Slate has a good article about the history, and relative importance of "TV Guide". As you may have heard, "TV Guide" is getting a makeover: It's getting bigger (in size) while also shrinking (no more exhaustive TV listings, more fluff articles.)I admit to finding this news rather sad. Granted, I haven't bought an issue of "TV Guide" that didn't have some kind of groovy lenticular image on the front in years. And I have TiVo to thank for that. Of course, I'm not the only one who's stopped buying it, and the advent of TiVo, Internet TV guides, and digital cable's on screen guides has made the "Guide" aspect of "TV Guide" kind of moot. I know my life has become a lot easier because of them. (I used to have to comb each page of the TV Guide each week in order to compile my "Musty TV" newsletter. It took a ridiculously long time!) So, to those 10 people who still rely on "TV Guide": Dudes. Get TiVo already! Sheesh! It's 13 bucks a month. Isn't that almost the same amount it costs to buy the magazine every week?
But yes, I'll still miss seeing that little book-sized magazine sitting right by the check-out line at the grocery store. Which reminds me! They're gonna have to get rid of those racks, and get some new ones to accommodate the magazine's bigger size. Will those racks become--collector's items? There are people out there who collect old "TV Guides." Now they'll be able to stock up on racks!
I see a million dollar eBay idea there!
Or at least, five bucks or so.
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