TV Week is a beloved institution at The Advertiser and removing it last month generated hundreds of protest phone calls and e-mails as well as some canceled subscriptions.

Of course we didn't want to eliminate the book from our Sunday newspaper but the high cost of producing it, the lack of advertising it attracted and the recent digital conversion that allows viewers to search for TV listings any number of ways were all factors in discontinuing the publication. Many, many newspapers have either greatly reduced the size of their weekly TV guides or removed them from the newspaper entirely.

It's an understatement to say that readers were not happy with these explanations.

Most of the calls came from seniors, who like to spend their Sundays planning out a whole week of programming and rely on the guide for their chief source of entertainment. Some sheepishly recounted how much time they spend in front of their television sets but confessed that their favorite shows kept their minds alert and provided hours of enjoyment. Many called TV Week their "bible" or their "life."

However, many do not own computers or have access to the Internet and cannot search programs through the Web. The local cable channels that provide a running list of programming do not allow them to look ahead in the week. TV Guide doesn't seem to work well for them either because it doesn't include local channel numbers or programs consistent with Hawai'i Standard Time.

Many readers, including longtime subscribers, have urged us to bring back the TV book, but unfortunately, that won't be happening.

We have listened to all your suggestions and have decided to add daytime listings in Island Life beginning Tuesday. Programming will be available from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. seven days a week. To make room for as many channels as we can — and we will list 59 — most sports programming will appear in the "On the Air" column in the sports section. The daily movie capsules and Tube Notes will disappear.

Not every channel available on the air can be listed, of course, so if yours is not listed, please be sure to let us know.

Additionally, we are providing weekly grids at www.honoluluadvertiser.com beginning next Sunday. The weekly grids will look essentially the same as they appeared in the TV Week, allowing readers to get a jump on the week. The listings will include the Oceanic analog and digital channels that appear in the daily grid. Gone will be the movie descriptions from TV Week.

We understand the strong feelings toward TV Week and do not take your loyalty for granted. But we have provided an alternative that we hope works for everyone.