Gems TV
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| Gems TV | |
|---|---|
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| Sister channel(s) | Gems TV 2 |
| Website | http://www.gemstv.co.uk |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 43 (Gems TV) (9.45am to 12.45pm Only) |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | Channel 646 (Gems TV) Channel 660 (Gems TV 2) |
| DirecTV | Channel 233 (US version) |
| Dish Network | Channel 226 (US version) |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 755 (Gems TV) Channel 756 (Gems TV 2) |
| KDG | Channel 296 (German version) Closing Down June 2008 |
Gems TV is shopping channel headquartered in Singapore and available in the UK, US and Germany on Sky Digital, Virgin Media and Freeview in the UK and DirecTV and Dish Network satellite services in the US (including a second channel, Gems TV2, available on the same platforms in the UK. Gems TV buys cut and polished gems, handcrafts the products and then sells them through its television channels, hence its motto 'Cutting out the middlemen' and its claim that it can consistently undercut the High Street. Gems TV is also available online.
The company also claims to sell the world's widest variety of gems, including rarities such as Block D Tanzanite. The channel utilizes a falling price auction game, known as Snatch it.
Its main competitor in the United Kingdom is The Jewellery Channel, another shopping channel which operates as an almost identical production, and also using falling price techniques. Another channel, Jewellery Vault, launched shortly after Gems TV but has since closed down.
Its main gem production facilities are in Chanthaburi, Thailand. It has recently merged with Thaigem.
Gems TV launched a United States operation in November 2006. On television, the channel was available exclusively on DirecTV, but in 2007 The Jewellery Channel also started broadcasting on this service and other platforms across the entire US. On January 15, 2007, Gems TV also became available through select cable providers in the U.S. and some TV affiliates such as KLDT in Lake Dallas, Texas. The channel is also streamed live at the company's US website. On August 30, 2007, Gems TV became available on Dish Network.
Gems TV originated as the shopping channel started by Steve Bennett, the same person behind internet giant Jungle.com, now owned by Argos. This channel was bought by Thaigem, relaunched as Gems TV, and Bennett left shortly afterwards.
Gems TV currently employs around 2,500 people worldwide, many of whom work in Administration (Call Centre, Customer Services). Gems TV is expected to expand its TV line in Asia, however In May 2008 an announcement was made to staff in Gems TV's German operation that it is shortly to be closed down, the credit crunch has apparently taken its toll on this European channel.
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[edit] Criticism
Complaints have been made to and upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority for misleading customers on more than one occasion (July and August 2005).[1][2][3] and again in 2008.[4]
Several allegations have been made against the company. The three main criticisms that were upheld were: that products supplied to customers were of inferior quality to those featured on air; that inferences that prices customers pay on Gems TV are lower than the High Street were unsubstantiated; and that suggestions that some products had 'healing properties' or could combat drunkenness were misleading and unacceptable.
Gems TV has also been featured on the BBC's "You and Yours" programme[5] for similar reasons.
[edit] Notes and references
- ASA Adjudication, July 2005[1] (Accessed March 2007)
- ASA Adjudication, August 2005[2] (Accessed March 2007)
- You and Yours, BBC Radio, 13 April 2005[3] (Accessed March 2007)
[edit] References
- ^ ASA Adjudication, July 2005
- ^ ASA Adjudication, August 2005
- ^ ASA Broadcast adjudications
- ^ 2008 ASA adjudication
- ^ You and Yours, BBC Radio, 13 April 2005
[edit] External links
- Official UK site
- Official German site
- Official US site
- Share price on Singapore stock market.
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