Saturday, March 28, 2009

HGTV Protest Campaign

This post has been up for a year and I've decided it is time for it to go, although I've saved a copy for possible future use.
If Scripps is smart, they got the message. Only time will tell.

40 comments:

  1. Count me in and I will help spread the word. Why they are doing less instead of more in this day where more and more people are deciding to garden is beyond my understanding.

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  2. I'm in too. I'll spread the word on Twitter and on my gardening site at About.com.

    With all the grassroots gardening efforts spreading now, I've never had more gardening questions coming my way. HGTV is being foolish

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  3. Just one more reason to keep HGTV shows out of my DVR. Grrrr. You can count on my and all of MY gardening buddies to pitch in and flood them with emails!

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  4. I'm posting this up on my gardeningblog, http://www.gardeningblog.net right now.

    Paul James is my favorite TV personality, well, tied with Alton Brown, and they're just so wrong. So so so so wrong.

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  5. I've posted your link on my blog as well, http://joenesgarden.wordpress.com.

    I wonder what planet Scripps Network execs hail from.

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  6. How fabulous! You might want to consider adding your event to Tinker (event tracking for Twitterers). http://ow.ly/1NX5

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  7. Thank you for this spot to complain about HGTV canceling 'OUR' Gardener Guy. Have they completely lost it?
    (Besides the loss of gardening programs I am tired of the all the same show with a different name! The original is Designed to Sell and now look at the line-up. Also, the copy-cats are not worth watching.)

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  8. Thanks for doing this. I'll definitely be sending emails on the 13th. I'm also going to put a link to your site on my little blog. There has never been a bigger interest in backyard gardening than right now. What in the heck are these people thinking?

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  9. By the way, I wonder if the people at HGTV have ever heard of a family called the Obamas that live in a big white house on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.? It seems that they're going to have a garden in their back yard this year.

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  10. Personally, I never though HGTV did right by gardening in the past and always relegated it to poor scheduling times. I'd rather see a new Garden cable channel all on its own -- rerun the best ofthe past show's like Gardener's Diary and Paul James, while producing new shows and regional content as well.

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  11. Sent my email protest and posted it on my blog, http://joenesgarden.wordpress.com. Hope it helps! Thanks for spearheading this campaign.

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  12. WoW! I wish I would have seen this before today to put on my blog - but I'll put it on now. I wrote to them once ages ago about this. They have gardening shows on at 4:00 am and who's up then besides me with insomnia. I especially miss The Gardeners Diary - loved that show.

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  13. I'm in! Your page is on my Blog, and I've already started my letter-writing!

    Let's hope this works!

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  14. I'm not sure my comment showed up, so just in case: Twitter hashtag #gtv.

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  15. I stopped watching HGTV quite awhile ago because it seems like it's all about redesigning your house to sell it........I used to watch it because there was a lot of DIY projects for everything........crafts, cooking, GARDENING, etc. I rarely watch it anymore. I like the idea of a Gardening channel all it's own! I would love to see some of the "vintage" stuff that used to be on TV as well, like Victory Garden (I know it's still on, but I would love to see all the old shows, too!). Come on, HGTV, even Martha still has gardening in her shows! I'm tired of seeing just remodeling shows!

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  16. Thanks for your initiative in this effort. Just finished emailing all officers and all sponsors. Also shared with some other garden bloggers last week. Nice to see the number of people onboard at HGTV forum as well. Hope it helps.

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  17. Should we do multiple emails or just one email per email address to be more effective. I did one with my work email and one with my home email to all of the Scripps people.

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  18. I also sent each one an email. fingers crossed!

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  19. I'm pleased to report that Sears actually responded, and it appears they even read the "content" of my note - saying the would pass it onto their Advertising Dept. That's the closest thing I got to an encouraging response! (Got a BUNCH of "Auto-responder" emails from some of the other advertisers!).

    Of course, not a peep from the Scripps execs. But I'm still being "guardedly optimistic."

    If nothing more, it oughtta give 'em an idea of just HOW MANY OF US there are out there. That, alone, ought to count for something!

    I *really* hope this works!

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  20. Just emailed all the network execs. Thanks for putting this in action.

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  21. I don't understand why they would take this show off the air. Does anyone know why?

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  22. We need to do as much as we can, It is time that HGTV starts listening to its viewers. It's not only the gardening shows, The quality of the shows that they produce today, is really appalling. I feel that they have been behaving in an arrogant manner, disregarding everyone but themselves.

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  23. Good job, Tina, and thanks for including the link to my post from earlier. While we are asking for better gardening programs, how about requesting they import some of the British gardening programs, too?

