Tv Guide Situation Analysis

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Situation Analysis

For over 50 years, TV Guide has been the grand dame of entertainment publishing. Known for its deep listings and astute coverage of the industry, the magazine has been a fixture in millions of American homes longer than the remote control.

TV Guide magazine is one of the most popular weekly magazines in the country. From behind-the-scenes looks at broadcast, cable and syndicated shows and their stars and characters; to sneak peaks at television's most intriguing plotlines, and the hottest new DVDs -- TV Guide magazine has every corner of the television medium covered. The premiere comprehensive source for entertaining news, guidance, information, and TV listings since its debut in 1953, TV Guide magazine continues to entertain and inform readers about America's most popular leisure time activity. On October 11th 2005, after a 52-year run, the digest-size TV Guide magazine was replaced by a full-size TV Guide, with fewer television listings and more photos and features on celebrities.

Market Summary

TV Guide has been a household name since its debut decades ago, but the current television landscape is vastly different than it was in 1953. Viewers had three channel choices then; today, they have 300. Competition has boomed, too. Newspapers have beefed up their listings, more magazines offer television coverage and the Internet gives viewers a whole new avenue to plan their channel surfing. This increased competition also extends into the advertising world, where advertisers now have more magazines, as well as television alternatives, at their disposal.

Market Demographics

The profile for TV Guide's customers consists of the following geographic, demographic, and behavior factors:

Geographics

• United States

• Newsstands via various retailers

• The total targeted population is 55 million television viewers

• Subscriptions delivered via direct mail

• 119 editions

• Capital cities – 683,000

• Country areas – 220,000

Demographic

• 21 million television viewers.

• The individual income range is $38,000-$75,000.

Hard copy

14.5 million subscribers

Internet

67.9% have Internet access

12.4% made online purchases in the past 30 days

$53,579 is the median household income

Average issue is opened four times per day – 28 times per week

51% Male/49% Female readership (Larstan, 2006).

Market Needs

TV Guide is changing with the times in order to stay relevant. Customers have adjusted to a television viewing experience that has changed dramatically, particularly over the past 10 years. There has been an explosion of programming choices, with a 500 to 1,000 channel universe. TV Guide is striving to be in a position to serve these viewers by offering them a contemporary and vital publication that will provide added value as they continue to enjoy television.

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