Ideal World
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ideal World | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 16 April 2000 |
| Owned by | Ideal Shopping Direct Plc |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV) |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Sister channel(s) | Create and Craft, Ideal World 2, Ideal World 3 |
| Website | idealworld.tv |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 22 (Ideal World) Channel 36 (Create and Craft) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | Channel 644 (Ideal World) Channel 651 (Ideal World 2) Channel 668 (Ideal World 3) Channel 671 (Create and Craft) |
| Freesat | Channel 816 (Ideal World) |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 747 (Ideal World) |
Ideal World is a shopping channel in the UK owned by Ideal Shopping Direct Plc, [1] whose sister shopping channels include Create and Craft, Ideal World 2 and Ideal World 3. Their sister Health and Beauty channel, Vitality, closed early in 2008, being replaced with Ideal World 2 (Best Sellers). They also sell flowers through their Ideal Flowers website in partnership with Flowers Direct.[2] The channel broadcasts from its studios in Peterborough. Ideal World currently broadcasts live 16 hours a day, with Create and Craft being mostly pre-recorded. The company currently employs in excess of 500 people.
Contents |
[edit] History
Founded in the 1980s as a mail order company selling products via national press adverts and consumer exhibitions, the company was then called Wrightway Marketing and was run by Paul Wright and his business partner, Val Kaye. The company later produced its own catalogues, inserted into the Daily Mail, and sold at the Ideal Home exhibition.
In 1999, land was bought in Peterborough with a view to building premises to serve as live TV studios, offices, warehouse, and call centre. Ideal World was launched on 17 April 2000 on digital satellite broadcasting 24 hours a day. A pre-launch documentary was recorded by a documentary team from Channel 4, charting the channel's launch onto Sky and featuring the main management of the time and the Presentation team of Paul Lavers, Debbie Flint and Steve Whatley, and was called "Telly Sales".
Ideal's motto of "Family, Friendship and Fun" which was used to launch the TV channel, and is still used to this day, was personified by the on-screen behaviour of its presenting team. Broadcasting live for just a few hours a day at Launch, the less authoritative and more casual look, feel and style of the channel was well received by the viewing public. At a time when QVC still had very little competition except for the Infomercials, this much more relaxed, warmer and friendlier style of traditional TV shopping appealed to many, and has now precipitated down into the other offerings that launch later, such as bid-up.tv (now bid tv) and its sister channels. As well as the Launch team, the viewership were introduced to stalwart presenters Shaun Ryan and Ellis Ward (of You Bet fame), as well as some other familiar presenters and guests from elsewhere in Shopping TV. The chanel also featured Ali Paton, better known as Siren from ITV's 'Gladiators' series.
On 6 March 2001, the facility at Peterborough was completely destroyed by fire. The channel was back broadcasting within from weeks from various temporary facilities while the main building was rebuilt. The main building was not fully operational until September 2002. Ideal World has not disclosed whether a cause was found for the fire.
As the television side of the business re-grew, sales in the catalogue business slowed down and became insignificant in their contribution to the company, and the catalogue business was wound down in order to fully concentrate on selling on TV. A catalogue-style website, Ideal World Essentials, was produced for a short time featuring essential products for the home; this has since been closed and now links back to Ideal World itself.
On 18 April 2003, Create and Craft was launched with the website following on 23 August 2003. It is now possible to Join the Create and Craft Club to receive discounts on spends at the site, amongst other benefits and privileges. Ideal often rebroadcasts live Craft shows onto Create and Craft under the Ideal World name.
1 January 2004 saw the launch of Ideal Vitality. This was originally a channel from Goldshield, "Goldshield Vitality", for which Ideal Shopping Direct provided the studio recording and broadcast facilities, however by the end of 2005 Goldshield pulled out of the venture. Ideal Shopping now broadcast a similar channel focusing on health and beauty products from Ideal's range, under the 'Vitality' name. Vitality often rebroadcasts Ideal World when the most popular products are being shown. Ideal Vitality has now been wound down and has been replaced with highlights from past Ideal World shows 24-7, and the channel has been renamed on the Sky EPG as "Ideal World 2". There is now also "Ideal World 3", currently mostly repeating Ideal World 2 shows but with other shows 'opted-out'.
Although pre-recorded in the vast majority, Create and Craft now offera live programming a couple of times a week at various times of the day.
On 23 April 2004, Ideal World began broadcasting on Freeview channel 22 which massively increased potential customer base and drove business growth in the next couple of years, and meaning that come digital switch-over, any home with a TV will be able to tune into Ideal World and purchase products!
Jewellery Vault, a falling-auction style jewellery channel was launched on 1 July 2005 broadcasting live 5pm-1am and subsequently closed in July 2006 due to it not covering its operating costs.
On 3 November 2007, the Ideal World Outlet in the Rivergate Centre, Peterborough, was opened by Shaun Ryan and Debbie Shore. Ideal World Outlet is Ideal's first 'traditional' shop, where end-of-line items and customer returns are sold at further discounts. A special 'Pick of the Day' item is shown at an extra reduction, in the same vein as the TV channel, although it is not the same product. Ideal World is broadcast on LCD screens in the store.[3]
Other projects that have featured in recent years are iChild, a subscription club for expectant mothers with advice and relevant products, and Ideal World Essentials, an online 'turning page' catalogue from which popular and new Ideal Shopping products could be purchased at any time, and Ideal World Savings Club, a voucher booklet for popular venues across the UK such as pizza restaurants, wine bars etc. All of these ventures are now closed.
Early in 2008, Ideal World also agreed to re-broadcast Smart Live Casino in its early morning hours, from 1am to 3am, on its Freeview Slot, channel 22, to allow the Roulette broadcaster access to the Freeview audience. This agreement has now ended and Ideal World repeat shows are now back in this slot.
The channel is regulary featured in the BBC TV series The Apprentice as one of Sir Alan Sugar's favourite tasks.
[edit] Current Presenters
- Andy Love
- Dave Bradford
- Debbie Shore
- Dennice Robinson
- Ellis Ward
- Howard Griffiths
- Loen Love
- Lori Leland (USA)
- Martyn Parker
- Nigel May
- Shaun Ryan
- Stephanie Weightman (Craft)
[edit] Former Presenters
- Abby Surgeon
- Alan Gear
- Anthony Heywood
- Barry Freestone
- Carla Laszlo
- Carmel O'Sullivan
- Christopher French
- Dean Wilson (Twice)
- Debbie Flint
- Gary Ashburn
- Gema Ensenat
- Ian Gardner
- Jenny Pickering
- Joanne Puttrich
- Kate Amos
- Mark Goodwin
- Nikki Vincent
- Paul Lavers
- Rachel Harvey Jones
- Simon Biagi
- Steve Whatley
- Trevor Blackman
[edit] References
- ^ "Licence details for Ideal World". Ofcom. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/tvlicensing/dtt/947.htm. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
- ^ "Ideal Flowers". http://www.idealflowers.co.uk/. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.
- ^ "Shopping channel store coup for centre". http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Shopping-channel-store-coup-for.3421847.jp. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
