Up to today I thought the whole ITV Gameshow/phone in thing was just a storm in a teacup over callers not being advised competitions had closed, ITV had made a bit extra and would give it back/to charity. Whatever. Blah blah. Not interested frankly.

But reading through the reports,

ITV

they're pretty damning and IMO amount to huge scale deception, fraud and ultimately theft. ITV look to have got away pretty lightly with a 'small' fine from Ofcom it seems. If any other plc had been guilty of similar issues, I suspect the police would have been brought in and the appropriate people charged and given jail sentences if found guilty.

Is it one rule for a 'lite' plc such as a TV station and gameshows and another for heavy industrialists like banks and power suppliers when guilty of fraud themselves?

...Absolutely! ....I've been following this story and wondered when ITV would be brought to book.

What is a disgrace is that whilst sundry BBC producers fell on their swords (or were impaled on them by senior Beeb bosses) for their comparatively minor mis-demeanors I've not noted anything similar happening in ITV land to their staff who surely were guilty of gross misconduct.

..And isn't it illuminating that at an Viewers Vote ITV screened award show a category that had actually been won by a BBC production (The Catherine Tate Show)was simply fixed to allow ITV's golden boys (Ant & Dec)to be decreed winners on the night - Robbie Williams having been previously booked to present their award "if" they won(!)

Frankly the whole debacle stinks up the whole ITV franchise. ....
......What say you Michael Grade?

Jamie, it was huge. In other circumstances that involve similar levels of deception, Co. Directors have done porridge.

Steve

So the brain dead who vote for TV shows were deceived.
Who cares?

quote:

Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
So the brain dead who vote for TV shows were deceived.
Who cares?

I can remember a phone-in on a show many years ago where people were voting on a particular issue (can't remember what). The split was something like, yes votes 35%, no votes 47%, don't know 18%!

Who the heck phones in to answer "don't know"?!!!

Commercial organisation deceives customers, Bob.

The judgement as to whether the customers fit your definition of worthy, is fortunately neither here nor there.

quote:

Who the heck phones in to answer "don't know"?!!!

Sorry, but just thought I'd post to say I don't know.

quote:

Originally posted by bob mccluckie:
So the brain dead who vote for TV shows were deceived.
Who cares?

Hard question - I think we'd need a phone in to sort it out.

t was hard to know whether this is serious, or "really" serious. On the Radio Four Midnight News, it does seem that the fine is actually "small" compared to ITV's return to shareholders, though initially I thought the fine sounded "huge."

In view of the duplicity involved, I reckon it would be most useful to ban ITV from using this kind of "charged call" for a period of say five years. That would hurt them more than any fine, and would make others think twice before embarking on this very stealthy sort of theft.

It seems no different to me than say to have a syndicate doing the Lottery, and the person taking the money simply pocketing it - thereby simply eliminating the chance of a win. Theft is theft is theft. My view is that the individuals responsible should face criminal charges, and ITV be banned from using such a system in future as suggested above.

If ITV cannot trade in future without out it, then that is possibly a good thing.

George

Perhaps banning the programmes that use telephone votes...

Imagine TV schedules without 13 week adverts for west end musicals or promotions for Simon Cowell's next cash cow or any show with the word 'Celebrity' in the title...

Well I voted in this season's X Factor but OFCOM has apparently concluded there was nothing suspicious or underhand going on despite the result......

Steady on guys....if these phone-ins provide revenue that would otherwise be added to the license fee (BBC), or advertising fees (the rest) - then I'd rather leave well alone.

Just run them properly.

Steve

One man's gameshow is another man's pension fund...

And now BBC have owned up to keeping charity money. What a sordid world we live in.
Ken

quote:

What a sordid world we live in

Henry Rollins! Henry Rollins!
You're hard. You're hard.
Big Jimmy Nail! Big Jimmy Nail!
You're hard as well.
Sainsbury's security!
Like I'm dead scared
Oh what a frightening world it can be

Lenny Henry! Lenny Henry!
You're funny. You're funny.
Jenny Eclair! Jenny Eclair!
You're dead funny too.
Skinner, Baddiel, Anderson, Brand!
Oh, nurse, soothe my sides
Oh, what a funny old world it can be