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Sit-Up TV in Administration

Bid and Price Drop are off air (April 2014)

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AJ
AJ
It will be interesting to see whether other shopping channels end up following the same path. They might benefit in the short term from a competitors demise but ultimately I suspect it might be similar to music stores where the whole industry just isn't really relevent at the moment and one by one they will go. I can't see why people would sit through hours of a shopping channel to buy something when they can just go online and probably find it cheaper.


I think the QVC stalwart will always be there. They seem to get it absolutely right - good quality, alright prices, great customer service, and they have a bit of a community about it nowadays. It helps that they're also backed up by a comprehensive website and some exclusive products which you just can't get anywhere else.

Others, though, I'm not so sure. I'm surprised that Ideal World ever got back up and running again after that fire in 2001. That channel always seems a little tacky, down market and cheap - possibly because of its association with the old home-help type catalogues perhaps? Again, though, they've made a community around their channels - and that seems to be the key perhaps. Engaging with your viewers to give them a reason to watch.

Even Argos couldn't make TV shopping work - although I question why they even bothered when they have a decent website and network of high street stores. The products were the same (aside from the odd TV special price), so you could watch it and then head to the shop to buy it - I'm not really sure how they could measure its success accurately.

A dying sector, perhaps. I think there's some legs in it for the quality players though.
Last edited by AJ on 18 April 2014 4:35pm
CR
Critique
AJ posted:

Even Argos couldn't make TV shopping work - although I question why they even bothered when they have a decent website and network of high street stores. The products were the same (aside from the odd TV special price), so you could watch it and then head to the shop to buy it - I'm not really sure how they could measure its success accurately.


I'm not sure, but I think Argos TV was actually quite successful, but they pulled the plug on it for some reason - I remember reading somewhere that it was doing well, whether in a post on here or elsewhere I'm not sure.
SF
Shane Forster
It will be interesting to see whether other shopping channels end up following the same path. They might benefit in the short term from a competitors demise but ultimately I suspect it might be similar to music stores where the whole industry just isn't really relevent at the moment and one by one they will go. I can't see why people would sit through hours of a shopping channel to buy something when they can just go online and probably find it cheaper.


Shopping channels have a lot of competition - the Internet. Shopping channels are a dying cause.
WH
Whataday Founding member
AJ posted:

Even Argos couldn't make TV shopping work - although I question why they even bothered when they have a decent website and network of high street stores. The products were the same (aside from the odd TV special price), so you could watch it and then head to the shop to buy it - I'm not really sure how they could measure its success accurately.


I'm not sure, but I think Argos TV was actually quite successful, but they pulled the plug on it for some reason - I remember reading somewhere that it was doing well, whether in a post on here or elsewhere I'm not sure.


I think it was the case that it was only meant to be for a trial run. It was mildly successful but they wanted to focus their resources on other areas within Argos.
LL
London Lite Founding member
AJ posted:
[

I think the QVC stalwart will always be there. They seem to get it absolutely right - good quality, alright prices, great customer service, and they have a bit of a community about it nowadays. It helps that they're also backed up by a comprehensive website and some exclusive products which you just can't get anywhere else.


I think what helped QVC in the early days was they already had core customer service values from the start, such as a freephone number, a 30 day money back guarantee, suppliers, some of which provide top end products and years of heritage where they were the only live home shopping channel. In the early days, QVC were also in partnership with BSkyB before going it alone.

QVC is now what I'd consider to be the 'John Lewis' of home shopping television with production values to match.
AJ
AJ
Interesting comments on this rejected ident concept: http://www.thinkplay.tv/projects_mg_Bidtv.html

Quote:
We wanted a Volvo and you delivered a Ferrari.


That's a very nice virtual studio that they came up with to go with it.
IS
Inspector Sands
What about the sets in the studios? Will they be left standing until a new company moves in to the unit they're in?

What an odd thing to think about... Well unless you have a use for them and are thinking of making the administrators an offer?

The people winding up the company will sell what they can and throw the rest away in order to hand the building back. The sets are one of the least valuable things, they'll end up in a skip
DA
David
The people winding up the company will sell what they can and throw the rest away in order to hand the building back. The sets are one of the least valuable things, they'll end up in a skip


So potentially a load of SD TV equipment going cheap if someone is looking to launch a channel. I believe a lot of Avago's equipment came from the demise of The Money Channel.
WP
WillPS
What about the sets in the studios? Will they be left standing until a new company moves in to the unit they're in?

What an odd thing to think about... Well unless you have a use for them and are thinking of making the administrators an offer?

The people winding up the company will sell what they can and throw the rest away in order to hand the building back. The sets are one of the least valuable things, they'll end up in a skip

I presume the screens and stuff will find new homes. I wonder how much of their equipment is owned/rented?
IS
Inspector Sands
David posted:

So potentially a load of SD TV equipment going cheap if someone is looking to launch a channel. I believe a lot of Avago's equipment came from the demise of The Money Channel.

There was one channel that broadcast from the former Money Channel facilities, you could tell because the channels logo was burnt into a plasma!

I think in that case it was rented facilities, other channels came from the same building in East London.
IS
Inspector Sands

I presume the screens and stuff will find new homes. I wonder how much of their equipment is owned/rented?

I doubt it would be rented. Permanent facilities like that will rent in specialist equipment occasionally for one off use like a camera shoot or for a particular effect but the day to day kit that produces the programmes and gets them on air will be owned.

The value of the equipment will depend on age, and it depreciates fast
BA
bilky asko
I have just found an audio recording of one of Peter Simon's monologues. So, for those of you who are going through a difficult time with bid being off the air, here it is. One of the finest monologues on shopping television around the United Kingdom. From the award winning bid tv, Peter Simon's monologue. Good luck if you get it.

see here ……..

NORRIS on WEATHERFIELDGAZETTE.CO.UK
18-Apr-2014 @ 22:09
Lottie Long-Legs, London Lite and james gave kudos

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