ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 6, 1995 TAG: 9512060069
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE STAFF WRITER
VIRGINIA WILL BE the first of 10 states highlighted by the cable channel, which reaches about 52 million households.
The Allen administration will recruit businesses and help produce a weeklong cable television program for QVC Inc., a Pennsylvania-based home shopping network.
The program, scheduled to run next spring, will feature 50 or more Virginia products, and segments will be shot on location at scenic and historic sites.
Virginia will be the first of 10 states highlighted by the cable channel, which reaches about 52 million households and last year reported $1.4 billion in sales.
"When you combine the high-quality products that we have in Virginia with QVC's tremendous marketing power ... it benefits all Virginians," Gov. George Allen said Tuesday at a news conference.
A toll-free telephone number has been set up in the state Department of Economic Development to field requests from Virginia vendors who want to participate. State employees will answer the phones and gather information so QVC can select products to offer on its home shopping channel.
The department's film office will help select sites to film the program, and the tourist division will help produce segments featuring Virginia landmarks.
"It's a benefit to QVC, but it's also a huge benefit to the small businesses that participate," said Morgan Stewart, the agency's spokesman. "It's international exposure for Virginia, and the businesses experience tremendous sales that they couldn't get otherwise."
QVC employs about 1,800 workers at operations in Chesapeake and Suffolk. The company featured 20 Virginia products in a three-hour special broadcast earlier this year, sparking more than $1.5 million in sales. It was part of a QVC promotion highlighting products from all 50 states.
Next year's program will fill 40 hours of air time, much of it broadcast from Richmond, Williamsburg and Jamestown. Virginia vendors can get an application and additional information by calling (800) 588-0550.
LENGTH: Short : 46 linesby CNB