Weather Tonight: 5°c Partly Cloudy Night Morning: 9°c Cloudy

Showbiz

Phone-in probe clears late-night quiz

Updated 11:38am on 12 Mar 2007


Late-night quiz strand ITV Play will return to ITV1 after getting the green light in the independent review into TV phone-ins, it was announced today.

On Saturday, the semi-final of Dancing On Ice, featuring Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, was broadcast on ITV1 after it was cleared in the probe.

Read more... Grade: I'm not ashamed of phone lines controversy

Thousands of viewers 'duped' into ringing quiz 30 minutes after show finished

Today's news headlines

But money-spinning digital phone-in channel ITV Play, which earned £20 million in its first year for ITV, has been more controversial.

The digital quiz channel is still being investigated as part of the independent review.

But the strand screened on ITV1 and ITV2 late at night will return to the terrestrial channels after being cleared.

Phone-in quizzes have been criticised for enticing viewers to call premium-rate numbers, costing 75p at time, with little chance of getting through.

ITV Play's Quizmania programme, which included a balaclava and Rawlplugs in a test of 12 things you are most likely to find in a woman's handbag, was censured by Ofcom earlier this year.

Chancellor Gordon Brown has ordered a Treasury investigation into whether such quizzes should be rebranded as lotteries and regulated accordingly.

MPs recently warned that contestants on phone-in TV quiz shows were at risk of being "ripped off" by premium-rate fees and unfair questions.

ITV was said to have been facing losses of £1.5 million a week because of its decision to suspend all premium-rate interactive services.

Quizzes on This Morning will also return, ITV announced.

Reader views (0)

 Add your view

No comments have so far been submitted.


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

 

  • Whitney Houston was dead before she went under the water Whitney o2 Singer Whitney Houston died from a mix of drugs and alcohol - and did not drown in her hotel bath, according to reports
  • Rhys Ifans accused of assault Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans alleged to have slapped a guest in a late-night argument in a suite at London's five-star St Pancras Renaissance hotel
  • Triumph for Adele as she finds her voice on tragic night at the Grammys adele Adele made a triumphant return after vocal cord surgery to win a record six Grammy Awards
  • The Artist dominates the Baftas as Meryl Streep wins best actress The Artist Silent film The Artist made a big noise at the Bafta film awards winning seven, including Best Film, Leading Actor and Best Director
  • Lady Gaga reveals battle with bulimia Lady Gaga Lady Gaga used to make herself sick after eating family meals because she wanted to lose her "voluptuous" curves
  • Amy Childs tipped for return to TOWIE Amy Childs Amy Childs is set to make a shock return to The Only Way Is Essex
  • Holly Willoughby to host Surprise, Surprise Holly Willoughby Holly Willoughby is st to host a new series of Surprise, Surprise
  • Kris Humphries doesn't want money from Kim Kim Kardashian and Chris Humphries Kris Humphries doesn't want any of Kim Kardashian's fortune
  • My mum will be the judge, David Walliams tells Britain's Got Talent hopeful David Walliams and his mother Kathleen There was an addition to the Britain's Got Talent panel when judge David Walliams asked his mother's opinion on an act as she sat in the...
  • Simon Cowell wanted to keep Paula Abdul on US X Factor Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul Music mogul insists it wasn't his choice to have his former 'American Idol' co-judge removed from the panel
  •