Christmas TV 2018

I used to think RT was a 'non-negotiable', too. But last year switched to one of the cheaper options (Total TV Guide, IIRC) for my once-yearly listings mag purchase. Radio Times as I knew and loved it is over.

The Christmas RT is out in London, it has 290 pages, excluding the cover and is £4.90.

Why is it impossible in 2018 for one magazine to be made available across the UK on the same day. London and parts of the South east get it first, and the rest of the UK follows by Tuesday 11th December 2018. Why such a long time?

Because the print run is massive and there is a very short turnaround between the listings being confirmed and the on sale date.
If used to frustrate me when I lived outside of London but that’s how it is. If anything it’s just a bonus few days to capture the Christmas market in the largest populated bit of the country.

It's probably the only time when readers in London get the Radio Times before subscribers?

Also worth noting that Private Eye also comes out a day earlier in central London on Tuesdays, the rest of the country get it on a Wednesday.

For Northern Ireland, the Radio Times say that their copies should be in the shops by Tuesday 11th December "Weather Permitting". So in 2018, weather can cause delays, even though they could have Northern Irish version printed in Northern Ireland e.t.c. Weird, that still in the modern age, weather can delay delivery of a magazine.

I've not seen it anywhere today but in previous years it has made it up to Wrexham by the weekend. Often it's the smaller shops which will put it out - the supermarkets and chains will hold it back until it's release date.

I saw the TV Choice double issue in Swansea today. I didn't see any of the other tv magazines double issues.

I didn't get TV Choice, I will wait until TV Times is on sale.

I find the opposite, the supermarkets seem to put the magazines out as soon as they come in, smaller shops don't. On Thursday the supermarket had the issues for 15th-21st out but some of the smaller shops didn't.

In my head it's still about £1.60.

£4.90 is extortionate, no matter how 'legendary' it is

And I agree with Applemask that even though it *is* legendary, it *shouldn't* be describing itself as such...

I don't remember the RT calling the Christmas edition 'legendary' until Immediate acquired the title?

Incidentally I bought it in M&S Simply Food, Sainsbury's hadn't put theirs out yet.

Remember you are paying for a double issue so works out £2.45 a week if you were buying it over 2 separate issues. Which is cheaper than the current cover price which I believe is £2.80 a week? I haven't bought Radio Times for years, don't even get TV Times now very often with the price of that going up a lot in recent years. I stick to either TV Choice or Whats on TV but will get TV Times for Christmas.