Editing TV Guide (section)

===News Corporation and Gemstar eras===
[[File:TV Guide magazine cover.png|thumb|170px|A ''TV Guide'' cover from the March 17–23, 1990, issue. The cover story illustrated in the issue focused on the breakout success of the then-freshman [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] series ''[[The Simpsons]]''; an interview with ''[[Thirtysomething]]'' star [[Timothy Busfield]] is also previewed in this cover.]]
On August 7, 1988, Triangle Publications was sold to the News America Corporation arm of [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] for $3 billion,<ref>{{cite news|title=Murdoch to Buy ''TV Guide'' in $3B Deal|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8074051.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061810/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8074051.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Robert Lenzner|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|publisher=Affiliated Publications|date=August 8, 1988|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Murdoch To Purchase 3 Publications; $3 Billion Deal Includes TV Guide|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1272310.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061819/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1272310.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Jerry Knight|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 8, 1988|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> one of the largest media acquisitions of the time and the most expensive publication transaction at the time. The November 3–9, 1990, issue saw the addition of [[Video recorder scheduling code|VCR Plus+]] codes in some of the magazine's regional editions, for users with devices incorporating the technology – which was developed by eventual ''TV Guide'' parent Gemstar International Group Ltd. – to input into their VCRs to automatically record television programs. (Two-digit PlusCodes corresponding to the channel airing the program that a user wished to record were listed after each channel in the channel directory page; one- to eight-digit codes for individual programs were listed in the log listings section following the title of each program.) The PlusCodes expanded to all local editions beginning with the September 14–20, 1991, issue.<ref>{{cite news|title=Codes for TV Listings|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/25/nyregion/codes-for-tv-listings.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 25, 1990|access-date=June 1, 2018|archive-date=December 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215232500/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/25/nyregion/codes-for-tv-listings.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=New Systems Make It Easier to Program VCR|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-16-ca-4529-story.html|author=Dennis Hunt|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 16, 1990|access-date=June 1, 2018|archive-date=October 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019160603/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-11-16/entertainment/ca-4529_1_vcr-programming-systems|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='1-step' Videotaping At Last, A Vcr Even A Complete Idiot Could Program. But Is It Really Necessary?|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-12-13/features/9003020432_1_vcr-plus-codes-taping|author=Tom Jicha|newspaper=[[Sun Sentinel|Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel]]|date=December 13, 1990|access-date=June 1, 2018}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The September 12–18, 1992, issue saw the addition of bullet icons identifying [[Film colorization|colorized versions]] (marked under the abbreviation "CZ") of older feature films or television shows.

