Dear Readers,

A month ago we found it necessary to discontinue the old program guide data service (Tribune Media) and introduce to our site the program guide provided by TVGuide. Change invariably produces rough-edged comments and, while many of you were supportive, others were less-than enthused. They believed we had regrettably cheapened our product.

We gathered up your comments and have talked candidly with TVGuide about them. They assured me just today (as they did when we were negotiating their carriage) that whatever features and services we had with the old vendor we can soon-enough have with TVGuide. They do need your feedback in order to know what you want and how you want it. I am assured that they welcome it even when delivered in less-than flattering forthrightness. Not only that, they assure me that they will incorporate your good recommendations into their product and meet their own goal of making TVGuide the superior product among all others.

Did you know that they have over 200 people doing nothing but gathering information from all of the television sources? Just recently they installed $28 million worth of new equipment to support that job for us.

We are their collective eyes. When you see something which is deficient -- something that doesn't work for you, or, has missing stations or is mislabeled (e.g., program listings claiming to be in HD but are not) or just some feature you want them to noodle out for you, just email me or Shane. Your comments and suggestions will go directly to the people who have the authority at TVGuide to make changes. It's a terrific opportunity to influence this long-standing icon of television. The guide is their bread and butter. The more they get it right the more butter there is for everyone.

Dale and Shane