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Channel 4 drops telephone competitions

01/08/2007

Channel 4 has decided to drop all premium rate telephone competitions after viewers were overcharged in the You Say We Pay scandal.

All programmes will be affected except for Deal or No Deal, where the share of future profits will be given to charity.

The cost of phone voting for Big Brother will only be enough to cover the cost of the call and any charitable donation.

In 2006 there were about 30 premium rate telephone services (PRTS) in and around Channel 4 and its sister channels, generating a forecast profit for 2007 of £3 million.

Channel 4's decision follows an investigation into PRTS after it emerged viewers were told to call in for the You Say We Pay competition on the Richard & Judy show after potential winners had been short-listed.

The broadcaster made revenue of £2.2 million from the improperly entered calls from September 2004 to February 2007.

An investigation found no evidence that anyone at Channel 4 knew about the oversight and refunds have been offered to viewers. Any unclaimed money will be donated to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

Anne Bulford, Channel 4's group finance director, who has overseen the investigation, said: "As a commercially funded public service broadcaster we've previously taken the view that premium rate competitions were a legitimate activity given the demand from viewers to take part. But public trust in these competitions has been severely undermined and we do not want to risk further our relationship with our viewers.

"The channel's reputation is its most valuable asset and can only be protected by demonstrating that we place the highest priority on safeguarding the interests of our viewers and will take action if we find they have been let down."


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