On March 7, 1996, ''TV Guide'' launched the iGuide, originally developed by the News Corporation-[[MCI Communications|MCI]] [[joint venture]] Delphi Internet Service Corp. as a [[web portal]], which featured more comprehensive television listings data than those offered by the magazine (with information running two weeks in advance of the present date), as well as news content, ''TV Guide'' editorial content and a search feature called CineBooks, which allowed users to access detailed information on about 30,000 film titles. Later that year, content from the print publication was added to iGuide as well as content from News Corporation's other media properties.<ref>{{cite web|title=IGUIDE UNVEILS TV LISTINGS|url=http://adage.com/article/news/iguide-unveils-tv-listings/1684/|periodical=AdAge|publisher=Crain Communications|date=March 8, 1996|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140921/http://adage.com/article/news/iguide-unveils-tv-listings/1684/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FULL TV GUIDE AVAILABLE ONLINE|url=http://adage.com/article/news/full-tv-guide-online/1891/|periodical=[[AdAge]]|date=May 8, 1996|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141850/http://adage.com/article/news/full-tv-guide-online/1891/|url-status=live}}</ref> On January 13, 1997, shortly before MCI bowed out of the venture, iGuide was relaunched as the TV Guide Entertainment Network (TVGEN), which was renamed TV Guide Online in 2002. The refocused site covered television, music, movies and sports (with content concerning the latter sourced from [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]]), along with wire news and features from [[Reuters]], ''[[Variety (magazine)|Daily Variety]]'' and the ''[[New York Post]]'', free e-mail updates for registered users, and a chat room that was developed to accommodate 5,000 users simultaneously.<ref>{{cite web|title=NEWS CORP. SAYS HELLO TO 'TV GUIDE,' GOOD-BYE TO IGUIDE|url=http://adage.com/article/news/news-corp-tv-guide-good-bye-iguide/285/|author=Jane Hodges|periodical=AdAge|publisher=Crain Communications|date=January 13, 1997|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140333/http://adage.com/article/news/news-corp-tv-guide-good-bye-iguide/285/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Murdoch Again Tries His Luck on Line|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/13/business/murdoch-again-tries-his-luck-on-line.html|author=Laurence Zuckerman|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 13, 1997 |url-access=subscription |access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612222503/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/13/business/murdoch-again-tries-his-luck-on-line.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=TV GUIDE TO LAUNCH NETWORK OF WEB SITES|url=http://adage.com/article/news/tv-guide-launch-network-web-sites/4174/|periodical=AdAge|publisher=Crain Communications|date=September 8, 1997|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140637/http://adage.com/article/news/tv-guide-launch-network-web-sites/4174/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Additional changes to the listings took place with the September 14–20, 1996 edition of the print publication. Starting with that issue, program titles switched from being displayed in all-uppercase to being shown in a mixed case, [[Franklin Gothic]] typeface, film titles – which had previously been displayed within the film description – began appearing before a film's synopsis in an italicized format (replacing the generic "MOVIE" header that had been used to identify films since the magazine's inception), and children's programs that were compliant with the [[Children's Television Act|Children's Television Act of 1990]] began to be designated by a circular "[[E/I]]" icon. In addition, [[infomercial]]s (which had been designated under the boilerplate title "COMMERCIAL PROGRAM[S]" until 1994, and "INFORMERCIAL[S]" thereafter) ceased being listed in the magazine during time periods in which stations aired them. (Time-brokered programs continued to be listed in the magazine, but were primarily restricted to religious programming.) Replacing the text identifiers that had been included within the film synopses, theatrically released films also began to be identified by a black-and-white boxed "M" symbol, accompanied depending on the film by its [[Star (classification)#Films|star rating]] (a formula, on a scale of one [for "poor"] to four [for "excellent"], based on a consensus of reviews from leading film critics, the quality of the film's cast and director, and the film's box office revenue and award wins). Movie icons also were appropriated to identify direct-to-video (marked as "M→V") or made-for-TV (marked as "M→T") releases, which were not assigned star ratings. Beginning with the January 25–31, 1997, issue, the log listings began incorporating content ratings for programs assigned through the newly implemented [[TV Parental Guidelines]] system (the content descriptors - the "DLSV" system - were subsequently added upon their introduction in October 1998).

News Corporation sold ''TV Guide'' to the United Video Satellite Group, parent company of [[Pop (American TV channel)|Prevue Networks]], on June 11, 1998, for $800 million and 60 million shares of stock worth an additional $1.2 billion (this followed an earlier merger attempt between the two companies in 1996 that eventually fell apart).<ref name="Gemstar">{{cite news|title=News Lite: TV Guide Deal Sets Up Broadcast Opportunity|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83826997.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061805/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83826997.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|newspaper=[[Daily News (Los Angeles)|Los Angeles Daily News]]|date=June 12, 1998|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=United Video, News Corp. call the whole thing off; TV Guide, Preview Guide merger collapses|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18640352.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061812/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18640352.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Richard Tedesco|periodical=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |date=September 2, 1996|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> Following the sale, reports suggested that ''TV Guide'' would remove program listings from the magazine, shifting them entirely to its new sister cable network Prevue Channel, which would be rebranded as a result of United Video's purchase of ''TV Guide Magazine''; News Corporation executives later stated that listings information would remain part of the magazine.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Guide says listings will remain a part of the magazine|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19756649.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061801/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-19756649.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=June 12, 1998|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> That year, United Video acquired TVSM Inc. (publishers of competing listings guides ''Total TV'' and ''The Cable Guide'') in a $75 million all-cash acquisition; as a result, ''TV Guide'' merged with ''Total TV'', and began printing a version of the magazine in the latter magazine's full-size format (while retaining the original digest size version) effective with the July 11, 1998, issue.<ref>{{cite news|title=The $2 Billion Acquisition of TV Guide|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-53557420|author=Tony Silber|periodical=[[Folio (magazine)|Folio]]|publisher=[[American University]]|via=|date=January 1, 1999|archive-date=April 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401084016/https://www.gale.com/databases/questia|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='TV Guide' Wraps 'Total TV,' Launches Full-Sized Version|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-50182777.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061759/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-50182777.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Jim Forkan|periodical=[[Multichannel News]] |date=July 6, 1998|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref>

