ITV chops phone-in quizzes
p2pnet.net news:- A freeze has hit Britain’s ITV. It says it’s taken its quiz channel ITV Play off air and suspended all premium-rate interactive services, text votes and red button interaction, pending the outcome of an independent review, “in an effort to stem a crisis in viewer confidence,” says Guardian Unlimited.
ITV Play charges viewers up to £1 (today, almost $2) a time to enter, “and is expected to make £20m (today, about $38,550,362) this year,” says the story, going on, “it and other interactive shows are seen as vital revenue streams in the broadcaster’s battle to replace declining advertising income”.
Millions of people, “enjoy interacting with ITV – either by voting in our entertainment shows, or by taking part in prize competitions.”
Last week, it emerged that X Factor viewers were overcharged by £200,000 (today, about $385,526) because of an error over interactive voting, says The Scotsman, going on, “And there was further trouble for the broadcaster at the weekend when a Sunday newspaper claimed viewers of ITV1’s Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway had been urged to contact the show using £1-per-entry phone lines even though contestants had already been chosen.”
Recent affected programmes, according to Guardian Unlimited:
- Dancing on Ice votes: BT landline 50p, SMS 50p plus standard rate, red button 50p, mobiles vary
- David Dickinson’s Real Deal Reverse Bid Auction: BT landline £1.50
- The Championship competition: BT landline £1, SMS £1 plus standard rate, mobiles vary
- X-Factor ITV1 competition: BT landline £1, SMS £1 plus standard rate, red button £1
- X-Factor votes: BT landline 35p, SMS 35p plus standard rate, red button 35p
- Glitterball Extra entry: BT landline 75p, SMS 75p plus standard rate
- Make Your Play entry: BT landline 75p, SMS 75p plus standard rate
Also See:
Guardian Unlimited – ITV halts phone-in shows for charges review, March 6, 2007
The Scotsman – ITV pulls plug on phone-in programmes in wake of storm over premium-rate calls, March 5, 2007
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