MPs call phone-in quiz shows a form of gambling

by Joanne Payne Brand Republic 25-Jan-07, 11:25

LONDON - Call-in quiz shows mislead viewers and should be re-classified as gambling, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has said.

A report by the group of MPs has suggested that if the games become classified as lotteries, they could be forced to give 20% of sales to good causes.

MPs are very clear on what they would like to see happen in the future, saying: "We believe that call-TV quiz shows generally look and feel like gambling. It seems to us that call-TV quiz shows should constitute gaming under the Gambling Act 2005, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission should consider this as a matter of urgency."

Up to 1m people a night watch gaming shows, call a premium rate number and answer a question in the hope of winning sums up to £100,000. The channels have been criticised for charging 75p for calls from a landline and even more from a mobile.

MPs have suggested that quiz shows should get third-party approval on all questions or puzzles before broadcast. They also suggest that there should be an increased transparency about the chances callers have of getting through to the studio, which is purely a matter of luck.

The committee suggested showing the odds of getting on air should be shown clearly onscreen and that Icstis, the premium line regulator, should make broadcasters clearly show how much it is to call the quiz number.

ITV Play was rapped recently for making answers too obscure for viewers to guess. Ofcom recently ruled that 'Quizmania' was in breach of broadcasting rules when viewers complained that the answer to the question "name something you would you find in a woman's handbag" was too obscure. Answers included rawlplugs and a balaclava.

ITV Play looks set to make £20m this year through quiz show division ITV Play, which runs shows such as 'The Mint'. Odds of getting through to the studio are understood to be one in 400.

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