The shopping service companies contract out to cable companies which carry the show for a percentage of the profits. The programs are apparently more successful on cable television than on independent stations. Industry analysts attribute this to the fact that a shopping program loses to the competition of network programming. Most of the shows have similar formats. Consumers place their orders via a toll-free phone number, giving either their credit card number or the promise of a check.
Companies generally hold products for one week contingent upon the arrival of a check.
Orders are automatically canceled if the company does not receive the check. There is, however, more than a cold sales pitch coming through the TV screen. Hosts draw audiences into the programs, making them active, rather than passive viewers. The larger, nationally broadcast, television shopping programs can reach as many as 17 million homes. Products The products offered on these programs vary tremendously.