MUMBAI: Ofcom the broadcasting watchdog imposes fine on 30 local radio stations owned by GCap for manipulating results of an on air quiz reports Telegraph U.K.
The competition was named secret sound, where the listeners had to identify the sound being broadcast on air by calling or SMSing. The radio station deliberately selected participants who gave wrong answers to prevent the prize to be won soon.
The watchdog said putting incorrect answers on air was “a deliberate and pre-meditated means of preventing the prize from being won in that round”.It said the production team’s actions were “calculated and deliberate” and showed “a complete disregard” for listeners who had paid to enter the competition.
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300,000 entries were made in the competition over a four weeks time, making a total of more than ?104,000, of which GCap received a share of ?42,000.A statement by GCap, recently bought by Global Radio, said it took the ruling “extremely seriously”.
“The new management and owners look forward to building a strong future for the commercial radio industry where the trust of its listeners and of its regulator is of the highest importance. To that end the new management are already putting in place new measures to build on the already improved controls implemented at GCap and the company has not run premium rate competitions of this kind for the last 12 months,” it said.
The Liberal Democrat spokesman for culture, media and sport Don Foster says, “The public must be sick to death of the number of premium-rate scandals emerging from across the media world. It’s quite clear that a huge number of media outlets have been grossly irresponsible. I’m extremely concerned that law enforcement agencies appear so unwilling to examine these issues. Public confidence will only be restored by a full investigation.”
A week ago Ofcom fined ITV a record ?5.67 million for cheating viewers out of millions of pounds during a series of premium-rate phone-in competitions.
The Serious Fraud Office is currently examining the watchdog’s probe into ITV to decide whether there is a case for a criminal investigation.
The BBC is expected to be fined up to ?250,000 next month for repeatedly deceiving viewers on a number of shows, including Children in Need and Sport Relief.
