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TV Guide Magazine Unveils New Full-Size, Full-Color Format With October 17 Issue

Posted on: Tuesday, 11 October 2005, 12:00 CDT

New Format Affords More Up-to-the-minute News, Feature Stories, Photos, Behind-the-Scenes Coverage, Reviews and Recommendations

After months of anticipation, TV Guide magazine today unveiled its vibrant new format as a full-color, full-sized publication with the October 17th issue (on newsstands October 13). Featuring Ty Pennington--Extreme Home Makeover: Home Edition's popular megaphone-bearing host--on its debut cover, the re-imagined TV Guide responds directly to the challenges posed by today's complex and expansive television landscape, providing TV lovers with a more relevant, engaging and contemporary magazine. Larger and easier to navigate, the reformatted TV Guide contains more exclusive feature stories, more eye-catching photos, more behind-the-scenes coverage, and more reviews and recommendations.

"TV Guide has been the most trusted brand in television and an integral, iconic part of American life for more than 50 years," says Ian Birch. "The updated TV Guide deepens its relationship with readers, becoming a more compelling, relevant and vital resource for TV lovers."

"The world of television has never been more dynamic or exciting --from the breadth of programming options to the explosion of new technologies. In this new environment, we are making an historic transformation to respond to what readers want from TV Guide now," says Scott Crystal, president, TV Guide Publishing Group. "The new TV Guide magazine is designed around the needs and habits of today's TV viewers to help them get the most from their TV experience."

The initial newsstand price for the new TV Guide magazine is 99 cents through the end of the year (a $1.99 cover price is planned to take effect in January `06) and the annual introductory subscription price is approximately $40. The new format TV Guide will debut with a projected net paid circulation of 4.5 million readers. With an estimated pass-along of nearly five readers per copy, the premiere issue of the new TV Guide magazine is expected to reach more than 21 million readers.

TV Guide magazine teams with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

In its debut cover story, the new TV Guide magazine goes back to camp with Pennington and his crew to help Paul and Cyndy Teas, a couple who have invested everything they have in Camp Barnabus, which they founded for disabled children -- neglecting their own home as a result. In the course of the episode, in the most super sized renovation ever, the design team will not only rebuild the Teas' home but take on the challenge of making over other parts of Camp Barnabas -- in just seven days. A brand new bunkhouse will be built for camp counselors and, of course, Ty Pennington will create his "secret room"- a brand new TV Guide-themed media center where the children can retreat during spells of bad weather to watch TV and DVD's, play games, and relax.

For the room, Birch donated 10,000 back copies of the digest-sized TV Guide, spanning the magazine's 50-plus year history. Trucked in from New York City, Pennington used the magazines as building blocks for TV Guide chairs, TV Guide tables, even TV Guide wallpaper. Birch agreed to further contribute to the cause with a donation of 10% of newsstand sales, with a minimum donation of $50 thousand, of the debut issue to help the family in the continuing maintenance and development the camp.

Said Birch, "ABC's `Extreme Makeover Home Edition' is not only one of the most entertaining and poignant shows on TV, it also a show with a huge heart and the capacity to truly change the lives of people in need for the better. As TV Guide embarks on its own enormous makeover, I can't think of a better, more deserving show to help us kick off this thrilling new era for the magazine, while at the same time allowing us an opportunity to contribute to the show's and Ty's remarkable efforts."

Ty Pennington said, "Looking back, you see how many different people have been on the cover of TV Guide over the last 50 plus years and you realize that the magazine essentially represents the history of television. I am extremely honored to be a part of this transition and to be on the cover of the first issue of the new TV Guide and I so appreciate their contribution to this worthy family!"

Also inside the debut issue:

-- Guest Celebrity Columnist: In the first of a series of celebrity guest columns penned by TV's biggest stars, Ellen DeGeneres gives readers a glimpse of a day in her life. "I say good morning to my assistant of seven years, Daryl. He reminds me his name is Craig."

-- Lost Exclusive: Fate? Coincidence? A Science experiment gone bad? Lost creators talk exclusively to TV Guide about the island's many mysteries.

-- What's it all About Alfre? TV Guide grills Alfre Woodard, who plays Wisteria Lane's mysterious new neighbor, Betty Applewhite.

-- Everybody Hates Chris: Meet the pint-sized star of the new hit comedy.

-- Breaking News: Bruce Willis visits That 70's Show.

-- Q&A: Julian McMahon talks about his multitude of sex scenes as libidinous plastic surgeon Troy on FX's Nip/Tuck. "I'd say without a doubt I've had the most sex scenes in any television show, ever. Last season I did eight scenes in one day," he says.

A New Format, A New Attitude

The new TV Guide will continue to include such popular features as, "Cheers & Jeers,""Roush Review," the Horoscope page and the Crossword puzzle. In addition, the larger format will afford the magazine the ability to expand such mainstays as:

-- "Behind the Scenes" -- A colorful and revealing spread featuring exclusive photographs of today's hottest stars at work and at play on the sets of TV's hottest shows.

-- "Q&A" -- TV Guide asks the small screen's biggest stars the burning questions we all want answers to.

-- "Breaking News"-- Highlights of all the latest TV news from cast hirings and firings to salary negotiations to plot twists to on-set gossip. The news element in the magazine will also undergo a significant change as the editorial cycle will be dramatically shortened--from three weeks to three days, allowing the magazine to report the news as it happens.

The magazine will also add a number of exciting new columns, including:

-- "Hot List" - the editors of TV Guide recommend the three best shows airing each day of the week.

-- "Radar" - the cars, the music, the fashions and more that viewers spied on television the week before and now can't do without.

-- "Is it Just Me?" -- A fun irreverent column that asks the random questions we all have about our favorite shows. Is that a totally different actor playing Nurse Sam's son, Alex, on ER? Are the Anatomy doctors having way too much unprotected sex? Does the alien symbol on Threshold remind you of the biohazard and radioactive symbols? "Is it just me" weighs in and reminds readers that they're not alone.

About TV Guide magazine:

A division of Gemstar TV Guide International, TV Guide magazine is the country's largest selling weekly magazine. From broadcast and cable programming to syndicated shows and celebrities, TV Guide has every corner of the television medium covered. The premiere source for entertainment news and information since its debut on April 3, 1953, TV Guide magazine continues to enable readers to maximize their relationship with television and navigate their choices. Additional information about the magazine can be found at www.gemstartvguide.com.

About Gemstar-TV Guide

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST) is a leading media and technology company that develops, licenses, markets and distributes technologies, products and services targeted at the television guidance and home entertainment needs of consumers worldwide. The Company's businesses include: television media and publishing properties; interactive program guide services and products; and technology and intellectual property licensing. Additional information about the Company can be found at www.gemstartvguide.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties related to declines in our magazine publishing business; timely availability and market acceptance of products and services incorporating the Company's technologies and content; our investment in new and existing businesses, including TV Guide magazine, Inside TV, and TV Guide Spot; limitations on our ability to control certain joint venture or partnership businesses; the impact of competitive products and pricing; ongoing and potential future litigation; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the most recent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, each as it may be amended from time to time. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Note to Editors: Gemstar, TV Guide, TV Guide Channel, i-Guide and TVG Network are trademarks of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. The names of other companies and products used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Source: Business Wire

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