the same size as it was in the TV guide, but the grids are slightly smaller. We left the space at the bottom for advertising, but if it doesn't sell soon, we'll do precisely what you suggest.

Mr. Robinson,

With all due respect, not everyone who watches tv has access to the internet. They may be poor, not necessarily lazy or technologically inept. You say you're saving space for advertisers - didn't you have more advertisers in the pull out format? Again, please reconsider this decision. Thank you.

Thanks, just a little feedback from a daily reader

I didn't say anyone was poor, lazy or technologically inept.

Yes, TV Week did have a few advertisers. They advertised weekly. This is a daily opportunity.

"For your TV listings, you could subscribe to TV Guide or use any number of Internet services."

"We left the space at the bottom for advertising, but if it doesn't sell soon,..."

So, advertising supported the pull out, but not the new format? Hmmm. Mr. Robinson, please reconsider this decision. You are effectively asking your readers to purchase services from other venues than your own. Your customers will not see your advertisements. How will the News & Record continue with this type of staff attitude?

As I said in other posts, TV Week simply became too expensive for us to maintain.

I'm not sure what you mean by "advertising supported the pull out, but not the new format." The advertisers in TV Week paid for an ad once a week. (Most moved their ads elsewhere in the paper.) We are looking for an advertiser for the TV page every day.

If people want to know what is on television next Tuesday, yes, they will now have to find that elsewhere. My point is that there are a lot of places to find that information.

I have nothing else to add but please bring back the weekly TV grid.