Readers still miss TV Times

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

It’s been almost a year since it stopped being published, but some 15 to 20 readers a week still call The Times to ask editors to bring back TV Times.

It’s a relatively high number of requests, compared to other reader comments. But editors point out that even without the weekly guidebook, The Times continues provides a number of ways for readers to get TV viewers the information they need.

• A page in the Calendar section each day provides much of the on-air programming.
• Sunday’s Calendar goes into more details for the week ahead.
• And comprehensive listings are online, where readers have two choices at www.latimes.com/tvtimes. By entering their zip code and cable or satellite provider, they will get customized listings. Or they can choose the ‘print at home’ option and download a week of TV listings for their own use.

Bullet point by bullet point, some readers still are unhappy.

As for Option #1, the listings that appear in Calendar each day, readers say they miss seeing the lineup of shows that are on before 7 p.m. or after 11:30 p.m. And of the shows that are listed on the daily grid, some readers express frustration when they miss a show, calling to ask why a show that was listed at 8 p.m. instead aired at 5.

These readers might not see the note with the listings that explains the confusion. The fine print says, ‘Satellite TV customers may receive East Coast feeds for some channels. Custom TV listings are available at www.calendarlive.com/tv.’ Ed Stockly, the editor who handles the TV listings, spells it out more fully: ‘A number of cable channels provide separate East Coast and West Coast satellite feeds for their programming. A&E, AMC, Bravo, USA and a few others have provided separate feeds for some time now; HGTV and TBS have recently started a second feed. At the L.A. Times we publish listings for the West Coast feed for every channel. Most cable systems provide their customers the West Coast feeds. Unfortunately, a very small number of cable systems in this area as well as some satellite TV systems, like DirecTV, provide their West Coast customers the East Coast feed for some of these channels.’

Stockly suggests that readers contact their cable or satellite TV provider and request that they provide the West Coast feed to their California customers.

If readers use the listings on www.latimes.com/tvtimes, they’ll find the accurate listings for the feed they receive.

Option #3 isn’t of use to many readers who call, some of whom remind us that not everyone has access to the Internet. They’re the ones especially who continue to call to ask that TV Times be restored.

Editors emphasize that the decision to stop printing TV Times wasn’t easy.

Readership surveys showed fewer readers than ever were using TV Times; many people now get their TV listings through their satellite and cable systems, or online offerings like the ones The Times offers, where the grids can be personalized to their lineup. And financial realities had management looking for ways to continue serving readers while cutting newsprint.

A final note from entertainment editor Betsy Sharkey, who oversees film, TV and pop music: Editors continue to look at ways to expand the TV offerings based on reader concerns, and readers may well see changes in the coming weeks and months.