UPDATE: Matt Welch, at the Opinion blog, wants to know how the re-design has been received. Keep it clean, kids.

Reader William Wray does the math:

Readers notice when there is less to read! Four cover stories instead of seven...

Kevin Roderick reports about the years-in-the making redesign of the LA Times. To wit:

arresting new format...aimed at providing a compelling snapshot of the day's most interesting stories via skybox spotlights and a bolder index on the front page, as well as expanding the use of larger headlines, photographs, color, and information graphics, such as sidebars, back story boxes, maps and diagrams.

Well, larger headlines eat up more space that would otherwise have to be filled with writing.

Also, the Sunday Calendar section is reconfigured, and has some new-to-the-LAT features. FBLA has opinions about those, of course.

Movies - TV - Style will include several new features:

The Performance--This short profile spotlights a film or television character, role, cameo or guest appearance that deserves to be noticed.

Translation: Actor with pushy publicist gets inky tongue bath.

The Monitor--This weekly feature will keep up with television the way people really watch it.

Translation: Staffer tries to imitate TWOP recaps.

The Smart List-- A highly selective guide to pop culture in the coming week--at the movies, on television and DVD.

Translation: Writing about really obscure stuff equals cool, doesn't it?

The Party Page--A photo-driven full page of Hollywood revelry and the social and philanthropic whirl of Southern California. This replaces "Social Climes."

Translation: Just as good as a gossip column!

Heard on the Blogs--A selective offering of chat and debates about the arts.

Translation: writing about other people's writing is easy.

Drive By-- A through-the-car-window look at the region's urban landscape, including its out-of-the-ordinary buildings and architectural works in progress.

Translation: We're praising more ugly buildings--without going inside!

In the Blink of an Eye--An occasional feature showing a still from a movie or television series containing a notable work of art.

Translation: We're reducing to writing about set dressing.