Five suspends phone-ins to restore trust in premium-rate services

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 08-Mar-07, 15:10

LONDON - Five has suspended all premium rate phone line programming after learning of five occasions when winning callers were 'invented' on its Endemol UK-produced quiz show 'Brainteaser'.

The news comes on the same day as premium rate phone calls regulator Icstis announced a series of measures to restore public trust in such services.

These measures include: a licensing regime for all premium rate service providers operating participation TV services within three months; systematic monitoring and; asking all broadcasters and their partners to review their current and forthcoming participation TV programming.

At Five, the incidents took place between January and March 6 and were brought to Five's attention by Endemol after Five wrote to all its production companies and suppliers reminding them of their obligations to comply with the law and the codes of Ofcom and Icstis.

Endemol has told Five its subsidiary Cheetah Television, the producer of 'Brainteaser', put fictional names on screen as winners, instead of informing viewers that no winning caller had been found before the winner was due to be announced.

Five has now suspended all programming featuring premium rate lines, including 'Quiz Call', and its chief executive, Jane Lighting, has issued a public apology.

"We are shocked and disappointed and wish to apologise unreservedly to our viewers. The production company involved has failed to meet the high standards we demand of our suppliers."

Five is now attempting to identify callers affected by the incidents in order to refund them the cost of their calls.

Five is the last of the terrestrial broadcasters to have identified issues with premium rate calls. In the last few weeks it has emerged that BBC One's 'Saturday Kitchen', Channel 4's 'Richard and Judy, ITV's 'The X Factor' and 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' have been affected by irregularities.

On Tuesday, ITV suspended its premium rate activities and appointed independent auditor Deloitte to look into the matter.