• by Erik Sass , October 12, 2005

Like the medium it covers, TV Guide is undergoing some changes. On Tuesday, during an odd public unveiling in a midtown Manhattan plaza that was dampened by rain, the venerable guide revealed yet another redesign, featuring a new standard magazine-sized format offering a blend of standards such as "Behind the Scenes," "Cheers and Jeers," and the "Roush Review," as well as some new content reminiscent of slick gossip and fashion glossies like Us and People.

Among the new features: a consumer-focused "Radar" section--a spread of brand-name products appearing in popular shows, cleverly amplifying on-screen product placement--and a celebrity guest column (Ellen DeGeneres tees up the first one). Overall, the new look is dominated by large, color photos of TV's beautiful people, bite-sized news features, and plenty of gossip about sex and celebrity romance--all delivered in a chatty, accessible tone.

"We've been researching this for about 18 months," Scott Crystal, president of TV Guide Publishing Group, told reporters and ad execs who gathered during the rain-drenched unveiling, adding, "We sent out about 50,000 copies of the prototype with all live edits, including highlights and program recommendation--20,000 to current subscribers and 30,000 to former subscribers and active entertainment magazine readers. We then asked them to get in contact with us--and the response was overwhelmingly positive."

Of course, there's good reason behind the decision to change format. In recent years, the old format had come to seem stuffy and antiquated, despite repeated attempts to spruce it up. One problem was size itself: as cable channels proliferated and new services like TiVo and VOD entered the market, the small format was becoming unwieldy, and its TV listings increasingly hard to read.

At a time when new technology is bringing about radical changes in the way people watch television, TV Guide is determined to stay relevant. "People still have to know what's worth TiVo-ing," Crystal noted. "You have 140,000 programs on every week--how do you filter through it, in a meaningful way? This new construct allows people to do it, the way they like to do it--it's easy, simple, visual. From that standpoint, we'll be able to deliver on how consumer behavior is changing with new technology and the proliferation of channel choices."

As with any major re-launch, TV Guide's new format is something of a leap of faith--a bid to attract new readers without alienating old ones. But Crystal is hopeful that Editor Ian Birch has hit on a formula that does just that. "It's a trusted icon, and it's a delicate balance between keeping your core customer satisfied and having the ability to incent new readers to take a look," Crystal conceded. "What Ian has done is find a balance that keeps those trusted comfort zones, and then expanded and built upon them."