Icstis Investigates Vernon Kay’s Marathon

Premium-rate phone regulator Icstis is to investigate Vernon Kay’s Gameshow Marathon after it was revealed that 10,000 text entries to a competition were uncounted.

ITV has apologised for the glitch on the Saturday show, saying that it only affected around 8% of entries. It added that it had set up a new prize draw for the viewers whose votes were not counted.

The broadcaster said that this was an “isolated” incident and had been noticed by its mobile phone service provider as part of its normal monitoring procedures.

At the start of the month Icstis announced that it would be bringing in more stringent guidelines concerning television quiz shows, including insisting on better pricing information and greater transparency about how likely calls are to get through (see Icstis Gets Tough With New TV Quiz Rules).

By the end of the month the regulator is expected to deliver its rulings on whether The X-Factor and I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! breached codes of practice (see ITV Joins Vote Scandal List For X Factor Overcharging).

It is also carrying out investigations into alleged irregularities in phone-ins on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen and the You Say, We Pay quiz on Channel 4’s Richard And Judy (see Richard & Judy Phone Quiz Controversy Takes New Twist), with rulings on these shows due in May.

Icstis: www.icstis.org.uk