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  24. hi-

    missed the one day thing as I just learned about it....but would love to support you in the future... I have a blog about garden design (a subset of what should be covered under the G in HGTV) that has good and rapidly growing interest (perhaps because the topics is so under covered elsewhere?). (40K pageviews and 20k visitors per month at the mo).
    Let me know in the future about protesting events, I would be happy to spread the word and help out!.

    Rochelle At studio 'g' (http://studiog.greayer.com)

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  25. oh -- and having lived in the UK for 4 years...I wholeheartedly think that a super easy answer for G programming would be to import some of the excellent shows....great suggestion Carol.

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  26. I got a real response from Interstate Bakeries:

    "Thank you very much for your inquiry. We have looked into the issue and wanted to provide you the response from HGTV, which is in sole control of its programming.

    “HGTV has made the decision to transition some of its gardening videos and information, including content from Paul James' Gardening by the Yard to HGTV.com. The decision was made in response to the changing viewing habits of HGTV's audience and their increased ability to access step-by-step gardening instructions along with streaming video content on-line. HGTV.com and the free on-line HGTV Gardening Newsletter are excellent resources for viewers who are interested in more detailed gardening tips, ideas, products and information. Fans of Gardening by the Yard can expect to see new episodes of the series on-air through summer 2009 and the show will continue to air for the foreseeable future.”

    Again, thank you for taking the time to contact us."

    The problem with this "solution" is, if I'm not watching you on TV, you are not going to be my first stop on the web. There are plenty of GREAT independent sources on the web.

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  27. Thanks for the info. I totally agree and went ahead and added my comment to their page.
    I need to spend some more time perusing your blog now!
    Happy Gardening!

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  28. Hi, Sarah from Toronto Gardens here. Just discovered your protest today and we are writing about it on our blog. We're with you!

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  29. To bad to lose a very good show, very informative with humor. Just like Simply Quilts but you know one door closes another opens.....lets find the open door. Alex Anderson did and her online show is so much better than the HGTV format.

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  30. Can we get an update on what "huge" was?

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  31. Thank you for your comment on my blog, for linking to it here but most of all for posting his website!

    I'm very happy to see it and hope he will have much success. I know I've already been browsing it for an hour and I'm currently writing him emails with suggestions.

    So, thanks. If we can't make a difference with HGTV, we have already made a difference with each other and with Paul James!

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  32. Can anyone help me figure out the old (few years back) gardening show that featured an older man (white hair and beard) that would talk about the insects in your garden.

    Really nice camera shots, nice calming voice and interesting learning opportunity.

    Let me know if you know.

    Thanks.

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  33. I've been enjoying Paul James and Gardening by the Yard for many, many years. The idea of his program being cancelled comes as a real blow to me. I suppose it will be replaced by another in your face, "you're totally worthless" reality type "improvement" shows where the host blasts stupid homeoweners for their lack of decor ability. WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE OF THESE IDIOTIC SHOWS. PLEASE LET US KEEP OUR GARDENING BY THE YARD! Paul's show is intellegent, informative, funny and doesn't offend it's audience. HDTV will be making a major mistake by cancelling this wonderdul program.

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  34. my name is darleen. i am a young married woman who"LIVES ON HGTV EVERYDAY". i rent an apartment, so i don't get to choose a satelite dish. i have rcn cable. "HGTV"it's like air to me. a lot of my household do it yourself projects are all do to my learning and being taught be these wonderful and yes..educational programs. it teaches you trades, design, and heck..i've become my own carpenter and helped my mom dee who is a HUGE FAN OF "HOLMES ON HOMES', is terribly upset as i am by losing hgtv. holmes to her knows everything about everything and can do it all. and what a heart he has, she always says. i love all the shows. if walls could talk. love victorian homes. can't name them. there are too many shows i love. I WATCH EM" ALL. my sister loves hgtv too. where's the petition to sign up to keep it on the air???me, my mom and sister want 2 sign up. PLEASE HGTV DON"T LEAVE CABLE. RENTERS LIKE ME HAVE NO CHOICE> WE NEED YOU BAD!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

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  35. Gardening is my life passion, I love ALL the gardening shows on HGTV! It's a shame that these shows are being cancelled. I use to wake up excited on a Sunday morning knowing that Paul and Rebecca were going to be on air talking about my most favorite subject...Gardening!!! Please don't count us out, we have a voice and it's going to be heard!

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  36. I wish i had the internet back during the protest. I would have loved to support it. I miss Paul James's humor and experience when teaching us about gardening, bring him back hgtv.!!!!! does anyone know if he is anywhere else. or how to get a hold of him. sleasure45@gmail.com thanks.

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