Ian Birch: TV Guide is Changing in Order to 'Remain Relevant'
The editor in chief of TV Guide, who is unveiling the new, larger-size magazine this week, says the print edition won't face cancellation anytime soon. "Print will evolve because of online, but it won't disappear."

By Patrick Phillips
I Want Media, 10/10/05

After a 52-year run, the digest-size TV Guide magazine is being cancelled.

In its place, debuting tomorrow, is the much-anticipated, full-size TV Guide, with fewer television listings and more photos and features on celebrities.

Ian Birch, TV Guide's editor in chief, is overseeing the magazine's editorial transition. Birch, a native of Britain, was named to his current position in October 2004. He previously served as editorial director of Emap's U.K. celebrity and entertainment weekly magazines Heat and Closer.

I Want Media: The new TV Guide sounds almost like a completely different magazine. How will TV Guide continue to be "TV Guide"?

Ian Birch: We'll look very different -- full-color, full-sized, with many more feature pages and big glossy photos. And we'll be more timely, with a significantly shorter lead time -- from three weeks to three days -- so we'll be in a position to break more news.

At the core, though, we'll continue to be the best resource available for readers who want to enhance their television viewing experience. We will continue to tell readers what they need and want to know about their favorite shows and stars. We will retain favorites like the Roush Review, Cheers & Jeers, Susan Stewart's Hits and Misses, the Horoscope page, and the crossword puzzle.

IWM: Why are you making these changes?

Birch: The changes are putting us in a position to remain relevant. Our readers have adjusted to a television viewing experience that has changed dramatically, particularly over the past 10 years.

There has been an explosion of programming choices, with a 500 to 1,000 channel universe. We need to be in a position to serve these viewers by offering them a contemporary and vital publication that will provide added value as they continue to enjoy television.

IWM: The new TV Guide will feature more stories about TV shows and TV stars. How will it be different from Gemstar-TV Guide sibling magazine Inside TV?

Birch: TV Guide will continue to be the best guide for television viewers. We'll help our readers make decisions about programs by providing more reviews, more analysis of shows and more behind-the-scenes scoops. We're a magazine about television programming and all that's associated with it.

Inside TV has done a great job of publishing a weekly magazine that is essentially a celebrity magazine designed for women who love television. It's more about the stars -- their lives, styles and fashions -- than the characters and the shows.

IWM: Don't we already have a glut of celebrity news?

Birch: No. More and more people are buying celebrity magazines, and statistics show that these readers buy multiple titles. There is also a wide assortment of television programs that focus on celebrity. These shows are all very popular.

IWM: Who are the competitors of the new TV Guide?

Birch: There aren't any!

IWM: Reader surveys reportedly triggered some of the changes to the magazine. What did your readers say that surprised you the most?

Birch: What surprised us most, I think, is how much our readers wanted change. They articulated a need for more information to help them navigate through their multiple viewing choices, and we're responding to that need.

IWM: Some observers describe the changes to TV Guide as a "passing of a part of television history." Would you agree?

Birch: TV Guide made history with television because we came into existence shortly after television's invention. We will continue to make history by reporting on the advances in the industry. We view this as a changing medium, and the new TV Guide will reflect the industry as it evolves.

IWM: The changes in TV Guide will bring "significant" job cuts. Why?

Birch: Any major reorganization in an organization always results in a review of staffing needs.

IWM: Onscreen program listings have made print listings largely obsolete. Could online editorial some day do the same thing to print magazines?

Birch: I believe there will always be a place for print magazines -- people love them, need them, use them. There is something unique about magazines. They're tactile, portable and readers relate to them on an emotional level that you just can't get with online.

Just as television did not eclipse radio, I don't think online will replace print. The print medium will evolve some because of the influence of online, but it won't disappear.

IWM: The new fall television season has just begun. Which new prime-time series have the most potential?

Birch: "Everybody Hates Chris," "Invasion," "Prison Break." But what's really exciting is the renaissance that TV is undergoing. With shows like "Lost," "Desperate Housewives," "House" and "Medium," I think there's more creativity on television in any given week than there is in a year's worth of multiplex movies.

IWM: The biggest shows in prime time so far are the same ones that were hot last year: "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." What's wrong with this year's new crop of shows?"

Birch: Last year was an exceptional season. Breakout hits like "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and "CSI: New York" usually don't all premiere in the same year. There is nothing wrong with this year's new crop of shows -- and I do think some of them may break out of the pack yet.

We have already seen "Commander in Chief" and "My Name is Earl" grow their audience since launch, and they have big audiences -- drawing 14, 15, 16 million viewers per episode. The bar was set very high last year, with a combination of factors coming together to produce massive hit shows. It's not fair to judge this year's new programs by this standard.

IWM: Were you surprised by the phenomenal success of "Desperate Housewives"?

Birch: No, we loved it from the beginning. It's smart, funny, creative and clever, and it resonates with viewers. It filled a void left when "Sex and the City" went off the air on Sunday nights. It will remain very strong. Just like "Lost," which we championed from episode one last season.

IWM: Is reality TV here to stay? Or will viewers tire of it and revert to scripted programming?

Birch: Reality programming will stick around, but we will probably see only the better-produced ones -- like "Survivor" and "Amazing Race" -- remain viable.

IWM: Will Martha Stewart's version of "The Apprentice" be a hit -- or a miss?

Birch: Time will tell.

IWM: What's your favorite TV show?

Birch: There are too many great TV shows to limit my answer to just one. I love "Lost," I think it's truly one of the most innovative and exceptional programs on television. I love "The Simpsons." It's an incredible series that has maintained a standard of excellence for a long time now. I loved "Blackadder," and when I was a kid, I was a huge fan of "Dr. Who."

IWM: Do you own a TiVo?

Birch: Yes. What really surprises me is that the DVR system I had in the U.K. -- Sky Plus -- seems to be a lot more streamlined than the one I have here. Having said that, I wouldn't be without my TiVo.



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