7 Ways To Get More Love From Your TV Listings Book

Looking for love in all the wrong places? We think there's
some for you right there in your TV Listings Book.

TV Listings.  Not exactly at the top of your priority list.  You’ve got to worry about features, breaking news, circulation, you name it.  Better TV LISTINGS?  The best they can do is not cause a problem, right?

Not true.  There are some ways to make the pain go away—and turn that ugly stepchild into dazzling royalty.

1.  Sell advertising revenue.  Hey, THERE’S an idea, right?  Believe it or not, some folks don’t see the space on a listings page as a blank slate for a potential advertiser.  All ripe and ready to be sold to the appropriate advertiser and placed in the corresponding programming and day part.  Let’s face it—you’re already printing the listings, so why not make a few dollars with ads?

2.  Add a price & a UPC Code to the cover for newsstand sales.  Get your listings to generate single-sale newsstand revenue by simply adding a price and a UPC code to the cover.  Then, those TV-watchers who don’t even read the paper can pick up a copy.  Plus, you can price the newsstand version at double what the subscribers are paying.  Giving the impression of value for current subscribers and potentially enticing new subscriptions.

3.  Make sure to have cable conversion charts.  Nothing’s worse that finding a show you like and then aimlessly wandering adrift through all 150 channels to find it on screen because the listing didn’t include channel conversions for all providers.  With cable conversion charts to connect channel numbers with programming, viewers will find your listings book useful and helpful—as well as “the authority” for other viewing information.

4.  Include sports and movie breakouts.  The background information on a movie or sports program can get people excited about watching.  A little extra back story on the production of a film, or even the rivalry between two teams, can turn an average movie into an adventure.  A ho-hum game becomes the perfect setting for a player’s pursuit of an important strikeout record.  Adding that breakout content brings value to your listings—and your paper.

5.  Use compelling cover content and color graphics.  Just like your front page, your TV listings book will benefit from cover content that’s riveting—along with the color that’ll make it jump off the page.  That’s how your TV listings book gets attention, then gets relied upon.

6.  Maximize relevant programs and images.  You know your audience.  You know your local culture and customs.  Leverage them whenever you can.  Make sure your cover and feature content takes full advantage of your area’s likes, festivals, traditions, and happenings.  Just like with the rest of your paper.  If a local boy or girl has made good in Hollywood—be sure their picture is on the cover!!!!

7.  Get your listings data and images from a source that’s accurate, complete, and timely.  That, admittedly, would be FYI.  You’ll never have to worry about an old 1971 description showing up for the NEW Hawaii 5-O.  Or a picture of Walter Cronkite hosting the CBS Evening News.  So, the confusion and complaints?  We make those headaches go away.

But we’ve just scratched the surface.  Every situation is distinct.  Every opportunity is unique.  To find out how to get the most out of your TV listings book—and how to make all the headaches go away—contact the TV listings book expert—John Dodds, VP of Newspaper Sales at FYI.  Just think of him as a gigantic bottle of pain reliever.  We always do.