Following up on our story from a couple of days ago where we reported that The Learning Channel was upset with "Trading Spaces" host Paige Davis' decision to pose for a "racy" TV Guide cover and her agent was reported to have told the magazine that Davis' job might be on the line over the cover, Sara Fiedelholtz of The Chicago Sun-Times reports that TV Guide still believes the issue has been overblown, but has opted to only distribute the racier edition of the cover in the Los Angeles, California area.
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Mike Lafavore, editor-in-chief of TV Guide, told the Sun-Times that the alternate cover, which features Davis wearing nothing but wallpaper, "kind of freaked out" TLC executives, however "it is not my job to censor our covers." "This is an issue between Paige and the Learning Channel" adds Lafavore, "I really never understood what the big deal was. I saw the shots and they didn't shock me too much."
Lafavore says the magazine did initially opt to go with the racier cover, but changed their decision after other TV Guide editors questioned whether Davis fans would recognize the normally reserved Davis posing in such a different look. "She is very sexy in these shots. She is a bit out of context. We weren't sure which way to go. I liked the sexier shot, but we decided to try both," says Lafavore.
As far as the idea that the cover might violate the "no nudity" clause in Davis' contract, Lafavore isn't buying it. "I didn't know but I'm told that Davis has a no-nudity clause in her contract. I laughed. She is showing more skin then she does in 'Trading Spaces,' but she's not nude," says Lafavore. "I'm really surprised by the controversy. It was clear she [Davis] was having a great time at the shoot and the pictures reflect that. But, I guess the Learning Channel is very conservative. You would have to be very conservative to think these photos violate a no-nudity clause."