Food Network Surreptitiously Debuts New Blog

Food Network has gone and done it again!

Perhaps you've noticed the tiny promo image for Food Network's newest blog, Simon Says, in the upper right-hand section of Food Network's homepage on foodnetwork.com.


Discover how food and
art collide in our new blog.

This is now (by my count) the fourth of fifth time that FN has surreptitiously started--and barely mentioned--a blog. I don't have them bookmarked, so the only way for me to ever find them is by doing a google search.

*I'm happy to find out that I'm 4th on the list when you search for "food network blog."

In case you were wondering, Food Network also has the following blogs:

• Food Network Kitchens: Behind the Scenes, which has posts going back to July 2006.
• Feeding Frenzy, written by staffers Suki Hertz and Lia Wiedemann

And I even found this one:

• Bird is the Word, a blog about Thanksgiving

Oh, and the page where Food Network peeps were evidently testing these new blogs.

As far I know, none of these blogs has been given a proper introduction. I've only found them by way of my daily reserach for my own blog. Also, none of these blogs really give us a good indication as to why they were started in the first place.

I like the idea of food and art colliding (as is the theme on Simon Says), but why such a lack of fanfare? Why no interesting opening post inviting us all to read daily with hints as to what's to come?

It all makes it look like Food Network is very tentative about blogging. They're willing to have these blogs up, but just not make any mention of them... up until now, that is. There's that tiny graphic up on foodnetwork.com, now.

It's just kind of sad to be when you compare it to, say, Bravo TV's listing of its blogs.

These blogs are prominently featured and actually provide valuable content. They're bundled with numerous other options to experience and enjoy the TV network's line of shows.

To me, that's what TV network's interactive features should be for--providing you, the reader, with even more ways to experience "the brand" if you will. That's why Tim Gunn's blog Tim's Take is so popular.

First of all, it's written by a well-known figure on one of the network's most popular shows. Tim's also great at not just repeating what we already know from watching the show. He actually gives us additional commentary and additional viewpoints.

Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet, exemplified the kind of well-written blog that I adore with his recent Food Network blog for the limited-series, The Next Iron Chef.

Also, Food Network Canada is way ahead of FN-USA when it comes to blogging. Its awesome food blog, Food for Thought, features timely, helpful posts on a variety of subjects. Plus, cooking contests and book giveaways add some spice to the mix.

As I mentioned before in my "Blog if You're Going to Blog" post, blogging is tough work. I get it. That doesn't mean you can get by with shoddy work, and I think the FN knows this.

Perhaps that's why they relegate them to the upper right-hand corner?