pressure tactics. From 1986 to 1989 the Plymouth-based Cable Value Network was the dominant player in the industry with HSN second and QVC a distant third. Through the backing of cable operators, QVC launched a hostile takeover of CVN and wound up buying it out, only to take CVN off the air and replace it with QVC programming. QVC emerged as HSN's only serious competitor, out of hundreds of copycats, even though it was on the verge of collapse in the early 1990s until Barry Diller came on board. Today QVC employs a total of over 10,000 people, and did around $8.6 billion in business in fiscal year 2013, making it the second highest-grossing American television network, surpassed in revenue only by CBS. Joseph Segel retired from QVC in 1993 upon Diller's hire, but remained involved in the network until 2013 in an advisory role. Death Segel died on December 21, 2019 at the age of 88 in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania from congestive heart failure. Businesses started 1947 - Eastern Advertising Co., Inc. -- advertising specialties. 1949 - Desk-Sign Manufacturing Co., Inc. -- personalized desk signs. 1950 - Magicard Co., Inc. -- promotional mailing pieces. 1950 - Advertising Specialty Institute—promotional products trade information center. 1953 - Colorcrafters, Inc. -- pioneer in full-color printing. 1954 - Selective Gift Institute, Inc. -- business gift selection service. 1960 - National Business Services, Inc. -- consolidation of last 3 businesses. 1961 - Gem Publishing Co., Inc. – books featuring humorous sayings. 1962 - Jordan-Edwards Co., Inc. -- pocket appointment and record books. 1964 - National Commemorative Society, Inc. -- producer of commemorative medals. 1964 - The Franklin Mint (initially called General Numismatics Corporation). 1965 - Britannia Commemorative Society, Inc. -- producer of commemorative medals. 1970 - Le Mirador, S.A. -- Swiss resort hotel, spa and conference center. 1975 - Presidential Airways, Inc. -- private jet and helicopter charter service. 1977 - RateSearch Corporation—computerized air freight rate analysis service. 1981 - PermaColor Corporation—systems to preserve color photos. 1983 - Software Digest, Inc. -- PC software rating reports. 1983 - National Software Testing Laboratories, Inc. -- PC software testing. 1986 - QVC Network, Inc. – televised home shopping. 1997 - International Skincare Research, Inc. – Le Mirador skincare products for QVC. 1997 - SmokeStoppers, Inc. – smoking cessation programs 2008 - GoBYO.com - online restaurant database focusing on BYOB-friendly restaurants. References External links Budd Margolis, Home Shopping