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Watching television is complicated these days. There are so many channels and viewers need a good TV guide to get them through the maze of cable, satellite and terrestrial programs. Everyone wants to read the news behind the programs too. Called simply TV Guide, this publication is the leader in TV magazines in America. It is the invaluable bible of thousands of people and panic ensues if it falls under the sofa!

The print copy is accompanied by an online version, which posts new features every day and has lots of video clips from top shows. There are more than 110,000 web videos in total, including full episodes from current programs. Good TV magazines are more than just listings and TV Guide presents breaking news and reviews of the previous evening’s shows.

There is also a section for that day’s broadcasts, a daily soap update and a photo gallery. New DVD releases of television shows are reviewed and there are blogs and message boards. In addition to all the features, there is comprehensive listings, which includes a separate section for movies shown on TV.

Some publications become part of the culture and the Radio Times is the oldest and most respected of the TV magazines in the UK. In fact, it’s older than television itself and the first edition came out in 1923. Then, it was just radio programs that were listed and the first cover was in black and white and resembled the front page of a newspaper. It is different to other TV magazines in that it is the organ of a particular channel and is published by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Every Brit has grown up with the BBC, still going strong, despite competition from satellite TV. Everyone involved in television wants to get on the cover. The program to have made it on to the cover the most is Dr Who.

The Radio Times lists all the terrestrial channels and the major satellite ones too and has features and interviews for TV and radio programs. There are regional editions, which reflect the variations in programming around the country. It’s the oldest of the TV magazines but it has kept up to date and has a very good online version with listings, video clips, episode guides, interviews and a film database with reviews. There is a facility to download from the listings onto a calendar and programs can be downloaded onto a computer or MP3 player. The Radio Times has also published books, including a guide to films, comedy and science fiction.

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