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Michael Ausiello leaves TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly

by Joel Keller, posted May 28th 2008 4:20PM

Mike AusielloWe've been hearing rumblings, published and otherwise, that TV Guide was in trouble, especially the venerable print edition. Earlier this month, for instance, the title's new owner, Macrovision, took over and immediately announced its plans to keep the online version of the magazine and either sell or shutter the print version, which has been published since 1953.

So the following news might not be much of a surprise: Michael Ausiello, TVG's scoop and spoiler maven, is taking his perky writing style and massive Rolodex to Entertainment Weekly, where he'll write for the TV sections of both the magazine and website starting July 2.

Oh, and how did we find this out? Mike sent us (and probably hundreds of others) the press release announcing his arrival. Never said the guy wasn't good at self-promotion.

I've met and interviewed Mike, and a few of the Squadders occasionally correspond with him via e-mail; he's been unflailingly nice and accommodating. We wish him well at his new job.

But you have to wonder what's going to become of TV Guide. I stopped reading the print edition, which was a weekly ritual for me since I was a kid, shortly before the magazine changed from the small digest format to the virtually listings-free gossip magazine that it is today. The website is still extremely popular, but it seems like it's been losing its best writers for quite a while now. Can we start taking bets on when it'll become an online-only magazine (something its Canadian counterpart did a year-and-a-half ago)? Let me know in the comments.

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22 Comments

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Belly

yes. first dan manu, then angel, now michael. if matt roush and/or maitland leaves, i will never be checking tvguide.com ever again. they really are losing all their best writers.

was this why they ended the podcast...?

May 31 2008 at 12:58 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
UnionStayshyn

"Oh, and how did we find this out? Mike sent us (and probably hundreds of others) the press release announcing his arrival. Never said the guy wasn't good at self-promotion."

Um. Sending press releases like that are standard in most industries. Like, in ALL of them. It's called "COMMUNICATION". If you don't believe me, call an adult and they'll confirm.

May 29 2008 at 11:52 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to UnionStayshyn's comment
Joel Keller

Wow, how condescending of you to say that.

Seriously, though, it's still unusual for someone to send out their own press releases, especially if they're going to work for such a big company as Time Warner. That's what PR firms are for. Not saying it's never done, just that it's rarely done.

May 29 2008 at 11:58 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
CygnusTM

So, what will happen to EW's Kristin?

May 29 2008 at 11:34 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to CygnusTM's comment
CygnusTM

Whoops. I confused EW with E!

May 29 2008 at 11:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
laurabee

I have been a fan of TVGuide.com and the TVG podcast for years...I was devastated when the podcast ended. I listened to it every week on a long run, and it made the time fly. What will I do without my Ask Ausiello??

May 29 2008 at 8:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
fowak

I love Ausiello and Roush. I plan to continue reading Ausiello on EW. And will keep reading Roush on tvguide!

May 29 2008 at 8:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Chris McCoy

I agree wholeheartedly about the larger style magazine of TVGuide being nothing more than a gossip mag. I, too, stopped reading it when the format changed. I missed the way TVGuide used to live up to it's name. When it stopped becoming a guide to what's on, I cancelled my subscription & used on-line resources instead. What a waste the print version is now and has been for some time...they might as well eradicate it!!

May 29 2008 at 8:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
nick

I lost interest in TV Guide when they switched from a small magazine to a large magazine. Not only did it seemingly disappear overnight from the newstand, the new format seemed thin on content.

Anyone leaving TV Guide is probably better off.

May 28 2008 at 11:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DMD

Not a fan, but hopefully EW won't suffer :)

May 28 2008 at 11:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Edd

Nice work Ausello! Always appreciated your news, and it's cool to see a picture of you!

If you google around and read this article, can your first batch of information be about the potential Arrested Development? Please make some calls, or at least ask Kristen to do it!

May 28 2008 at 10:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
erroneous_nick

I subscribed to TV Guide my entire life, but couldn't stand the new format at all, especially the lack of my time zone when it first changed over. It has the same name, but it's not the same magazine at all. I don't even visit their website much at all, maybe 3-4 times a year.

Such a sad state today for a magazine that I would read cover-to-cover the day it arrived in my mailbox (pre-changeover). Now, I couldn't care less if TV Guide disappeared forever. I probably wouldn't even notice for months. I wish the old format was back, then I'd subscribe again, but that'll never happen.

R.I.P. TV Guide. You're dead, just not buried...yet.

May 28 2008 at 10:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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