Strengthening consumer protection in participation television | Ofcom
Ofcom announced today measures to strengthen viewer and consumer protection in participation TV programmes through new mandatory licence conditions for television broadcasters.
Participation TV is programming which invites viewers to interact, often by using premium rate telephone services (PRS), such as television voting lines and competitions.
Separately, PhonepayPlus, the agency […]

Posted on February 19th, 2008 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV | No Comments »

In Italy, TV Call-In shows are licensed. That is not part of the regulation, but of the law itself. Articulo 88 de Regio Decreto No. 773, Testo Unico delle Leggi di Pubblica Sicurezza, dated June 18, 1931, says that the right to operate lotteries, gambling or prognostic games is allowed only to the state or […]

Posted on January 9th, 2008 by lbraum
Filed under: Call-In TV, Italy | No Comments »

A British company has developed a telephone-based panel system that can provide real-time viewer feedback for television programmes. Its developers liken it to the original live audience clapometer, allowing viewers to express their views straight to screen. Cleverly, it also uses standard market research weighting to make random voter samples representative of the general population.
Adam […]

Posted on September 17th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: Call-In TV, all | No Comments »

from Digitalspy: Channel 4 is to stop using phone-in competitions in its programmes as part of its new policy on the use of premium rate phone services.
The launch of the new policy coincides with publication of the findings of an internal investigation into the You Say We Pay competition in Richard & Judy. Channel 4 […]

Posted on August 7th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV | No Comments »

From Daily Express:
BBC was plunged into a fresh crisis last night, with calls for phone-voting on talent shows to be suspended, along with phone-in ­competitions. (Here is a list of affected shows.)
Entertainment shows, such as Strictly Come Dancing and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, were facing an uncertain future after Ofcom revealed […]

Posted on July 24th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV | No Comments »

Marketing Week cites a a leading media lawyer, who says the Gambling Commission’s guidance on the new rules on free draws and prize competitions could torpedomarketing plans.
Nick Johnson, head of advertising and sponsorship law at Osborne Clarke, says the commission has “effectively declared war on TV quizzes”. Johnson says the guidance, published last week, comes […]

Posted on July 8th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV | No Comments »

ICSTIS, the British premium rate services regulator, has today imposed its highest ever fine of £150,000 (ca. 222.000 €) on “You Say, We Pay”-service provider Eckoh UK Ltd. It has also ordered a sanction to provide refunds to all those affected. The sanction is suspended whilst consideration is given to whether or not the Channel […]

Posted on July 6th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV | No Comments »

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 […]

Posted on April 30th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: Germany, Call-In TV, Netherlands | No Comments »

from Out-Law:
Premium phone line operators will need lottery licences to operate from September, according to the Gambling Commission. The changes will affect many of the competitions that have attracted criticism in recent weeks.
New gambling legislation passed in 2005 but due to take effect in September of this year will clear up a longstanding ambiguity about […]

Posted on March 23rd, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV, all | No Comments »

(From “The Times”) The chief executive of Channel 4 said yesterday that it would sack the premium-rate phone supplier Eckoh, after software problems involving the company forced the broadcaster to axe phone-in competitions due to run during the Cheltenham Festival.
Andy Duncan admitted that Channel 4 had uncovered yet another problem with a premium-rate phone-in on […]

Posted on March 15th, 2007 by lbraum
Filed under: UK, Call-In TV, all | No Comments »