[RickyBarby]

what other tv listing magazines is there in the USA, Apart from tv guide.

[swills]

We had one in the hotel room when we in California a few weeks ago, can't recall the title, but, it was not really worth the paper it was printed on ! many programmes were 'changed' with others saying TBA ! and it did not cover the whole day

[Spiderpig]

My son lives in America and he sent us a copy of "Today" and I noticed they have a diferent way of listing their tv channels. In fact they don't, they list the times and what is on in that time slot.
08:00 all programmes on all channels in this hour.
09:00

[Ads]

Originally Posted by Spiderpig

My son lives in America and he sent us a copy of "Today" and I noticed they have a diferent way of listing their tv channels. In fact they don't, they list the times and what is on in that time slot.
08:00 all programmes on all channels in this hour.
09:00

American channels nearly always start shows on the hour or at the half hour, not the all over the place starting times you get here.

[Steveaustin316]

I still have an old TV guide magazine that I bought in the USA a few years ago. I prefer the listings magazines here to be honest, much easier to read.

[yorksdave]

In the same way that our Saturday/Sunday newspapers give away tv guides so do sunday newspapers in the US.

[Metal Mickey]

Just to echo the other answers, most seem to get their paper TV schedules from newspapers/supplements, and even TV Guide can be hard to find these days, and I think EPGs and the net have had a big impact, too.

[Mr Sirs]

Originally Posted by Steveaustin316

I still have an old TV guide magazine that I bought in the USA a few years ago. I prefer the listings magazines here to be honest, much easier to read.

When I was over there years ago I bought a TV Guide - quite handy A5 size, and I guess the layout suited the schedules (as another poster has said).

I do agree our magazines seem to be easier to read - I think there's a mindset here that for years we were only used to seeing a few channels listed, therefore even when umpteen channels were added we were still looking to read our listings by channel rather than time (as in the US).

[d2macreject]

Originally Posted by Mr Sirs

When I was over there years ago I bought a TV Guide - quite handy A5 size, and I guess the layout suited the schedules (as another poster has said).

I do agree our magazines seem to be easier to read - I think there's a mindset here that for years we were only used to seeing a few channels listed, therefore even when umpteen channels were added we were still looking to read our listings by channel rather than time (as in the US).

TBH you could fit the decent stuff on a couple of pages. Most channels are just reruns and reality stuff or endless alternate sports feed channels which are never on!

Apps and Onscreen guides provide all the listings now, though I dare you to find anything to watch on a Saturday night, unless it's a censored movie on network TV with an hour of breaks.

Case in point Indiana Jones 4 where NBC had a ten minute recap of Revolution after a six minute break between the final 'segments' of the film!

[rfonzo]

When I last looked at a US TV magazine it had very little synopsis written attached to their programmes i.e their sitcoms.

[zing]

How many ad breaks would they have per hour?

[d2macreject]

Originally Posted by zing

How many ad breaks would they have per hour?

Usually around 6. On Today they'll have a 5 minute break and
then return to the show for 30 seconds to tell you what's next
and then have another long break!

[d2macreject]

Another annoyance is repetition of ads like the 'I got it made fresh at Subway' where the ad will be on twice in a row or twice within the same break. TV here is primarily a sales too unless it's
premium products such as HBO or Showtime.

[Bungitin]

I've read they advertise medicinal drugs in the US along with a long list of disclaimers at the end.

[d2macreject]

Originally Posted by Bungitin

I've read they advertise medicinal drugs in the US along with a long list of disclaimers at the end.

All the time. They didn't use to have to give out the warnings but were forced to. One impotence drug states 'If you have an erection last more than 4 hours ring a doctor!' or 'If you stop breathing seek immediate medical attention?!'

They're usually followed by law firms taking class actions against the pharmaceutical company for older drugs with their 'If you or your love one has suffered serious injury or death contact us now.' From beyond the grave presumably.

Otherwise it's fast food or hucksters flogging gold or silver.

[Steveaustin316]

Originally Posted by d2macreject

All the time. They didn't use to have to give out the warnings but were forced to. One impotence drug states 'If you have an erection last more than 4 hours ring a doctor!' or 'If you stop breathing seek immediate medical attention?!'