Because most cable systems published their own listing magazine reflecting their channel lineup, and now had a separate guide channel or an [[electronic program guide]] that can be activated by remote and provide the same information in a more detailed manner – with additional competition coming in the late 1990s from websites that also specialize in providing detailed television program information (such as TVGuide.com, then jointly operated with ''TV Guide Magazine'', and [[Screener (website)|Zap2It]]), a printed listing of programming in a separate magazine became less valuable. The sheer amount and diversity of cable television programming made it hard for ''TV Guide'' to provide listings of the extensive array of programming that came directly over the cable system. ''TV Guide'' also could not match the ability of the [[Cable box (electronics)|cable box]] to store personalized listings. Nevertheless, beginning with the September 12–18, 1998, issue, the magazine added several new channels to many of its editions, including those that had previously been mentioned only in a foreword on the channel lineup page as well as those that were available mainly on [[digital cable]] and satellite; although most of these newly added channels were placed within the prime time grids, only a few (such as [[Animal Planet]] and [[MSNBC]]) were also incorporated into the log listings.

Features in the magazine were also revamped with the additions of "The Robins Report" (a review column by writer J. Max Robins), "Family Page" (featuring reviews of family-oriented programs) and picks of select classic films airing that week, as well as the removal of the "Guidelines" feature in the listings section in favor of the new highlight page "Don't Miss" (listing choice programs selected by the magazine's staff for the coming week) in the national color section. Listings for movies within the log also began identifying [[television film|made-for-TV]] and [[direct-to-video]] films, as well as quality ratings on a scale of one to four stars (signifying movies that have received "poor" to "excellent" reviews).

In 1999, the magazine began hosting the ''[[TV Guide Award]]s'', an awards show (which was telecast on Fox) honoring television programs and actors, with the winners being chosen by ''TV Guide'' subscribers through a nominee ballot inserted in the magazine. The telecast was discontinued after the 2001 event. The July 17–23, 1999, edition saw the evening grids scaled down to the designated prime time hours, 8:00 to 11:00&nbsp;p.m. (or 7:00 to 10:00&nbsp;p.m.) Monday through Saturdays and 7:00 to 11:00&nbsp;p.m. (or 6:00 to 10:00&nbsp;p.m.) on Sundays, to complement the descriptive log listings for those time periods; this also allowed the grids to be contained to a single page in certain editions that provided listings for more than 20 cable channels.

On October 5, 1999, [[Gemstar-TV Guide International|Gemstar International Group Ltd.]], the maker of the [[Video recorder scheduling code|VCR Plus+]] device and schedule system (whose channel and program codes for [[Videocassette recorder|VCR]]s using the system for timed recordings were incorporated into the magazine's listings in 1988), and which incidentally was partially owned by News Corporation, purchased United Video Satellite Group. The two companies were previously involved in a legal battle over the [[intellectual property]] rights for their respective interactive program guide systems, VCR Plus+ and [[Guide Plus|TV Guide On Screen]], that began in 1994.<ref>{{cite news|title=Electronic Rival To Buy TV Guide|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-629280.html |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061802/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-629280.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Bob Tourtellotte|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 5, 1999|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref><ref name="tourtellotte">{{cite news|title=Analyst: IPG fight may soon be over|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-55780634.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220160820/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-55780634.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2016|author=Price Colman|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable |date=September 6, 1999|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> That month, ''TV Guide'' debuted a 16-page insert into editions in 22 markets with large [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] populations titled ''TV Guide en Español'', which provided programming information from national [[Spanish language]] networks (such as [[Univision]] and [[Telemundo]]) as well as special sections with reviews of the week's notable programs. The magazine discontinued the insert in March 2000 due to difficulties resulting from confusion by advertisers over its marketing as "the first weekly Spanish-language magazine", despite its structure as an insert within the main ''TV Guide'' publication.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Guide Rethinks Spanish-language Insert|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-03-29/lifestyle/0003280484_1_tv-guide-latin-tv-latin-america|author=Magaly Morales|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel|Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel]]|date=March 29, 2000|access-date=July 12, 2014|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714124148/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2000-03-29/lifestyle/0003280484_1_tv-guide-latin-tv-latin-america|url-status=dead}}</ref>

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of ''TV Guide'' as a national magazine, in 2002, the magazine published six special issues:
* "TV We'll Always Remember" (April 6–12): Our Favorite Stars Share Fifty Years of Memories, Moments and Magic"
* "[[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|50 Greatest Shows of All Time]]" (May 4–10): The Ultimate List of the 50 Best TV Series. (Just Try to Guess What's No. 1!)"
** '''Note''': This was the only one to be presented on television itself (in the form of a two-hour special) and referenced in the book ''TV Guide: Fifty Years of Television'', considering the magazine's purpose to present weekly listings of regularly scheduled series.
* "Our 50 Greatest Covers of All Time (June 15–21): Fabulous Photos of Your Favorite Shows and Stars Plus: Amazing Behind-the-Scenes Stories"
* "50 Worst Shows of All Time (July 20–26): Not Just Bad! Really Awful – And We Love Them That Way!"
* "50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time (August 3–9): Funny! Clever! Drawn to perfection! They're the tops in toons!"
* "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time (September 28–October 4): Charisma, Curves, Confidence, Charm! Could We Be Having Any More Fun?"

