Wedding TV

World Screen Weekly, July 31, 2008

COUNTRIES: U.K., Turkey, Russia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine and CIS territories

LAUNCH DATE: December 2006 in the U.K.

OWNERSHIP: The channel’s four founders and an investment consortium of private individuals called WTV Holdings Ltd.

DISTRIBUTION: 15 million homes

DESCRIPTION: The network’s female-focused schedule includes positive programming about dating, relationships, love and marriage.

CEO & CHAIRMAN: Mirek Grabiec

CFO & MANAGING DIRECTOR: Ben Watts

DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Marc Conneely

DIRECTOR, PROGRAM: Tony Prince

HEAD, PRODUCTION: Simon Withington

SALES EXECUTIVE: Nick Jenkins

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: With approximately half a million women in the U.K. planning their nuptials each year, Wedding TV has an easy soft-target audience ready to spend money, says Tony Prince, the channel’s program director. The average British bride spends a year and a half and approximately $30,000 planning her big day, he adds, which is why the network aims to help these busy brides-to-be get the inside scoop on all things wedding and entertain them with related programming in the process.

The channel interprets wedding programming to mean a broad range of possibilities—everything from dating to honeymoons to buying a first home, says Prince, who developed the idea for the channel after seeing how his female family members adored the wedding videos produced by videographers. Programming such as Inside Weddings and The Wedding Experts provide tips and ideas on how to do everything from selecting a videographer to ordering the perfect cake. To help women find their dream gown, the network has covered bridal fashion shows in Milan and Barcelona and has plans to visit the New York expo in August. Runway videos of the different designers can be found on the channel’s website.

Wedding TV also appeals to women simply looking for positive television about romance and love. As such, the channel’s executives have to think outside the bridal party for programming ideas, Prince explains. “Our programming is not just for the girl who wants to find her dream dress, her dream venue, her dream vehicle to go to the church in,” Prince says, adding that Wedding TV’s viewership is predominantly women aged 18 to 44. “We have to think outside of the reception and the best man’s speeches and that’s what I think we are doing.”

Non-wedding programming, such as The Real Sex in the City and Single in the City: Atlanta, has done well during the channel’s peak time from about 9 p.m. to midnight, Prince says. The original series WAG’s World, about the lifestyles of the wives and girlfriends of British soccer players, has found a strong audience as well.

For next year, the network is on pace to produce about half of its own programming, which is up from 30 percent this year. Currently broadcasting in Turkey, Russia, Romania, Poland, the Ukraine and CIS territories in addition to the U.K., Wedding TV is also looking to expand further into new territories.

“I think Wedding TV is a little bit like Mamma Mia!” Prince says. “If you go to see Mamma Mia! you’ll come out and glow. I can hope that what we are doing here is to create a happy-ending TV channel that doesn’t have any negativity in it, it is all very positive.”

WHAT’S NEW: Wedding TV has several new and returning shows in production. The original program Talking Honeymoons and Holidays will utilize the footage newlyweds have shot themselves while vacationing. This is far more economical than sending a production team along with honeymooning couples, Prince notes. “It is very honest and candid,” he adds. “You’re not looking at the interests of the sponsor or paying some camera crew to go to an island.”

Help! I Need a Wedding Entertainer will feature hopefuls auditioning to perform at the weddings of former U.K. Big Brother participants. Additionally, a non-surgical cosmetics show will transform brides-to-be in time for their big day. Also coming up is Love Nest, which focuses on young couples looking to buy their first property.

WEBSITE: www.weddingtv.com

—By Jackie Stewart