They're usually followed by law firms taking class actions against the pharmaceutical company for older drugs with their 'If you or your love one has suffered serious injury or death contact us now.' From beyond the grave presumably.

Otherwise it's fast food or hucksters flogging gold or silver.

Reminds me of the GTA style adverts.

[jsam93]

Originally Posted by Ads

American channels nearly always start shows on the hour or at the half hour, not the all over the place starting times you get here.

Why do people think this is?

[theonlyweeman]

Originally Posted by jsam93

Why do people think this is?

American networks will pad to the nearest half hour with commercials, whereas because the amount of commercial advertising a British network can have per hour (as well as the number of breaks) is limited, there's no incentive to pad shows out over here...

[d2macreject]

Fox tend to start shows at 1 past the hour can be a bugger with the DVR.

[PlatinumSteve]

Originally Posted by d2macreject

All the time. They didn't use to have to give out the warnings but were forced to. One impotence drug states 'If you have an erection last more than 4 hours ring a doctor!' or 'If you stop breathing seek immediate medical attention?!'

They're usually followed by law firms taking class actions against the pharmaceutical company for older drugs with their 'If you or your love one has suffered serious injury or death contact us now.' From beyond the grave presumably.

Otherwise it's fast food or hucksters flogging gold or silver.

That's not true, they've always had contraindication, and side effects, and we're not the only country to advertise prescription drugs on television, New Zealand does it too, and Canada does it but they can either tell you what it does, or name it, but they can't do both tell you what it does and name it.

Originally Posted by theonlyweeman

American networks will pad to the nearest half hour with commercials, whereas because the amount of commercial advertising a British network can have per hour (as well as the number of breaks) is limited, there's no incentive to pad shows out over here...

There's no padding, programs are made to fit in the holes the networks create, a 30 min slot will be filled by a 21-23 minute program, a 60 min slot will be filled with a 44-46 minute program.

[theonlyweeman]

Originally Posted by PlatinumSteve

There's no padding, programs are made to fit in the holes the networks create, a 30 min slot will be filled by a 21-23 minute program, a 60 min slot will be filled with a 44-46 minute program.

US networks do pad more than British networks, but they're more likely to produce shows in standard lengths or cut them to standard lengths. Though the 69 min permiere of the Americans aired in a 95 min slot (traditionally 66 mins fills a 90 min slot), so they appear to be relaxing their insistence on nice timeslots

[Ads]

Originally Posted by PlatinumSteve

That's not true, they've always had contraindication, and side effects, and we're not the only country to advertise prescription drugs on television, New Zealand does it too, and Canada does it but they can either tell you what it does, or name it, but they can't do both tell you what it does and name it.



There's no padding, programs are made to fit in the holes the networks create, a 30 min slot will be filled by a 21-23 minute program, a 60 min slot will be filled with a 44-46 minute program.

I would have thought the average hour long show in the US actually lasts for more like 42-44 mins these days - in the UK we must be at around 44-46mins, when it used to be around 50mins of show per hour.

[PlatinumSteve]

Originally Posted by Ads

I would have thought the average hour long show in the US actually lasts for more like 42-44 mins these days - in the UK we must be at around 44-46mins, when it used to be around 50mins of show per hour.

Hmm you may be right, I haven't paid attention lately. But you can see for your self here http://www.hulu.com/tv/new/episodes the average seems about 43 with most 42-44, and cable has some 41.

[d2macreject]

[quote=PlatinumSteve;64948095]That's not true, they've always had contraindication, and side effects, and we're not the only country to advertise prescription drugs on television, New Zealand does it too, and Canada does it but they can either tell you what it does, or name it, but they can't do both tell you what it does and name it.

I stand corrected. I swore I had remembered ads without warnings.

Here's an interesting article

http://io9.com/5853356/sick-of-pharmaceutical-ads-heres-why-they-wont-go-away

[PlatinumSteve]

Originally Posted by d2macreject

I stand corrected. I swore I had remembered ads without warnings.

Here's an interesting article

http://io9.com/5853356/sick-of-pharm...y-wont-go-away

Yeah I'm not a huge fan of hearing people on TV always talking about swelling, itchiness, or death. But they're here to stay at least some of them are entertaining, I enjoyed the wind-up lady for Pristiq and watching her waddle across the table, haha.