OK, troops. It’s time to let the advertisers know that gardeners are a force to be reckoned with. I wrote last week that HGTV has canceled the last of their gardening shows, the wonderful Gardening by the Yard with Gardener Guy, Paul James. Now I’m a free market person and HGTV can air or cancel any show it wishes, but I think it’s especially important for TV producers and advertisers to know that there is a large audience of gardeners out there who enjoy informative gardening shows with experienced and knowledgeable hosts and they aren’t happy about being dismissed as a fringe demographic of penny pinching old folks.
If you’d like to help us make our voices heard, get the list of email contacts that Tina has so graciously pulled together for us and email as many as you can. Tina has even supplied a sample letter. We’re all emailing, today, April 13th, to make a bigger impact.
Comments
I’m with you General!
Glad I found your Blog as I have been patiently waiting for HGTVs gardening shows to start and thought that perhaps they had changed them to earlier in the day.
I have sent my comments to HGTV’s contact folks you posted. Hope they reconsider their scheduling.
O.K., will they be changing their name to HTV, and starting a GTV just for gardening? But to be honest, I was wondering how much more of his yard Paul James could dig up.
Paul can come dig up MY yard anytime!
And I have expressed my displeasure with HTV muckety mucks. Hope they all get clematis wilt! *g*
Offer still stands Paul!
All right, I emailed a few advertisers and HGTV and then I started a facebook group to keep the momentum going, check it out maybe you’d like to join.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=76765747189
Hello again Marie,
I’m hesitant to reply to this because I’ve voiced my opinion on this on my own blog and on Twitter and in various comment sections. But I hope that gardeners and bloggers would realize that HGTV is just not that into us. All of this protesting and campaigning is good, in the sense that people are becoming involved in something they like-but it is a little bit like chasing after an ex who has dumped you. At some point after getting dumped you realize you’re waisting your time wishing they’d come back and you begin to move on.
After I bought my DTV converter box I discovered the PBS station CreateTV and guess what they have? Gardening shows. There is also the internet where anyone with a little bit of knowledge in gardening and technology can become the media instead of just sitting around complaining about how the “old media” is ignoring us or not giving us what we want. I think the energy being directed at places like HGTV would be better used if it was directed at finding and promoting people in “new media” who understand that there is a need for gardening content & an audience of gardeners. Right now the internet is a level playing field and it is an embarrassment of riches. What would happen to the gardening section(s) on About.com if instead of coming here we launched campaigns to get print media to cover gardening more and they listened?
Instead of complaining about the media people should become the media.
My 2 cents,
MrBrownThumb
Paul James was a huge reason that I even watched HGTV in the last couple of years. His shows were especially helpful to me especially when he planted or worked in his own yard as we are in the same gardening zone. How many how to buy or sell a home shows can you actually watch? I can now save $10 a month on my DishNetwork programming as HGTV was the only reason I subscribed to a larger viewing package. I will miss Paul, his gardening tips and his humor.
Maybe Paul should start his own program on line. Sounds like he has quite a following. Instead of trying to get HTV to reverse their stupid decision, let Paul know it is really him you want and start a show on line.
June, Paul seems to be doing just that. (gardenerguy.com)
MrBrownThumb, you’re right about the web being a wonderful venue for gardening information, but there’s nothing like watching Erica Glasner wander through garden with the person who created it.
I guess I don’t think it should have to be an either or. My real beef is with the advertisers. I’m told they are the ones who not only don’t think gardening sells, but insist on younger hosts. If the advertisers feel this way, they’re not going to support gardening online either.
Hi Marie,
I hear what you’re saying about the advertisers, although I think maybe the networks are using them as scapegoats. On my humble garden blog I’ve seen advertisers ranging from small seed companies to large corporations in the home & garden category. They’re out there on the net, we just need more creative gardeners to take to the internet and become the media.
MrBrownThumb, I totally agree with you on all your points,I don’t like throwing myself at HGTV like some cheap….well you know, and I think new media is where it’s at for those of us who are already into gardening but I still think old media is the best way to get the most people interested in paticipating in gardening, those people are not going to go online and seek out gardening blogs. I really think that reaching as many people as possible is important because the more you know about and the more you feel connected to nature the more likely you are to want to help protect it.
Evedentully hgtv has there heads where the sun dosn’t shine. Haven’t these people heard of photosynthesis. Maybe not! because this is what makes most of the plants thrive like Paul James has with most of the ones that has watched his shows. Hey lets get Paul James & any other master gardeners to put on a show. There are a lot of earthly changes that are taking place in this day & age. We that work outside,not only see whats going on but also feel whats happening. The people need to be informed that plants are are the source of our survival as well as the water needed for the plants survival.
I will miss paul but will be dedicated to his new website. He is the reason I watch hgtv. I faithfully watched on sat.’s and sun.’s. Then they took his sat. show away. Tired of watching the same old design and sell shows. The only gardening you see now is on design shows and that is not informative gardening. I garden on Sun. instead of watching hgtv.
Good Grief,,,,,,,,We need garden information now in these times, MORE than EVER !!
Please don’t ditch the Garden !!
I agree! Paul James was the hilarious reason I became a master gardener back in the early H.G. T.V. years! He actually made it seem fun………
The BEST thing that HGTV had going for them was PAUL JAMES I watched anything that he was connected to – - even a cooking show that he did for awhile. His informational gardening skills are awesome – - I learned so much in just his 30 minutes. His personality outshines all of these other glepps that they keep trying to come up with!!! Just give us PAUL!!!!!
What was the name of the (cancelled) garden show that had an older white haired man with a beard and he would talk about the different insects in the garden?
I believe you are referring to Roger Swain who used to host the Victory Garden back in the 80s and 90s.
Yvonne, I don’t remember a show where someone talked about insects. Maybe it was a local show?
I looked forward to watching Paul James when
TV offers so little quality choices. I am not
watching so much anymore. Maybe I should thank
the network people.
We need more shows that teach or help us with gardening problems. HGTV or the powers that be have failed the ever growing gardening community. I have stop watching HGTV since they continue to put hollow shows on that teach NOTHING. GARDEN SHOWS PLEASE.
One by one the garden shows disappeared HGTV should be called HBSTV no it is not as it looks the BS is buy and sell
HGTV garden shows are awful. never watch anymore.