…By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Popular shopping channel Ideal World is currently off the air and facing an uncertain future as its website remains down.
The Peterborough-based business, which employs around 250 staff, revealed the outage on Monday, leaving employees unsure about their employment status.
The company has expressed apologies for any inconvenience caused by the disruption.
Ideal World’s Recent Developments:
This recent development follows Ideal World’s removal from Virgin Media last month, and now it appears to have disappeared from other platforms, including Freeview.
The circumstances surrounding the channel’s disappearance from various platforms remain unclear, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
Reason for Ideal World’s Suspension:
Effective from Monday, July 3, Ideal World is not conducting any online trading or broadcasting through its television station.
A message on the company’s website states that broadcasting and website operations have been temporarily suspended.
However, no official explanation or details have been provided about the cause of the suspension.
The company has refrained from addressing the blackout on its Twitter account.
Ownership Changes and Potential Sale:
Ideal World, a prominent shopping channel established in 2000 and a significant employer in Peterborough, underwent a change in ownership last year when entrepreneur Hamish Morjaria took over.
However, records from Companies House indicate that Mr. Morjaria no longer had significant control over the company as of February.
Subsequently, the management responsibilities were assumed by Sports Direct.
Recent reports suggest that Ideal World has been put up for sale, with interested parties required to express their interest by the end of the previous week.
Trading Suspension and Impact:
Management from Ideal World reportedly stated that the decision to suspend all trading activities immediately was influenced by challenging trading conditions and the actions of certain key trading partners over the weekend.
While the exact nature of these challenges remains undisclosed, they have contributed to the company’s difficult trading period and subsequent decision to suspend operations.
Current Trading Status and Potential Takeover:
Presently, Ideal World is not operational, raising questions about its future prospects.
It remains to be seen whether the company will be acquired by new ownership.
The sale of Ideal World to Hamish Morjaria reportedly occurred one month after its satellite company, Create and Craft, was sold to Hochandra Global, as reported by the Peterborough Telegraph.
In conclusion, Ideal World’s unexpected offline status has cast doubts on the future of the popular shopping channel.
With the website and television station currently suspended, employees and viewers alike are left uncertain about what lies ahead.
Ownership changes, potential sales, and challenging trading conditions have all contributed to the current situation.