The UK’s TV premium phone call scandal just gets worse. A government review looking at the extent to which the interactive quiz call genre should be regarded gambling, a follow-up investigation from premium call regulator ICSTIS and a purple patch of exposes from investigative reporters have opened a can of warms that has so far heaped controversy on Channel 4’s afternoon chat show golden couple Richard and Judy, brought the suspension of the ITV Play game channel and dragged the Dancing On Ice Show and even kids’ favorite Blue Peter through the mud. All were variously accused of taking a cut of phone call income despite giving callers impossible odds of getting on air, inviting contestants to call in despite a winner already having been chosen, losing thousands of votes and soliciting callers despite picking a studio guest as a fake winning contestant.
Now a BBC Panorama investigation has claimed probably the most serious fraud yet – interactive TV platform provider Opera Interactive Technology stands accused of raking in about $80 million from its dealings with breakfast TV network GMTV over the last four years after drawing up shortlists of competition winners long before lines closed. Callers have wasted about $90,000 every day since 2003, Panorama said. With trust in the interactive genre currently in the gutter, the future of the participation TV format – so popularized by shows like Big Brother and American Idol – is on the line if producers and regulators alike cannot stem the scandals with tighter new codes of conduct.