Sunday 2 May 2010

TorSun changes

Several Toronto Sun columnists are on the move.

Editor Rob Granatstein has announced changes in columnist duties that affect the schedules of:

Michele Mandel, who is going to be covering courts full-time;

Queen's Park columnist Christina Blizzard to four times a week;

Bob Elliott’s Bob’s Your Uncle column moves to the Sunday Sun;

City hall columnist Sue-Ann Levy to the front pages.

Hopefully more for others does not mean less for Mark Bonokoski and Mike Strobel.

One thing we have noticed since manpower at 333 was eviscerated is news is being used as column content, a trend that should be reversed.

Meanwhile, Granatstein also announced Sunday Sun TV guide improvements, but the only people who care about that are the home subscribers who still get the guide.

Non-subscribers are out of luck.

Speaking of television, packagers of the Toronto Sun's daily TV grid have abandoned any attempt to let readers know if episodes of their favourite shows are new.

Adding "N" for the convenience of readers takes time and overworked staff are no doubt taking the line of least resistance on that front.

It is another Sun reader service snuffed out.

The other dailies know readers programming their PVRs and VCRs appreciate the "N" to avoid missing new episodes of their shows.

As for weekend guides, the Toronto Star's Starweek, available to all readers, not just subscribers, and recently beefed up in pages and features, is the only game in town now for fans of convenient print guides.

Gord Stimmell, who packaged the Sunday Sun's guide for for 25 years before shown the door in 1999, knows the power of the "N" in TV grid listings and Star readers are most appreciative.

Another big draw for Starweek are cover stories by Bill Brioux, who was also shown the door by the Sun.

5 comments:

  1. What's a VCR?

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  2. In Granatstein's column bragging about the new "digital newsroom" and "renovating the Sun", why was a picture of the building's atrium used rather than the actual newsroom? The atrium is no longer part of the Sun. Why not let the readers see the real newsroom?

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  3. I was amazed at the full page devoted to the revamping of the Sun newsroom in the Sunday Sun. I had a sexual term in mind for the story, but we'll leave it out of this comment.

    It's not something I would be proud of if I still worked at the Sun. it's a low blow to those who have to work under what I would imagine are third world conditions.

    If I heard right, no personal affects (like family photos or you dog's portrait) are allowed on your desk.

    Bill Sandford

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  4. To 5:48:
    The atrium is still part of the Sun. We occupy the entire second floor, including the atrium. I understand that it's going to be refurbished into a common area where we can meet visitors, take a break, eat lunch, etc. Also it'll be the entry point into the paper.

    To Bill Sandford:
    I know of no rule forbidding personal items on desks. I have personal items on mine and haven't heard anything. As for Third-World conditions, the Third World should have it so good.

    Wayne Janes

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  5. Yes, I guess if you still had a full time job at the Sun, you would be glad to at least have a desk to call your own. I did manage to confirm with one tipster that the "no personal effects" rule was true, but perhaps no one is going to pay any attention to it.

    We used to have a Sun building to be proud of, and in the 20 years I worked there, anything less is still third world. The old Eclipse building could have been described as third world as well, but it was just the beginning.

    Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those still left, that isn't my intent.

    As a photographer at the Sun, my office was my car. I guess I was spoiled when coming into the building.

    Bill Sandford

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