What's On TV
Encyclopedia
What's on TV is a weekly television listings magazine published by IPC Media
, a Time Warner
subsidiary
.
s, as well as puzzle
s and competition
s. Its primary focus is on soaps and reality TV, but documentaries and dramas are also covered.
It was launched in March 1991 after the monopoly on broadcast programming listings magazines ended and the market was opened up. Before this, consumers were forced to buy two magazines: Radio Times
for BBC
listings and TV Times
for ITV
and, from 1982, Channel 4
listings. Two other magazines appeared on the market at the same time - TV Quick
and the short-lived TV Plus. By the mid-1990s What's on TV was Britain's best-selling weekly magazine but in 2008 a rival publication, TV Choice (launched in 1999 by H Bauer Publishing
) achieved a higher circulation. TV Choice has a very similar design and format but at a lower price.
Early covers of What's on TV usually featured TV stars and programmes but in recent years they almost exclusively promote a soap stories. Very often, TV Choice has the same soap stars on its cover, making the two magazines virtually indistinguishable on the newsagent's shelf.
In January 2007, the magazine launched a soaps and TV website which covers soap plots for the seven big soaps: EastEnders, Coronation Street, Doctors, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Neighbours, and Home and Away, as well as Reality TV, UK drama, film and US series. The website includes a TV guide and TV listings pages (with the day's recommendations), searchable databases (for films, and for soap character biographies and actor profiles for the three big UK soaps), and a weekly video covering soap storylines. The Editor is Patrick McLennan.
What's on TV belongs to IPC Media's Connect group of women's weekly magazines. Other TV titles in the group include TV Easy
, the long-established TV Times
, and TV & Satellite Week
, as well as the soap bi-weekly Soaplife
.
IPC Media
IPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
, a Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
.
Overview
What's on TV is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s, as well as puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
s and competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
s. Its primary focus is on soaps and reality TV, but documentaries and dramas are also covered.
It was launched in March 1991 after the monopoly on broadcast programming listings magazines ended and the market was opened up. Before this, consumers were forced to buy two magazines: Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
listings and TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and, from 1982, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
listings. Two other magazines appeared on the market at the same time - TV Quick
TV Quick
TV Choice, is a British weekly TV listings magazine published by H. Bauer Publishing, the UK subsidiary of family-run German company Bauer Media Group...
and the short-lived TV Plus. By the mid-1990s What's on TV was Britain's best-selling weekly magazine but in 2008 a rival publication, TV Choice (launched in 1999 by H Bauer Publishing
Bauer Verlagsgruppe
The Bauer Media Group is a large German publishing company based in Hamburg, which operates in 15 countries worldwide. Since the company was founded in 1875, it has been privately-owned and under management by the Bauer family. It was formerly called Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG, abbreviated to HBV...
) achieved a higher circulation. TV Choice has a very similar design and format but at a lower price.
Early covers of What's on TV usually featured TV stars and programmes but in recent years they almost exclusively promote a soap stories. Very often, TV Choice has the same soap stars on its cover, making the two magazines virtually indistinguishable on the newsagent's shelf.
In January 2007, the magazine launched a soaps and TV website which covers soap plots for the seven big soaps: EastEnders, Coronation Street, Doctors, Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Neighbours, and Home and Away, as well as Reality TV, UK drama, film and US series. The website includes a TV guide and TV listings pages (with the day's recommendations), searchable databases (for films, and for soap character biographies and actor profiles for the three big UK soaps), and a weekly video covering soap storylines. The Editor is Patrick McLennan.
What's on TV belongs to IPC Media's Connect group of women's weekly magazines. Other TV titles in the group include TV Easy
TV Easy
TV easy is a television mass market, listings magazine notable for its compact size. It is published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of TimeWarner. Its focus is on popular TV, with emphasis on soaps. It is aimed at busy young families....
, the long-established TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
, and TV & Satellite Week
TV & Satellite Week
TV & Satellite Week is a TV listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of TimeWarner. Its focus is on quality dramas, comedy and documentaries, films and sport....
, as well as the soap bi-weekly Soaplife
Soaplife
Soaplife is a fortnightly UK magazine, released on Tuesday. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia....
.