Not having flicked around much at the other channels over Christmas, can anyone tell me what the channels that rely on live content do over the Christmas period ?
For instance, the news channels and the shopping channels etc. I expect we'll get a short summary on the hour from all the news channels and then programmes like Reviews of the Year and pre-recorded specials for the rest of the time repeated through the day. They don't actually do any rolling news do they ?
Also, what about the likes of Bid-up, QVC etc. Do they bother broadcasting at all Christmas Day, put up a test card, or things like Screenshop all day ?
Well in years gone by, Sky just carried on as usual and used to fill up 30min slots at half past every hour with feature programmes - things like the old Techno thingy that Martin Stanford used to present, I forget its name. And the Year in Review as well, although it's usually repeated to death for days on end on Sky News Active as well. Sky did have a quite a lot of features that used to run at the weekends which would also fill out a fair chunk of Christmas Day but they dropped all or most of these when the current look launched in favour of a mostly full rolling news service. I dare say though if something really major happens on Xmas Day, they'll pull all the stops out and do what they do normally.
QVC used, at one time, to close transmission on Christmas Day. Not sure if they still do this though.
QVC have a programme called QVC Sale until midday, then QVC Christmas until 2am. I guess it'll be prerecorded programming like they do overnight. Those in the call centre must get paid a fortune.
For Sky News and News 24 it's pretty much a normal day with Review of the Year and Review 2003 slotted in every now and again... like the rest of the holiday fortnight
QVC certainly did last year, they put out a looped bestsellers feature (with only the Q-Cut automated number being plugged) interspersed with Forces messages to their families IIRC, and I think there may have been the traditional cock-up tape thrown in for good measure.
I remember in 1997, QVC said that they would be shutting down at 12.00pm on Christmas Eve until 9.00am on Boxing Day, but at 12.00pm we would see a programme presented by Paul Lavers and some other person reviewing the best of QVC that year, I seem to recall they showed a dodgy music video at the end of the programme which I think was sung by one of the staff of QVC. But the annoying thing was that this programme was constantly looped for 45 Hours!!!!!!
QVC do indeed have recorded programming from 12pm Christmas Eve to 9am Christmas Day. Although I seem to remember in the early years they obviously didn't have the technology at MarcoPolo House so they just closed down and had a Christmassy slide saying they'd be back on Boxing Day...
And the QVC call centre up in Liverpool is closed for this duration as well, which is why the Q-Cut number is displayed as that's an automated service (for which you need a QVC membership card) but it also gives you a chance to talk to a human (but I doubt this option is available on Christmas Day). Interestingly, I just checked Digiguide and "QVC Christmas" is only listed until 9am on Boxing Day.
Also, another channel that used to have downtime on Christmas Day... The Racing Channel... I remember one year tuning in and they just had colour bars up and then a few years later they had a proper caption... now AtTheRaces have taken over TRC they have recorded programming on Christmas Day, which this year consists of programmes about jockeys and repeats of a few races of the year (eg Grand National)... this is going to be on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as there's no live racing to cover on either of these days.
How AtTheRaces have taken over TRC they have recorded programming on Christmas Day, which this year consists of programmes about jockeys and repeats of a few races of the year (eg Grand National)... this is going to be on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as there's no live racing to cover on either of these days.
Umm.. that's only 50% correct James.
True on Christmas day there's no racing taking place anywhere - but there is a quite a full card of gee-gee running on Boxing Day.
Not good for a smalltime gambler like myself - Hungover AND broke by 6pm Boxing Day - Merry Christmas!
(By the way Kids - Gambling - it's not big and not clever..)
