Quiz Shows on TV!
Daily Mail
26th January 2007
www.dailymail.co.uk
Have you ever attempted to win some money on those television quiz channels that are currently bombarding late night airtimes. We are seeing more and more quiz channels popping up and indeed filling in between regular programmes, but are you aware of the alleged tricks used to con cash out of viewers.

The Quiz Channels are a live, interactive programme that gives you the chance to answer questions and win cash prizes from the comfort of your favourite armchair. Primarily, to enter the competition you telephone the premium rate telephone number advertised, costing anything from 60p per call upwards. Once the telephone number has been dialled and the call is connected you will be charged regardless of whether or not you are selected to be put through to the studio or called back.

If your lucky, on calling your call will pass through a random selection mechanism. A recorded message will notify you of the result of the random selection. You will either; be put on hold for an opportunity to be put through to the studio, or be asked to leave your name and contact number so that you may be called back and put through to the studio. We have been advised by some local entrants that if you do get lucky to get through, that after awhile you are cut off, thus losing your chance to win, but again the telephone call is costed to your phone bill.

The Daily Mail reports that "You're on rip off TV!" on the 26th January 2007 page 9 about Quiz Shows conning contestants out of cash by altering answers and making viewers run up hugh phone bills, as reported by a whistleblower.

A former call operator claimed that answers were switched and phones left unanswered to get more money out of callers. He was so concerned that he informed police who launched a fraud investigation, which was dropped shortly afterwards as they did not have sufficient evidence, but he is determined to get to the root of the alledged malpractice and has referred the matter to the media regulator of Ofcom.

The whistleblower, who worked for one of the quiz channels from May 2005 to March last year, recalls how he had taken calls for a game which asked people to 'name things you see in a pub'. The top answer of ' Pork Scratchings'worth £200 was answered by a viewer within 30 minutes of the competition being aired. He claims that if the top prize is won quizly, it is not good for call revenue and the attraction to win top money is reduced instead of entering for the lower prizes of £20.

He allegedly claims that the producer moved his top £200 answer down to the £40 answer slot whilst the presenter stalled the player with the usual stalling chit-chat. The swap-over deprived the winner of £160.

It was also alleged that he was told to take a coffee break and leave the phone unanswered when viewers were likely to get the top answer right. Quiz Channels do not fall under existing gambling laws, but there is debate about whether they are a game of skill or of chance.

Some highlighted so called tricks of the trade: Jackpot winning answers were changed if callers got them right too early in a game. Staff were told to take regular coffee breaks and leave the calls unanswered to keep the cash rolling in from phone calls. Shows would choose obscure and cryptic answers which viewers were unlikely to guess. Low prizes handed out for easy questions used as bait. No information was given about the odds og getting through to the studio - in some cases 400-1. Shows would stop regular callers getting through to the studio - but they would still be charged for the call.

What a scam!.