HSN facts for kids
| Public | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: HSNI |
| Industry | Cable Television Satellite Television |
| Fate | Acquired by Liberty Interactive Corporation in 2017, now co-owned with QVC |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founders | Lowell Paxson Roy Speer |
| Headquarters | , |
|
Key people
|
Mindy Grossman (CEO, 2006–2017) |
| Parent | Qurate Retail Group (since 2017) |
| Divisions | Cornerstone Brands |
 |
|
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Worldwide |
| Headquarters | St. Petersburg, Florida, United States |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (HD feed downgraded to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Qurate Retail Group (formerly Liberty Interactive) |
| Sister channels | HSN2 |
| History | |
| Launched | September 20, 1982 |
| Former names | Home Shopping Club (1982–1985) Home Shopping Network (1985–2000) |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| ABC Owned Television Stations | -DT4 channel position; list of stations |
| Over-the-air as a subchannel | Consult local listings |
| Streaming media | |
| Digital media receiver | Roku and Apple TV (4th generation) |
| Website | HSN Live Stream HSN2 Live Streaming |
HSN, which stands for Home Shopping Network, is an American TV channel where you can buy all sorts of products! It's like a giant online store, but on your TV. HSN is owned by a company called Qurate Retail Group, which also owns other shopping brands. Its main offices are in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the United States.
As of July 2014, Joy Mangano set a record. She sold 216,000 pillow sets in just one day!
Contents
History of HSN
Early Beginnings: Home Shopping Club
HSN started in 1982 as the Home Shopping Club. It was created by Lowell Paxson and Roy Speer. At first, it was a local TV channel in Pinellas County, Florida. You could watch it on cable TV.
Becoming a National Network
Just three years later, on July 1, 1985, the channel grew much bigger. It became the first national shopping network! At this time, its name changed to the Home Shopping Network. This channel was a pioneer, meaning it was one of the first to show how to sell products on TV. Another shopping channel, QVC, started the next year.
Changes and Growth Over Time
In 1986, HSN launched a second network. This one broadcasted for free on TV stations that HSN had bought. Later, in 1992, HSN became a separate company. Then, Liberty Media bought some shares in the network.
In 1996, the TV stations were sold back to a company called Silver King Broadcasting. This company was owned by Barry Diller. After a merger, Silver King Broadcasting changed its name to "HSN Inc." Under Barry Diller's leadership, HSN Inc. also bought other TV channels like the USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel in 1997.
In September 2000, Home Shopping Network shortened its name to just HSN.
New Leadership and Ownership
Mindy Grossman became the CEO of HSN in 2006. She worked hard to make the brand new and exciting. In 2008, she made HSN a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold by anyone. Mindy Grossman left HSN in May 2017.
In July 2017, Liberty Interactive, which already owned part of HSN, decided to buy the rest of the company. This made HSN part of the QVC Group. The CEO of QVC, Mike George, became the CEO of both companies.
In September 2018, HSN teamed up with a TV show called Pickler & Ben. This allowed viewers to buy items featured on the show directly from HSN's website.
Sister Channels
HSN has other channels that are part of the same family. These are sometimes called "sister channels."
- HSN2: This channel started on August 1, 2010. It shows replays of products and programs from HSN. It's like a time-shifted version of the main channel.
- America's Store: This channel used to be called the Home Shopping Club Overnight Service. It was HSN's second channel from 1988 until April 2007.
How HSN Works
Main Locations
HSN's main operations in the United States are in St. Petersburg, Florida. This is where their main offices, TV studios, and broadcasting facilities are located. They also have call centers in Roanoke, Virginia and Toledo, Ohio.
Their distribution centers, where products are stored and shipped, are in Roanoke, Piney Flats, Tennessee, and Fontana, California.
Watching HSN Today
Today, you can watch HSN and QVC in several ways. You can watch them over the air with an antenna, even without a cable subscription. They are also available through cable providers and streaming devices. HSN also has a new streaming service that offers a different shopping experience.
Technology Behind HSN
Call Center Technology
When HSN first started, they used a simple phone system. Calls would go to the first available order taker. Over time, as more people called, they needed a more advanced system. They faced some challenges with their phone systems as their business grew.
Original Order System
HSN created its first system for taking orders using a special computer system called a Burroughs Large System mainframe. They used a programming language called LINC 10.
See also
- Home shopping host
- List of over-the-air Home Shopping Network affiliates
