ICSTIS, the premium rate services regulator, has announced a number of immediate and future actions that will be taken to restore public trust in the premium rate participation TV sector.

The need for change has been agreed following a meeting with leading broadcasters, programme makers and premium rate service providers. The urgent meeting was convened by ICSTIS in the wake of the recent serious allegations made against a number of participation TV services, and looked at how the recent problems came about and at what needed to be done to prevent them happening again.

The immediate and future actions agreed include:

• By the end of Monday 12 March, ICSTIS will write to all broadcasters and their partners confirming their commitment to carry out, as an absolute priority, a review of their current and forthcoming participation TV programming to ensure there is no risk of consumer harm. The letter from ICSTIS will identify the risks which it expects to be covered in each review. The findings of each review are to be reported to ICSTIS within two weeks.
• The introduction of systematic monitoring by ICSTIS and inspections to ensure services are being run as they should.
• ICSTIS expects the publication of complete, accurate and easily understood rules for all competition services.
• The introduction of a licensing regime for all premium rate service providers operating participation TV services within three months. Such a licensing system will define where responsibility for compliance with the ICSTIS Code of Practice lies so that viewers can have absolute confidence in services.
• This arrangement would depend on and be underpinned by all broadcasters fulfilling their duty to ensure that all programmes comply with the ICSTIS Code of Practice, and taking action to demonstrate this.
• As part of establishing a licensing regime, ICSTIS will explore with the industry the benefit of introducing a trust mark or quality standard to build long-term public trust in services.
• An ongoing dialogue with the industry to ensure that the measures implemented are working and are being adhered to.

Posted on March 9th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV, all