By 2003, the number of cable channels that were only listed in the grids expanded, with the addition of channels such as BBC America, [[Soapnet]] and the [[National Geographic Channel]] (some editions also featured a limited number of broadcast stations – either in-market, out-of-market or both – exclusively in the grids). Conversely, sister cable network [[Pop (American TV channel)|TV Guide Channel]] (whose listings were added to the magazine after the Gemstar purchase) was relegated from the log listings to the grids in most editions. From its inception until 2003, ''TV Guide'' had offered listings for the entire week, 24 hours a day. Numerous changes to the local listings took place beginning with the June 21, 2003 issue – in just a few select markets, when the 5:00&nbsp;a.m. to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. Monday through Friday listings were condensed down to four grids: these ran from 5:00 to 8:00&nbsp;a.m., 8:00 to 11:00&nbsp;a.m., 11:00&nbsp;a.m. to 2:00&nbsp;p.m., and 2:00 to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. If programming differed from one weekday to the next, the generic descriptor "Various Programs" was listed. The weekday grid maintained day-to-day listings for certain cable channels (primarily [[movie channels]] as well as a limited number of basic cable channels such as [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]], [[History Channel|The History Channel]] and [[USA Network]]), which were organized separately from the other channels. These changes became permanent in all ''TV Guide'' editions beginning with the September 13, 2003, "Fall Preview" issue.

Other changes were made to the magazine beginning with the June 21 issue in select markets and the 2003 "Fall Preview" issue elsewhere. A half-page daily prime time highlights section featuring the evening's notable shows, movies and sports events – similar to the former "Guidelines" feature – was re-added to the listings section; a full-page "Weekday Highlights" page was also added featuring guest and topical information for the week's [[daytime television|daytime]] [[talk show|talk]] and [[breakfast television|morning shows]] as well as picks for movies airing during the day on broadcast and cable channels. In addition, while log listings continued in use for prime time listings, program synopses were added to the grids and log, as well as a "''NEW''" indicator for first-run episodes, replacing the "(Repeat)" indicator in the log's synopses. The "Premium Channels Movie Guide" was also restructured as "The Big Movie Guide", with film listings being expanded to include those airing on all broadcast networks and cable channels featured in each edition (as well as some that were not listed in a particular local edition), as well as movies that were available on [[pay-per-view]] (page references to the films included in this section were also incorporated into the prime time grids and log listings). Beginning in January 2004, the midnight to 5:00&nbsp;a.m. listings (as well as the Saturday and Sunday 5:00 to 8:00&nbsp;a.m. listings) ceased to include any broadcast stations outside of the edition's home market, leaving only program information for stations within the home market and for cable channels.

The magazine's format was changed beginning with the April 11, 2004, issue to start the week's listings in each issue on Sunday (the day in which television listings magazines supplemented in [[newspaper]]s traditionally began each week's listings information), rather than Saturday. In July 2004, the overnight listings were removed entirely, replaced by a grid that ran from 11:00&nbsp;p.m. to 2:00&nbsp;a.m. that included only the broadcast stations in each edition's home market and a handful of cable channels. It also listed a small selection of late-night movies airing on certain channels. The time period of the listings in the daytime grids also shifted from starting at 5:00&nbsp;a.m. and ending at 5:00&nbsp;p.m. to running from 7:00&nbsp;a.m. to 7:00&nbsp;p.m. By this point, the log listings were restricted to programs airing from 7:00 to 11:00&nbsp;p.m. In early 2005, more channels were added to the prime time and late-night grids.

