price-drop tv

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

price-drop tv
Launched 11 June, 2003
Owned by sit-up Ltd
Audience share 0.1%
(February 2008, [1])
Country Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Broadcast area Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Sister channel(s) bid tv, speed auction tv
Website www.price-drop.tv
Availability
Terrestrial
Freeview Channel 24
Satellite
Sky Digital Channel 635
Cable
Virgin Media Channel 741

price-drop tv (which dropped the dot from its name price-drop.tv on 21 January 2005) is a shopping channel owned by sit-up Ltd and is focused on falling prices, using a form of uniform-price Dutch auction.

It began broadcasting from 4pm to midnight, Wednesdays to Saturdays, on 11 June 2003. The hours were later extended to 8am-1am, 7 days a week. It is available to more than 12 million homes in the UK, and makes weekly revenue of over £3 million.

Its place on Freeview was once insecure, as Channel 4 hoped to launch a new channel in its place. On October 1, 2004 price-drop.tv started broadcasting on a different multiplex to avoid this conflict.

Prior to December 2004 each 'price drop' started at the guide price. After guide prices were removed it is no longer possible to judge how closely the starting prices reflect the true value of products. A certain number of units of a product are advertised at a specified price, and buyers can place orders by telephone. The price is decreased in steps until all units are sold. All purchasers pay the final, lowest, price. Occasionally the channel has promotions where a small number of products "Megadrop" to £1 during a special event (it appears to be random, but directors choose which products will Megadrop beforehand). Megadrops are also used on bid tv, but price-drop tv was the first to use the promotion.

Telephone calls to the channel are charged at a premium rate of £1.50, and the postage and packaging costs, usually over £7.99, are added to the price announced. Even the nominally £1 Megadrops require a payment of at least £10.49 (unless buying online to avoid the £1.50 phone charges)

sit-up Ltd's shopping channels are interactive, with customers' names scrolling on screen as they phone in. Orders can be placed by telephone, or over the Internet (without the need for a television).

In October 2005 a start price graphic was introduced, effectively reinstating guide prices - but changing the wording to "start price" to show that the starting price is not a one that other retailers would be selling the product for, but just where the price begins. Until 10 May 2006 prices were stated in pounds only; on that date the graphics were changed and products are sold in pounds and pence.

Contents

[edit] Presenters

  • Adèle Sica
  • Andrea Binks
  • Jane Farnham
  • Cris St Valery
  • Michelle Watt
  • Claire Stuart
  • Katy Pullinger
  • Michelle Livings
  • Andy Oliver
  • Charlie McArdle
  • Marian Okai
  • Georgina Burnett
  • Steve Macdonald
  • James Russell
  • Chloe Everton
  • Nicola George
  • Jessica Holliday
  • Far Mani
  • Lee Jason

[edit] Assistants

Although the presenters are male and female, the assistants are, at least currently, exclusively female.

  • Lisa Leyland
  • Marina Berry
  • Torie Grace
  • Gemma Smallpage
  • YoLisa
  • Nicola Spence

Note: Not all staff are mentioned above

[edit] Retail Store

A pilot retail outlet at the Hatfield Galleria opened in 2004 selling goods initially at close to RRP, and dropping the price each day.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Sit-up Ltd

bid tv • price-drop tv • speed auction tv • Screenshop
Defunct: bad movies • matine movies
v • d • e
Virgin Media Television
Channels
Joint Ventures
Defunct channels
  1Setanta Sports News is a joint venture with Setanta Sports
  2Virgin Media Television own a 50% stake in UKTV with BBC Worldwide
Website: virginmediatv.co.uk