New Angling Times Format

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Mark Hodson

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I like their effort at updating my favoured weekly read but is it just me that gets a headache when reading the new graphics and suffers from sea sickness when trying to navigate my way around the sections ?
 
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Hutch

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A great improvement, i nearly gave up buying it as it was turning into the "pole fishing times" The carp supplement looks good for the carpers, a specimen or river supplement wouldn't go amiss, but they must sort out the fuzzy printing (why do they use yellow ink?)
 
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Richard Lee 2

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In general there is at least 30 per cent more stories in the new paper, and it takes a lot longer to write and design, even with three extra members of staff.
We are trying to make weekly improvements as we learn about the new lay-outs, but I believe that it is far more comprehensive for the coarse angler than it ever has been.
The addition of Terry Hearn's weekly carp magazine isn't just exclusive to carpers as there is so much info match/pleasure anglers can pick up and adapt for general use.
Unfortunately due to promotions the paper has been printed early on a Sunday, meaning we have missed out on a few match results, but this will change in the coming weeks.
And some of the registration in the early copies made a couple of articles difficult to read, but this has now been looked into.
As regards price, yes, 16 per cent sounds significant, but in real terms it is 20 pence - you can't get a lot for 20 p. The paper was due to rise 10 p this year anyway, so the extra 10 pence is purely for upping the stories and pictures - an investment in the product rather than the company's back pocket.
I know not everyone will like it as it is a significant modernisation, but it is an honest attempt to embrace the new face of fishing and give readers a paper that takes more than half an hour to read - you can dip in and out of it all week.
 
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Colin North 2

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Richard,

You may be right regarding its current contents, but how long will it be before it reverts back to the size it was until recently, being possibly 60% adverts?

I've been buying the paper for more than 30 years but recently, I have had enormous difficulty purchasing it. I live and work in London. Most of the small "newsagents" look blankley at you when you ask for AT and in the area where I work, which is liberally sprinkled with W H Smith outlets, the no longer stock it, 'cos it won't fit on their magazine shelves. The nearest "big" WHS is a good 15 minutes walk away, so I lose most of my lunch hour if I walk there to get it.
 
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Richard Lee 2

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That's a concern, Colin.
I will pass that information on to the distribution dept. Every mag or paper has a rating at WH Smith, not sure how they decide it. I am told that our rating has just gone up, therefore AT will go into a higher percentage of stores. I hope that includes your local stores.
 
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Colin North 2

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Richard,

Charing Cross Station (two WHS outlets)
Cannon Street Station (1 outlet)
Fleet Street (1 outlet comprising 2 floors)

All now devoid of AT
 
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MaNick

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Have you finally chucked DT of the team?....... or do i have to stick to my word of not buying it till he goes?.... iv'e saved about ?50 so far!!!
 
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Richard Lee 2

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No, he's still there. But the content is slightly different. The term I would use is more 'considered'. He's doing stuff just about catching fish too.
Drop me a line at at the paper with your details and I'll send you a one-off copy to sample it again.
 
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Steve May

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Did a post on Tfs site yesterday saying what an improvement I thought it was.Generally a positive response considering last week they were non to praisworthy,most agreed it was going in the right direction.Most gripes appear to be on the match content and layout?.Being a matchman myself I am still unsure, certainly the matchplaner is too brief.
 
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mel crighton

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Richard, Like the new format but please sort out you administration I am till awaiting a reply to my article sent to you 3 week ago.

thanks......
 
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Coops

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Richard, I like the new format, good on you. Although I've always bought AT, I have thought it got a bit carpy and commercial over the last few years.

But the new one is a vast improvement, something for everyone. It actually takes more than 10 minutes to read now, which was all the time I spent each week reading the 'old' version.

I particularly like Martin Bowler's piece, he's a good angler and comes across well.
 
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Matt Brown

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Richard,

I find the new format a bit disjointed.

Many of the articles look like adverts and many of the titles to the articles make it difficult to fathom out who wrote the article. I have just enough brain cells to work out the gist of an article from the pictures, depsite the 'big font' intros. It must have taken me 20 seconds to find the name Keith Arthur on his page!

I'd also like to see more rivers mixed in with stillwater venues in the. Where To Fish guide. It's great that you've done the top 10 rivers, but from next week are we back to 90% commercial fisheries?

I know Commercial Fisheries are a very big part of your readership's angling life nowadays, but I feel Angling Times is in a position of responsibility and should help promote all fisheries.

Clubs are loosing sections of River, Drain and Canal throughout the land, but I feel this could be reversed given certain conditions. If AT could put out more articles on these venues, and more write ups in your Where To Fish Guide you would be doing your part IMHO.

I know you require info to be supplied and are reliant on many others outside of AT, but I still feel the bias could be swung away from the Commercials just a little more.

I've read AT for 20 years, and caught plenty of fish from info I've gleaned from there.

I still don't think it's quite right, but I hope it gets better!

ps. I still thinks it's good value, but your 20p increase is on top of many other previous 'way above inflation' increases of the last year and a half.
 
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John Hepworth

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And there I was thinking it could only get better, again the editor has proven me wrong.
 
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Richard Lee 2

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Thanks for the feedback, a good mixture and I will certainly action some of the well meaning criticisms. I see Mr Hepworth remains as happy as ever, I must invite you over for tiffin sometime.
Mel, could you just enlighten me a little to the article you mean and I will look into it straight away. My email is richard.lee@emap.com
Many thanks
 
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John Hepworth

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Sorry Richard, but the Topper as compared to The Eagle springs to mind, still horses for courses.
 
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Joanne Chapels

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" but recently, I have had enormous difficulty purchasing it."

Ditto for me, never see it in my local Tesco's (which has a large section for newspapers etc.). I mentioned this the last time we were discussing the AT a few weeks back but was ignored.

I would no longer buy it every week anyway, but if it's not in the shops I use I won't ever buy it.
 
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Richard Lee 2

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Hello Joanne
Sorry to be a pain, but can you tell me where your local Tesco store is?... it is quite important I look into the distribution problems.
 
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