Criticism of Quiz Channels
Quiz channels have received large number of complaints due to use of premium-rate telephone numbers, "impossible" questions and gambling. Often it is far from clear how it is possible to reach the suggested 'right' answer. Some people who are heavily involved in the quiz industry in the UK have complained about the standard and ambiguity of the questions used on the programme. Questions in some games, as an example, Quizmania's tower games are usually very easy and open ended, often with scores of possible answers, but only a handful of which win prizes. This means that the competition becomes less of a quiz and more like a game of chance. A Culture, Media and Sports select committee report suggested that the odds of a viewer getting through to the studio is up to 8,500 to one and for an ITV Play show, 400 to one.
Some estimates suggest that phone-in quizzes generate around £50 million a year for broadcasters, making them a crucial source of income at a time of increasing pressure on advertising revenue.
The Mail on Sunday stated in an article that 15% of complaints made to Ofcom are from participation TV shows. Gordon Brown has criticised the participation TV shows and channels for exploiting the poor.
Ofcom is now considering a proposal to class participation TV channels in the same way as teleshopping channels. This would give consumers more protection against fraudulent channels. According to an article in The Times, Ofcom was expected to receive an estimated 800 complaints about quiz channels in 2007, an increase from 450 in 2005.
In the Netherlands, call-in quizzes were officially banned by law after losing all network support in November 2007. These programs were cancelled in the Flemish part of Belgium as from January 2011. De Neveneffecten revealed in their television show "Basta" fraud on large scale. The games are still aired in the Wallon part of Belgium.
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