From the Herald Tribune of today:

To European broadcasters, they have become vital sources of income in times of sinking advertising revenue. To critics, they represent the very worst in television programming - cheaply made shows designed to rip off viewers.

Now, on the heels of fraud allegations, quiz shows are coming under the scrutiny of regulators across Europe. The allegations of fraud and deception circulating in Britain, the Netherlands and Germany recall the quiz show scandals that rocked 1950s America, but they have a decidedly digital bent. Programs asking viewers to respond using premium-rate phone lines, text messages or interactive TV services are also under scrutiny.

The leading British broadcasters have suspended dozens of quiz shows and other call-in programs after widespread allegations of deception. The Dutch public prosecutor in Amsterdam is looking into quiz shows broadcast by RTL and SBS. And German regulators and broadcasters are scheduled to meet Thursday to review charges of violations to an agreed-upon set of guidelines, after viewer complaints.

The questions raised by the programs in these countries, and the subsequent regulatory response, mean an uncertain future for a format both popular and profitable around Europe.

Analysts also see a potential crisis of consumer confidence in the interactive services that many view as a vital source of income for broadcasters in the future.

In Germany, call-in shows earned broadcasters revenues of €450 million, or $611 million, in 2005, according to the Berlin-based consulting firm Goldmedia, while quiz shows contributed up to 43 percent of the total revenue in 2005 for the German sports channel DSF. The largest British commercial broadcaster, ITV, took in nearly £100 million, or $200 million, from such programs last year, Goldmedia said.

Posted on April 30th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: Germany, Call-In TV, Netherlands