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26/09/2007
GMTV Fined £2 Million Over Phone-In Competitions
GMTV has been fined £2 million by media regulator Ofcom for failings with its phone-in quizzes.
Ofcom said that the fine, the largest ever for a broadcaster, was imposed because GMTV had allowed viewers to continue entering premium-rate competitions that they had no chance of winning.
The regulator found that competition finalists were chosen before phone lines closed, meaning that those who rang in later wasted nearly £2 on a phone call.
Ofcom said that this was the situation with the competitions on GMTV for four years - between January 2003 and March 2007, when an investigation by BBC's 'Panorama' programme uncovered the breaches.
Ofcom said that the breaches "constituted a substantial breakdown in the fundamental relationship of trust between a public service broadcaster and its viewers".
GMTV will also have to broadcast a summary of the regulator's findings on three separate occasions.
A statement issued by GMTV said that it accepted "full responsibility" for the failings and said that it had introduced a new code for premium rate contests.
Two GMTV executives - managing director Paul Corley and director of phone-in competitions Kate Fleming - have resigned over the affair.
Earlier this week, Opera Telecom, the company that operated the phone contests, was fined £250,000 by premium rate phone line regulator Icstis.
(KMcA)
Ofcom said that the fine, the largest ever for a broadcaster, was imposed because GMTV had allowed viewers to continue entering premium-rate competitions that they had no chance of winning.
The regulator found that competition finalists were chosen before phone lines closed, meaning that those who rang in later wasted nearly £2 on a phone call.
Ofcom said that this was the situation with the competitions on GMTV for four years - between January 2003 and March 2007, when an investigation by BBC's 'Panorama' programme uncovered the breaches.
Ofcom said that the breaches "constituted a substantial breakdown in the fundamental relationship of trust between a public service broadcaster and its viewers".
GMTV will also have to broadcast a summary of the regulator's findings on three separate occasions.
A statement issued by GMTV said that it accepted "full responsibility" for the failings and said that it had introduced a new code for premium rate contests.
Two GMTV executives - managing director Paul Corley and director of phone-in competitions Kate Fleming - have resigned over the affair.
Earlier this week, Opera Telecom, the company that operated the phone contests, was fined £250,000 by premium rate phone line regulator Icstis.
(KMcA)
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23 April 2007
GMTV viewers defrauded in competitions, documentary claims
Millions of people who attempted to enter premium-rate phone competitions on GMTV have been defrauded out of money, according to a BBC documentary. According to the 'Panorama' programme, GMTV's phone operator Opera had been finalising shortlists of potential winners "long before" phone lines closed, over the past four years.
GMTV viewers defrauded in competitions, documentary claims
Millions of people who attempted to enter premium-rate phone competitions on GMTV have been defrauded out of money, according to a BBC documentary. According to the 'Panorama' programme, GMTV's phone operator Opera had been finalising shortlists of potential winners "long before" phone lines closed, over the past four years.
01 May 2007
Blair - 'Brown to be PM within weeks'
Tony Blair has said that Chancellor Gordon Brown will, "in all probability", succeed him as Prime Minister in the next few weeks. Speaking to GMTV earlier in an interview to mark his tenth anniversary in Downing Street, Mr Blair commented on his resignation as prime minister saying: "I will make my position clear next week.
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10 June 2010
GMTV Name To Be Dropped
ITV have announced plans to drop the GMTV name and brand, spending up to £1.5m on a relaunch of the morning flagship show. The rebrand was described as "the biggest change" in its 17-year history by Alison Sharman, ITV Director of Factual and Daytime. New graphics and title music are planned along with a location move to overlook the River Thames.
GMTV Name To Be Dropped
ITV have announced plans to drop the GMTV name and brand, spending up to £1.5m on a relaunch of the morning flagship show. The rebrand was described as "the biggest change" in its 17-year history by Alison Sharman, ITV Director of Factual and Daytime. New graphics and title music are planned along with a location move to overlook the River Thames.
26 November 2009
ITV Secures GMTV Ownership
ITV plc has announced that it has now achieved full ownership of GMTV Limited. The national breakfast-time Channel 3 licensee acquired the remaining 25% equity stake in the business from the Walt Disney Company Limited and one of its subsidiaries.
ITV Secures GMTV Ownership
ITV plc has announced that it has now achieved full ownership of GMTV Limited. The national breakfast-time Channel 3 licensee acquired the remaining 25% equity stake in the business from the Walt Disney Company Limited and one of its subsidiaries.
20 September 2012
BSkyB Ruled 'Fit And Proper' By Media Regulator
BSkyB has been ruled as a "fit and proper" company to hold a broadcasting licence, by the UK media regulator. Ofcom investigated the broadcaster in the wake of the phone hacking scandal that engulfed Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which owns 39% of BSkyB.
BSkyB Ruled 'Fit And Proper' By Media Regulator
BSkyB has been ruled as a "fit and proper" company to hold a broadcasting licence, by the UK media regulator. Ofcom investigated the broadcaster in the wake of the phone hacking scandal that engulfed Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which owns 39% of BSkyB.
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