ITV may extend phone-in probe
ITV will extend the investigation into premium rate phone and interactive services beyond the initially stated two years, if its independent audit finds the problem dates back further.
The move follows a report in today's Sun claiming that a string of ITV shows including I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and Soapstar Superstar had experienced phone voting problems, dating back as far as 2004.
A source at Eckoh, the company responsible for all ITV's premium rate phone services, alleged that the broadcaster's participation TV problems dated back as far as the third series of I'm a Celebrity, won by Kerry Katona in early 2004.
The Eckoh insider claimed thousands of viewers' votes for ITV shows were not counted because of computers crashing - but the callers were still charged for using the premium rate number.
ITV's independent audit of its premium rate services, being carried out by Deloitte, was initially set up earlier this week to look back as far as 2005.
"These problems are exactly the reason we are conducting an independent review of both current programming and shows dating back two years," said a spokesman for ITV.
"If the independent review says there is a need to go back further than two years then we will. We are doing it not because we believe there are other problems but because it is important to retain trust both with viewers and in the ITV brand."
An Eckoh spokeswoman told the Sun the company's computer system could cope with the volume of calls created by ITV shows.
"Eckoh can handle 500,000 calls per hour. It uses 300 computers and there are occasional crashes, as with any system.
"But issues are identified and addressed immediately. Any isolated computer crash would have no impact on vote registration."
ITV is so far the only major UK broadcaster to suspend all premium rate phone and interactive services while it conducts an independent audit.
The BBC and Channel Five have said they have carried out their own checks on shows and cleared them.
The shows named today join Channel 4's Richard & Judy, ITV's The X Factor and Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and BBC1's Saturday Kitchen, which have already been accused of irregularities in the phone-in TV row.
ITV said the premium rate services would return, programme by programme, once they had been given the all-clear by the audit.
Executives from all the main UK broadcasters and the independent production sector are meeting premium rate service regulator Icstis tomorrow to discuss ways of solving the crisis and restoring consumer confidence in phone-ins and red button interactive offerings.
Media-Guardian
