Desmond’s TV mag folds after 22 issues
July 29, 2013
Media mogul Richard Desmond’s foray into the world of TV listings magazines has come to an end after just 22 issues. The final issue of TV Pick, launched in early March, will be published this week.
TV Pick went head to head with Bauer Media’s TV Choice and kicked off a bitter price war. TV Pick was launched with an initial cover price of 40p (to TV Choice’s 45p). So Bauer responded by cutting its price to 38p. Then the second issue of TV Pick was priced at 20p, and Bauer immediately reduced its mag to 20p.
In another attempt to attract sales, TV Pick buyers were offered a free ticket to Northern & Shell’s health lottery while retailers were promised they could keep 90 per cent of TV Pick’s cover price for the first six weeks of sale. But the initiative evidently didn’t work.