LONDON -- Premium phone-line regulator Icstis on Wednesday unveiled a raft of proposals aimed at restoring viewer confidence in the scandal-ridden genre of participation television, where viewers phone in to vote in quizzes or competitions.
The moves come after the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have all been forced to apologize to viewers after it emerged that viewers were being encouraged to pay to vote in competitions that had already been closed and that made-up winners were being announced.
Describing some of the activities revealed as "semi-fraudulent" Icstis chairman Alastair Graham as given broadcasters two weeks to resond to a slew of allegations of inconsistences and compliance abuses relating to the use of premium phone lines in such shows as ITV's "X Factor", Channel 4's "Richard and Judy: You Say We Pay" and Five show "Brainteaser".
Graham warned that although no evidence of a cover-up had emerged, any evidence of criminality would be reported to the police.
"I am anxious that we sort out this pretty grim mess that the broadcast companies have got themselves into," he said in an interview with the BBC.
The moves come after the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have all been forced to apologize to viewers after it emerged that viewers were being encouraged to pay to vote in competitions that had already been closed and that made-up winners were being announced.
Describing some of the activities revealed as "semi-fraudulent" Icstis chairman Alastair Graham as given broadcasters two weeks to resond to a slew of allegations of inconsistences and compliance abuses relating to the use of premium phone lines in such shows as ITV's "X Factor", Channel 4's "Richard and Judy: You Say We Pay" and Five show "Brainteaser".
Graham warned that although no evidence of a cover-up had emerged, any evidence of criminality would be reported to the police.
"I am anxious that we sort out this pretty grim mess that the broadcast companies have got themselves into," he said in an interview with the BBC.
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