Media ABCs: TV Choice reaps rewards of lower-price approach

by Gemma Charles, Marketing 21-Feb-07

An aggressive pricing strategy has paid dividends for H Bauer's TV Choice which has gained ground on IPC's market-leading What's on TV.

Last year the circulation gap between the titles was 300,000, but the
ABCs for the six months to December 2006 showed IPC's title had declined
4.8% period on period to 1,437,650. In contrast, TV Choice recorded a

12th consecutive increase in circulation, of 5.1%, taking it to

1,353,436, just 84,214 behind its rival. Philippa Brown, managing
director of IPC tx, attributed the titles' contrasting fortunes to price
cuts by TV Choice, which costs 35p - 7p less than What's on TV.

TV Times, also published by IPC and relaunched last year, posted a 7.5%
year-on-year decline. However, Brown said she was happy with the title,
which boosted its period-on-period circulation by 1.3% to 377,473.

IPC's handbag-sized TV Easy posted a drop of 2.7% period on period to
293,325, but was up for the year by 3.1%. H Bauer's TV Quick was the
sector's biggest loser in the period, with a decline of 6.1% to 246,181.