Radio Times new look

I don't see the point of pick of the day anyway, it's just an individual's opinion, I'm quite capable of deciding what I want to watch myself, I watch something because I'm interested in it not because it's on pic of the day, it also wastes space which could be taken up displaying the tv listings and radio properly

their biggest improvement would be to scrap that stupid holiday guide they cobble into it every January

Completely agree on that.

Ever since that column came in, I've thought the space could be far better utilised.

Completely agree with the above posters.

I have never been so disappointed with a new look for the Radio Times.

This is absolutely awful the way they have squeezed the daytime into a column. I know similar views have been posted but apart from the radio coverage, one of the reasons for buying the Radio Times is that it generally has better daytime ( and other listings ) coverage than other magazines.

If it remains like this, after a lifetime of reading the magazine, I'd seriously think of changing to something else, or just relying on the internet / EPGs.

I hope this is like when they made the change to the radio pages in 1989, and had to change them back due to reader disapproval or this could be the beginning of the end for the magazine.

Just sent off an email. This new look is lousy.

Daytimes is now as poor as overnights, and all the channels of a particular type are now mixed up on the listings pages. At least Alison Graham is still there.

This is a big backwards step, and is making our family question whether we should save out £1.10

I feel it is a backward step with this "improvement" it is not much better than the other TV listings magazines.

Letter following my complaint.

Dear Norma,

Many thanks for your email, it’s always good to hear from discerning readers even when they are critical of the magazine. I’m sorry that our new daytime listings haven’t met with your approval. We are already working hard to make them easier to read. The colour tint will be fainter in future and the print slightly larger.

We do continue to provide more daytime coverage than other listings magazines – particularly with reviews of daytime films on the film pages and also a new daily daytime pick on the Choices pages.

I would only add that I hope you’ll bear with us and give the changes a chance to bed down while we try to make adjustments.

Many thanks for your comments,

Best wishes,

Ben Preston

I've a feeling they've done "research" that proves people are less bothered about daytime and would rather RT points out the highlights than just re-prints the EPG which they get for free on TV anyway. I don't agree with that but that's probably their reasoning, that in the EPG age that's how they've got to respond.

The only problem is they've tried to have it both ways - by putting daytime in a column at the side rather than in the same column as the evening it looks more complicated than the likes of TV Times. Plus as I've said it's mad that some of the digital channels get full listings and the kids sections on BBC2 and Five in the morning don't.

It seems that the newscasters are returning and the font is bigger from this reply which I received:

Many thanks for your e-mail, it’s good to hear from such long-standing and loyal readers even when they are so critical of the magazine. And I take your point about the disappearance of newscasters on Breakfast each morning and you’ll find them reinstated in the next issue. We’re also increasing the type size slightly to make the listings more legible.

Once again, thanks for your help – I would only urge you to give the changes a chance to bed down. We’ll continue to try and make things clearer. We are intent on ensuring Radio Times is a classy magazine – and I have taken great strides to improve the quality of writers we use in recent months.

Best wishes,

Ben Preston

Bigger fonts mean less room for detail though.

I don't think it's as bad as some people make out to be honest - digital listings are certainly an improvement. The daytime issue is messy, and what's most annoying is it's scrapped to make room for absolutely nothing - the expanded Pick of the Day isn't necessary at all. If they'd been moved for a purpose which added something of value, it wouldn't be so bad - but they've clearly been moved just for the sake of it - and it's clear the next step will be to incorporate them in the main listings as other magazines do.

The problem for me is that Radio Times has lept into bed as a 'Freeview' listings magazine perfect if that is your lot regarding digital listings - for satellite and cable it no longer works - so for multi-channel tv in any great detail I'll move to either Total TV Guide or TV & Satellite Week.

This is seperate from the daytime listings issue but it might be an idea for Radio Times to scrap the regional versions in England and instead produce two different versions, one with listings for Sky, Freeview and Cable in brief detail and one with Freeview in detail only.

There are very few regional variations thesedays (1 per month on ITV and occasionally on BBC1?) so regional versions is pointless.

The regions are good for the radio pages, although since the merger of the Midlands edition with London & Anglia, its very cramped.

Does the Scottish edition still have ITV1 Border in the regional variations box, as the ITV1 Border listings vary so much from the STV ones?