Commentary

Brandtique: TV Guide

Whither TV Guide? A few decades ago, it had stratospheric circulation and a good deal of readers under the age of 40. Then, it got dowdy as its core listings grew outdated with the onset of on-screen TV guides that started as scrolls and now are so interactive they can make the remote feel like a joystick.

Realizing change was needed, a couple of years ago the magazine tried to reinvent itself for the celebrity age, as it trimmed circulation from something like 18 million--many of which were barely read while distributed in hotel rooms--to something like 3 million. And it went from its famed digest-size with the way-outdated newsprint pages in back to a full-size glossy that tried to find a niche within the booming market of celeb mags from US Weekly to In Touch that have loads of twenty-something readers that advertisers covet.

Fortunately, one section of the magazine, in particular, survived the reinvention: the well-written, oft-sardonic "Cheers and Jeers," where the staff applauds or trashes TV doings.

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Still, the print TV Guide (the parent company has been aggressive at taking the brand far beyond print to a recently renamed TV channel and, of course, those on-screen interactive channel guides mentioned above) doesn't appear to be anywhere near mounting a challenge to the celeb weeklies.

Networks still like their stars to grace the cover--though they're not as elated as, for example, Fox was in the late '80s when the stars of "21 Jump Street" gave the network its first cover. In fact, they might be happier with a spot on the front of Star, even if the story has characteristic--yet buzz-building--sensationalism.

All of which segues to a recent episode of Fox's irreverent, cult-followed animated show "Family Guy." Of all things, TV Guide received a mention (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX). It was rather surprising, for it would seem a newsstand-full of periodicals would find their way into the dialogue before the old-dominator-turned-new-upstart.

But in a scene, the family dog Brian in the dysfunctional Griffin family (in this twisted comedy, the dog's described as "a gentleman and a scholar" with wide-ranging knowledge) receives a phone call from a female digesting ... TV Guide.

"I'm reading TV Guide," she tells Brian. "Can you explain how these 'Cheers and Jeers' work again?"

As is his wont, Brian diligently explains the less-than-rocket science: "Well, the 'Cheers' is when they generally approve of something on television. And 'Jeers' is when they find some sort of fault in it."

No doubt, TV Guide executives and editors had to be smiling. This clearly falls into the realm of "all publicity is good publicity."

The female character unable to comprehend the section isn't the smartest knife in the drawer, but anything that gives TV Guide wind at its back in its battle to boost its appeal, and reminds people that it's still hanging around, is a help.

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