====Format overhaul and conversion to national listings====
[[file:TV Guide Logo.png|thumb|150px|Former print logo used from 2003 to 2016; the current logo is based on this design.]]
On July 26, 2005, Gemstar-TV Guide announced that ''TV Guide'' would abandon its longtime digest size format and begin printing as a larger full-size national magazine that would offer more stories and fewer program listings.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Guide Remaking Itself With Large Format|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-111476865.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061808/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-111476865.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Seth Sutel|agency=Associated Press |date=July 26, 2005|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> All 140 local editions were eliminated, being replaced by two editions covering the time zones within the [[contiguous United States]]: one for the [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]] and [[Central Time Zone|Central]] time zones, and one for the [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific]] and [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain]] time zones (which had existed separately from the local editions prior to the change, although their distribution was primarily limited to [[hotel]]s). The change in format was attributed to the increase in the [[internet]], cable television channels (like [[TV Guide Network]]), electronic program guides and [[digital video recorders]] as the sources of choice for viewers' program listings. The new version of ''TV Guide'' went on sale on October 17, 2005, and featured ''[[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]]'' host [[Ty Pennington]] on the cover. The listings format, now consisting entirely of grids, also changed to start the listings in each week's issue on Monday rather than Sunday. As a result of the elimination of the local editions, broadcast stations were replaced by broadcast network schedules with the description "[[Local programming|Local Programming]]" being used to denote time periods in which [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]], locally produced or [[infomercial|paid]] programs would air instead of network shows.

In September 2006, ''TV Guide'' launched a redesigned [[website]], with expanded original editorial and user-generated content not included in the print magazine. On December 22, 2006, ''TV Guide'' introduced the magazine's first ever two-week edition. The edition, which featured [[Rachael Ray]] on the cover, was issued for the period from [[Christmas|December 25]], 2006 to January 7, 2007. In early 2008, the Monday through Friday daytime and daily late night grids were eliminated from the listings section, and the television highlights section was compressed into a six-page review of the week, rather than the previous two pages for each night. By 2007, ''TV Guide''{{'}}s circulation had decreased to less than three million copies from a peak of almost 20 million in 1970.

With the $2.8 billion acquisition of Gemstar-TV Guide by [[Macrovision]] on May 2, 2008,<ref>{{cite news|title=Macrovision to purchase TV Guide Gemstar fetches $2.8 billion|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11406880.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611061821/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11406880.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2014|author=Michael Liedtke|newspaper=[[Oakland Tribune]] |date=December 8, 2007|access-date=February 12, 2014}}</ref> that company, which purchased the former mostly to take advantage of their lucrative and profitable VCR Plus and electronic program guide [[patent]]s, stated it wanted to sell both the magazine and TV Guide Network, along with the company's [[horse racing]] channel [[TVG Network]] to other parties.

====''TV Guide Talk''====
On May 18, 2005, ''TV Guide Talk'', a weekly [[podcast]] that was available to download for free, was launched. The podcast was headlined by ''TV Guide'' reporter/personality [[Michael Ausiello]], and was co-hosted by his colleagues at the magazine, Matt Webb Mitovich,<ref>[http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Matt-Webb-Mitovich/800018104] {{Dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref> Angel Cohn, Daniel Manu and [[Maitland McDonagh]]. Each episode featured commentary from TV Guide staff on the week's entertainment news stories, television programs, and film releases, as well as occasional interviews with actors, producers, and executives. On April 4, 2008 (following Ausiello's move to ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''), it was announced that the podcast would be ending,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080407215150/http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Tv-Mattrs/Tv-Guide-Talk/800036873 The TV Guide Talk Podcast Is Signing Off – TV Matt'rs {{!}} TVGuide.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and the final episode (Episode No. 139) was released on April 10, 2008.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080414173548/http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Tv-Mattrs/Tv-Guide-Talk/800037209 TV Guide Talk Episode No. 139 Is Now Live! – TV Matt'rs {{!}} TVGuide.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

''TV Guide Talk'' podcasts were released every Friday afternoon and averaged an hour in length. They featured the participants discussing and commenting on the past week in television and the entertainment industry in general. The beginning of each podcast was devoted to in-depth discussion on the week's biggest new story in the entertainment industry, whether it be a television program or something outside the scope of television show or movie (such as the [[Academy Awards]] or the [[Emmys]]). The middle part was devoted to discussion and commentary on individual shows. The podcast emphasized programs that tend to have a large online following even if that following is not necessarily reflected in the programs' Nielsen rating.  Examples include ''[[American Idol]]'', ''[[Heroes (American TV series)|Heroes]]'', ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]'', ''[[Survivor (US TV series)|Survivor]]'', ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'', ''[[Veronica Mars]]'', and ''[[Project Runway]]'' (the latter three being examples a low-rated shows which nevertheless have sizable online followings). Each podcast also ended with a weekly review of that weekend's new theatrical releases.